Kizer's Original Button Lock Costs $50 and Weighs 2.6

A 6.85-inch folder at 2.61 ounces with a button lock and a deep-carry clip, for $50.40. Those four numbers are the entire case for the Kizer Original V3605E2, and they are a hard combination to beat at any price, let alone this one.

The specification: 2.98-inch drop point in 154CM at 0.11 inch stock, 3.87-inch aluminum handle, button lock, thumb stud deployment, deep-carry clip, green anodized finish, 2.61 ounces. Kizer builds this one in-house with no outside designer credit, which usually means the shape is derived from what sells rather than from someone's sketchbook, and the result is a neutral, unremarkable handle that works in every grip.

154CM at 0.11 inch is a sensible choice for a knife this light. It is the American cousin of VG-10, runs around 58-60 HRC in production, holds an edge better than 14C28N and sharpens faster than S35VN. Thin stock plus a full flat grind plus a fine edge is what makes a two-ounce knife feel like it cuts above its weight, and this one does: aluminum handles are stiff, so there is no flex to waste energy, and the blade goes through cardboard with almost no resistance.

The button lock is the differentiator in this price bracket. A crossbar or button lock lets you close the knife without putting a finger in the blade path, which is the single biggest safety upgrade a folding knife can have, and it is ambidextrous in a way a liner lock never is. The trade is that button locks can develop a little vertical play after a few thousand cycles, and Kizer's budget ones are not immune. Expect a small amount of rock after a year of hard fidgeting; expect zero out of the box.

Compared with the Barbosa V3487N1 at $42, you pay eight dollars more and drop half an ounce while gaining a better lock; the Barbosa wins on grip and on N690's corrosion resistance. Compared with the T1 V3490E1 at $47.40 you give up a quarter inch of blade and a lot of handle bulk, and you get a knife that disappears in a shirt pocket. Compared with the Microlith at $147 you give up S35VN and titanium and keep almost all of the carry quality.

Verdict: this is the one to buy if you want a light, cheap, safe-to-close folder and you do not care about steel bragging rights. It is the least interesting knife in Kizer's lineup and probably the one you would actually carry every day.

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