Kizer Isham Minitherium Flipper Knife Carbon Fiber (3" Stonewash) Ki3502

I'm new to the knife game, so I don't have a wealth of knowledge to draw on to write a well-informed review. Disclaimers aside, these are my thoughts on this beauty. What I like: I love the design. The flipper tab tucks into the handle when deployed and doesn't protrude too far out when the knife is closed. The clip works well--not so tight that it'll tear your jeans off and not so loose that you'll worry about losing the knife. The knife is extremely lightweight for its size, which makes it a viable EDC candidate. It's made of premium materials (S35VN, titanium, carbon fiber) and given that, is priced relatively cheaply. What I don't like: It doesn't deploy as easily as my other flipper (mini sheep dog). This isn't really a big deal, but it does require a little more oomph to get this thing to fire. (I've gotten used to it though). Also, the cut out really doesn't work well when spidey flicking to open--it's next to impossible. Again, not a big deal since I prefer using the flipper tab anyways (don't you??). Lastly, the knife didn't arrive very sharp. It failed the paper test out of the box. I was rather surprised since my mini sheepdog arrived razor sharp and both knives are made by the same manufacturer. Again, not a major issue if you own a sharpener, which any self-respecting knife owner should.

I saw the megatherium when it came out and liked the blade shape, and I thought to myself that if they came out with a smaller version of the knife I would be interested. Well, here it is. I really like the knife, but it isn't perfect. Mine has a good detent. I know detents seem to be hit or miss with these Kizer knives, but mine is good. Despite having a good detent, it isn't a snappy deploying knife. I've tried the pivot both looser and tighter, and this knife just doesn't snap open for me without a wrist flick, which is odd considering it is on bearings. Definitely not the end of the world seeing as the detent and lock up are good. Also, it was not hair popping sharp out of the box. I should not have to sharpen a new knife, but that is what I did. I went straight to the sharpmaker and touched up the edge, and now it is hair popping sharp. Overall I really love the knife. Great blade shape, good ergonomics, lightweight, and unlike anything else in my collection. I will be buying more Isham designs. I own this and the Blackstar and they are both great. Looking forward to the progeny.

I really wanted to like this knife with the design and materials, but there are just some problems with this knife that are hard to overlook for its price. The factory edge was not as sharp as I expected it to be at this price. (Still pretty sharp though). The deployment methods have slight issues that puzzle me. The index finger grove is quite aggressive and when you flick out the blade with either pointer finger or thumb it almost "hooks" your finger in, making deployment this way kind of weird. I'm sure over time you could get used to this, but it's still something to note. The blade hole is quite nice and smooth so deployment this way is comfortable if you get used to it. The flipper is just strange and pretty poorly designed. If you flick down like a light switch, as you get halfway through the flipper, the pointed body of the handle is pressing into and past your finger which can get annoying over time. If you deploy with the flipper by pressing into the handle this isn't as bad but is still present. Look at the flipper area when the knife is closed to get a better idea of what it might be like. The detent on this knife. Bad. It's pretty weak and the factory oil in the pivot must have gotten sludgy overtime or something because it's pretty bad. With how much the blade weighs, the detent should've been slightly heavier. I love the color and material of the pocket clip and the back spacer. Too bad the pocket clip is god awful. It looks cool, but it is terrible trying to get it into my pocket (regular normal casual jeans). Taking it out is no problem, but into the pocket is just annoying, as it curves off to the side for some reason. Might be nitpicking, but personally, I expect more out of a knife for this price.