The Kizer Comet is a flipper with an art background but outdoor genetics. There’s something oddly refreshing about the Comet. It’s a snappy flipper with some old school design lines that make it immediately likable.
My first impressions:
- The handle is a little boxy;
- The clip point blade invokes memories of the Schrade Sharpfinger (which is to say that there’s hunting-knife DNA in this design, even if it doesn’t quite feel like a hunting knife);
- But it has the modern conveniences of a flipper tab and a pocket clip.
It’s almost a perfect little folder except for one marring detail: The detent is way too strong.
But for the sake of thematic flow, I’ll get into the good stuff first.
| Overall Length: | 6.9” |
| Blade Length: | 2.9” |
| Blade Steel: | 154CM |
| Handle Material: | Micarta w/ brass bolsters |
| Open System: | Flipper |
| Carry System: | Tip-up clip (RH only) |
| Lock Type: | Liner |
| Made in: | China |
| Designer: | Paul Munko |
| What I Liked | What I Didn’t Like |
|---|---|
| Great blade for detail work and fine cuts | Detent is too strong to comfortable engage the flipper tab |
| Solid-grip ergos with the handle | Pocket clip isn’t reversible |
| Great pocket space economy |
The Art Background
The designer is Paul Munko, who you might have heard of before. But here are the highlights if you haven’t:
- He’s an artist and graphic designer under the name Colorful Filth.
- If you were to go check out his portfolio, you’d find that he’s done some custom scale collaborations with knife companies in the past including Northern Knives, Boker, and Kizer.
- The Comet is his first full knife design.
He was apparently influenced by “both Art Deco and Retro-Futuristic motifs” according to his own description. Considering the heavily art-influenced background, it’s somewhat surprising that this knife is practical in a very direct, no-nonsense way.
The Practical Parts
It did not take me long to use the hell out of this knife. The Comet wants to work; almost every detail tells you that as soon as it’s open in your hand:
- The handle has a firm grip with almost-harsh corners that keep the knife from turning;
- The Micarta has a nice dry texture that adds to grip security;
- The overall shape is neutral enough to give the hand free rein on grip types, but has enough chamfering and indentations to lock in a standard grip;
- And the clip point blade has a good edge and a mean tip with an enormous amount of fine-work potential.
Within the first week of carrying it, I cooked over a campfire, whittled, made feather sticks, and broke down a few pounds of cardboard.
I can always find the leverage I need with this knife, and the blade has always been up to the task, whether that task was cutting a refrigerator box into twenty pieces, or stabbing a steak off a fire and cutting it up for sandwiches.
Just remember this thing is a slicer. It makes small cuts and shaves off thin material.
The One Flaw
It’s a beast of a time to open this knife.
It takes a lot of pressure on the flipper tab to get that blade going, and it doesn’t help that the tab is sloped down with rounded jimping: a shape that would have been great if the detent didn’t have an iron grip on the blade.
I’ve gotten into the habit of giving the knife a hard wrist flick as I engage the tab just to give my finger a little help.
It’s enough of an issue that I almost don’t want to carry the knife. Not when I have a long line of other flippers with more finely tuned action waiting for their turn in rotation.
But I otherwise love the knife. The look, feel, and design intent all fit into a range of elements that I’m drawn to in EDC knives. It’s a conflicting problem.
It’s also a rare miss for Kizer, so I hope they’ll refine it in the next batch of Comets.
Comparison and Alternatives
There’s no shortage of options in the “3-inch-blade EDC under $100” category:
- Remington’s folding version of their Hunter: it’s a similar size and blade shape, but doesn’t feel quite as robust. The QC might be a little better on the Comet.
- LionSteel Gitano: If you want to go bigger and don’t mind going a little pricier, this is a good way to go. (It even has action issues, so you’ll get the full conflicting experience).
- The Kershaw CQC: If you want to go in a more tactical/hard-use direction, this is a well established design in both of those categories, and most versions run at about half the price of the Comet.
- The Vosteed Raccoon: It’s the closest in feel and price, and the action as spot on; it’s just missing the clip point blade. Or if you’re really gunning for that blade shape, you could sacrifice some comfort and go with the Vosteed Bellamy.
It Should Be an Almost Instant Classic
I immediately loved this knife. Everything about the look and feel speaks to me.
- It has a cool aesthetic while still being highly functional,
- The blade holds up well to hard use and cleans up easily after,
- And the handle feels right, but for size and texture.
But unless you’re already comfortable with flippers, this is not a very accessible EDC. And even those who do carry flippers regularly will find it frustrating to open.
If Kizer had just dialed back the detent a little I would be breaking down doors to tell people they should buy, carry, use, and pass down this knife.
And I especially want to encourage more designs from Paul Munko. He clearly has a solid understanding of what a knife should be. But the Comet exists in a highly competitive space, and until they workshop that action, there are just too many other good ways to spend eighty bucks.
