Kizer Matanzas Review

The 3.44” blade with a blade thickness of 0.14” and an overall size of 8” places the Matanzas on the same spectrum of mid-tier folders as the Spyderco Paramilitary 2. Although PM2 is 0.25” larger. The bowie-esque drop point is better than the recurved tanto tip on this knife as the drop point makes the blade geometry sync with the handle and the overall size. The belly of the blade transitions from the forward edge to the recurve into a smooth shape.

The bead-blasted finish is a good finishing that works better with the black-coated blade. The silver steel blade with a bead-blasted finish does not get rid of fingerprints and corrosion. So it will show signs of wear after some use.

The harpoon-esque spine swedge serves as the thumb ramp with a high flat grind across the blade. The tip of the blade goes very high up proportionally but has a nice sharp point due to the flat spine towards the tip. There is a tiny sharpening choil that comes in front of the plunge line, leaving the sharpened edge uniform without any ‘beard’ to complicate the sharpening process.

The choice of the blade steel, as on most high-end Bladesmith series Kizer knives, is CPM S35VN. It has balanced blade properties like edge retention, corrosion resistance, toughness and ease of sharpening. It is equally easier for the manufacturer to grind, so the S35VN is a winner on both ends, the consumer and the manufacturer.

However, the factory edge of the blade is not very impressive. The blade stock thickness is also too thick for an EDC. The standard thickness that we have found great so far stands at an ideal 0.12”. Blades as thick as 0.14” do not have a history of providing good cutting performance. Moreover, the high flat grinds are even but toothy towards the edge and not sharp from the factory, unlike the Kizer Feist.

The handle of Kizer Matanzas is very interesting because it comes in two materials: carbon fiber on the inlay and titanium on the pocket clip side. The carbon fiber takes up all the surface area of the inlay, save for the border and wrapped together with two Torx body screws at the tail with a smooth radius that sits on the titanium plateau. The decorative pivot with the barrel keyed toward the frame prevents it from turning. You can also see the anodized blue ball pivot on both the sides that also works well.

The two materials are seamlessly synchronized with each other. You cannot tell where the inlay ends and the titanium begins. So it is safe to say that the finish and alignment of the two is remarkable. It is just one smooth piece of handle that offers a smooth and comfortable grip without any sharp edges. Its appearance is also very fine, unlike the Spyderco laminate that it sometimes uses.

Another detail to note on the handle are the thumb cutouts that are used to access the lockbar when the knife is in an open position. Kizer Knives Matanzas has neatly placed two reliefs on the inside of the scales that sit parallel to each other. It saves the show side of the handle for lockbar release access, which is a good attention to detail. It easily allows your thumb to drop down in to push the lock open. There are also a series of tiny machined striations on these reliefs for traction. When you open the knife, the bolster of the scales matches the blade tang curvature and flipper tab, creating a smooth guard.

The knife has an open construction with a design that is a flow-through overall. It features a pair of polished hourglass-shaped standoffs towards the handle’s rear that supports it.

The pocket clip is a spring clip for right hand tip-down carry. It uses a pair of miniature standoffs to hold top of the clip off the scales. It is unusual but allows the clip to go deep into thick fabric of the pocket.

The Kizer Matanzas uses a flipper and bearings pivot like many Kizer knives and other tactical utility EDC knives out there. It uses low-friction pivot-caged ceramic ball bearings to make the deployment smooth.

However, the narrow handle may place your middle finger straight into the lockbar when in closed position, increasing the detent strength when opening it. The same problems occurs in Zero Tolerance 0450. But you can work around it, you will find the flipper tab a bit tricky.

Its contact surface is shallow and curved, and is quite short, but does have a jimping for extra traction. The detent smoothness is medium – not too stiff and not too light. It offers just the right amount of tension to flick the blade out every time. But to make it even smoother, you can clean it with some 3-in-1 oil and compressed air to return it back to the right-out-of-the-box smoothness.

The framelock on Kizer Matanzas is a one-piece stainless steel lockbar insert that also serves as an overtravel stop. But there is a mild vertical lock rock if you grab the blade from the tip when in closed position. It is hardly noticeable and not hazardous, but it is there. The lockup itself relative to the lock face is about 30%.

Unfortunately, the impressive Kizer Matanzas being a high-end knife does not lend itself to hard use. Although, the features, fit and finish on this knife are fine, and there is nothing functionally wrong with it. But the drop point is a better win than the recurved tanto, but that would not have improved its performance either.

And as good as the blade geometry is, the thick blade is not of much use with the basic EDC tasks like food prep, roll cutting on a flat surface or punching holes in packaging material.

However, carrying the knife is easy, especially with the spring deep pocket tip-down carry. The blade is fully enclosed inside the handle when in a closed position. The synchronization of the blade and handle is great. It is long and narrow in the pocket. Its lightweight 3.85 oz. is not a drag on your pants or shorts either.

The rounded flipper with its low profile does not get caught on things when in use. However, the blade and the spine are too close together in proximity when closed that the edge of the blade can come into contact with the hand or other items. The tanto version of the knife may be a bit hazardous in this regard, since it can come into contact with the other items in your pocket. But the drop point does not have this issue.

The ergonomics are solid though not remarkable. It is flexible in forward and reverse grips but lacks a good forward finger choil with the guard created by the bolster. The flipper is somewhat shallow, and so is the thumb ramp. The thumb ramp is also too long for comfort.

So the field test of this knife did not go so well, but it is easy to carry with great features but lacks in performance.