Kizer Ki4448 Assist GTi S35VN Folding Knife

Take it from former US Army Ranger and current knifemaker Justin Gingrich that a versatile blade is essential on or off duty. Thanks to its utilitarian drop-point shape, the Kizer Ki4448 makes quick work of slicing, cutting, piercing, and more. The blade is made from one of the most well-balanced steels on the market in S35VN. Pair that with a textured G-10 handle and a titanium liner lock, and you’ve got a knife that can take a beating. Unlike most Kizer designs, this one has an assisted-opening mechanism so that it opens almost effortlessly with a simple press on the flipper. Jimped in all the right areas, the Ki4448 supports many grips. The blade is thick enough for comfortable thumb placement during detail work, while the titanium clip supports tip-up carry on either side. It even has a glassbreaker tip on the bottom.

Developed by Crucible Industries (one of the leading manufacturers of specialty steels for the cutlery industry) and Chris Reeve (arguably the most famous knifemaker in the world), S35VN is perhaps the most balanced blade steel ever created in terms of all-around performance. It’s made through a process of powdered metallurgy known as CPM, which results in near perfect consistency in the distribution of carbides. Compared to conventional melting practices, the CPM process produces a steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness.