@@barkingspider2007 Fist time I ever saw the Jade G10 it was on a PM 2 with M4 and I had to have it. Then before I got a chance Rick Hinderer came out with the Gen4 MX-18 3" Stanto in you guessed it beautiful Jade G10 handles.😆
I was given this knife in black scales as a gift a few months ago and I quite like it. in my smallish hands the handle felt quite comfortable actually. I do love how thin the blade is, in fact I used it to pop the bezel off my Vostok Amphibia with ease. I don't know how old mine is but the action is pretty smooth at this point in time.
My black and white G10 domin has great action and is one of the few non-assist knives that I can easily flip open. My clip was also different size/color than the one show in this video. I bought 2 other Kizer's and returned them because they had terrible flipping actions but am thinking of buying another of the black/white domins with the G10 scales.
I have a domin mini with the Jade g10 scales, but it's running on bearings and has a deep carry clip. I guess Kizer updated this model, it was also 55 bucks. It's one of my favorite edc's.
Thanks for the video Nick. I only ever owned 1 kizer and it was the Gemini back in 2015. I loved that knife for sure but that was also at a time just before TwoSun/Civivi and Rike made there major appearance. On my radar at least. I believe there was a big Buzz going around that Todd Begg had made a deal with one of these Chinese "knife Company's" to make a production version of his famous Custom Bodega folder. Like you've said a hell of a lot has changed in the past five years and at least in some major ways Kizer as failed to keep up. Much like your video I just watched on the Shirogorov Neon Zero. I watched it because I put down $25 CND in a lotto and actually won the thing!!😲 It was so cool when you wrapped up the video and said but for a few small issues the knife was a beautiful pice of work but way over priced. Lol.😂 Then you said at $500 it was a winner so I guess at $25 CND It comes in as a freekin' Grand Slam. 😯😰😲😆 Trevor
I'm pretty surprised with this review, the action on mine as been flawless with just a little less pivot tension and without adding blade play. The G10 is on the smoother side and I sold my R2D2 because it just wasn't as good
Some consider N690 steel as comparable to VG10. (Knife Informer Essential Guide to Knife Steel) I like it because it is very rust resistant. (Edit) Actually, it is Creely Blades Steel Charts that considers N690 comparable to VG10
Going against Nick's advice, I just picked up a more recent/updated Mini Domin. I agree that the natural jade G10 looks a little sickly and I am not up to the task of trying to dye the scales myself. So, I got the black blade with black and white G10 scales version. Kizer also upgraded the knife with a nicer deep carry pocket clip that is ambidextrous. I got to say, it is a beaut! The action is actually terrific, but, as Nick said, that could be just anecdotal. It has been my go to EDC since it arrived.
It will always be funny to me that in the end the action is more important to you than the grind and how good of a tool a knife is. Flicking the knife open is not the only way to open a thumbstudd knife. I really appreciate seeing a good knife in this price range, that runs on washers. I don't like bearings and i don't think they fit in a tool knife. I also like a good fidgety toy knife, I just wished it wasn't the whole market. Anyways, I love your reviews and your nitpicky aproach. If there is a flaw in a knife, you will find it and that allows me to decide if that matters to me. Lots of love.
I have both knives. The Elementum uses a flipper tab so it's not apples to oranges. However, the Elementum feels wonderful in hand and has an excellent action. Versus the Elementum, the Mini Domin has two things going for it. First is the thin slicey blade. Having cut cardboard with both knives, the Elementum is good but the Mini Domin is great. Second is the steel. D2 holds a nice edge but is only semi-stainless. It can require more care, especially if you live in a humid place. N690 also holds a nice edge but is significantly more resistant to corrosion.
I had the full size version of this with tan G10 and it was fine but not enough to keep. I got it mostly for the external stop-pins which it turns out are not external stop-pins at all but just thumbstuds, the covers are way too lego-like and are uncomfortable, and though nice and slim it's a little long in the pocket. You can get the similar but *far better* Tangram [Kizer] SantaFe for 30 bucks and be a happy man.
It makes for a half decent little pocket knife that doesn’t cost too much 👍 ‘thanks for the video’. Just another thing nick, can I use 70% ethyl alcohol to clean my knives whilst disassembled ? 😄
My daughter and I both have Mini Domins, in purple and black respectively. They look great and I hate to see the color impact your review. The action on both of ours are okay. Nothing to write home about but by no means are they bad. As you noted, the real value is in that thin slicey blade and good steel for the price tag.
This is one of my favorite EDC knives because of the overall size, the price is not so high that I'm afraid to lose it, actual G10 scales, lightweight, decent stainless steel that's easy to strop, 3" blade that I can carry in the more restrictive cities around here, and looks good enough (in black) that I can carry it in the office or when going out. Action was always fine on mine but has gotten smoother with time and use. I recommend it for the price as a good, stainless, thumb stud/washer alternative to the Rat 2 if you prefer G10 scales.
That washer stack nonsense has been adopted by all too many Chinese companies who are unsure of their tolerances. Ruike is another one, the P662-B on my desk for example. Running them dry seems to help quite a bit. I don't know why they don't like the lube, but they don't.
I think there might be a discrepancy between different runs of these. Mine is really smooth for the washers in it. I did disassemble it tho so that might've helped
@@koenbobeldijk Now having three of these in the family, I've taken them all apart for a thorough clean and lube. Between that and getting them tuned correctly, two are now flickable and snap open nicely. The third had a mangled teflon washer. I emailed Kizer and they were happy to send me a replacement washer. It's just a matter of waiting for the shipment...
FWIW my mini begleiter's detent is fine, and my ontario RAT II's detent is weak mushy and horrible. Might be luck of the draw on both cases. Either way though, there's a lot of asterisking with a lot of budget knives, and more and more I've been eyeballing the CIVIVI lineup for how much less asterisking there seems to be. That said, I got another spyderco native recently and I'm sure I'm gonna be spending at least a few months head over heels in love with that design again.
Thing is the Rat has so many praising it and the core design is solid, bad samples can happen of course but that's the exception not the rule. This knife uses Teflon and bronze washers which is just... Well plain dumb fuckery. It's a poor design and even a good sample... There's just so many better options out there at lesser or equal pricing. Which makes it incredibly hard to recommend with all the budget options out there superior to it.
@@TheGamerGuy1981 I'm about to share an unpopular opinion: I think the RAT II is severely overrated. I can accept that mine is / was an outlier in terms of action, but the worst thing about it for me is the ergonomics. I don't know how y'all are holding yours that it's beloved for its ergonomics, but I can only find one comfortable grip to use it, and it's one I'd never use while using a knife because it's basically "make a fist with the knife in your hand" and that's really only good for stabbing (and I guess cutting rope. I like the RAT II perfectly fine as a dedicated rope cutting knife) Also mine had combo bronze / teflon washers. Not like this mini domin, but just a paper thin teflon washer on one side and a phosphor bronze on the other
I have a Kizer Tangram Amarillo with a great detent, comparable knife steel (Acuto vs N690), and handle and scale quality about the same as the Domin. The Amarillo was only $23 and change, a much better value.
I have a couple of Tangram knives in Acuto 440. I think it punches way above its grade. I'd put it on par with Civivi's 9Cr18Mov in terms of edge retention and corrosion resistance. The N690 is a little better, on par with VG-10, but you know how the curve of diminishing returns works...
"This is not harmful to you to the best of my knowledge" Unless you live in CA, I even get those stupid warning labels in some of my American knives that I order, and I'm all the way in London UK.
@@jamesrodgers3132 Every US made knife sold by reputable UK knife dealers comes from the USA. I buy my knives from Heinnie Haynes an authorized UK dealer of most high end US knife brands.
I like the looks of this, but the teflon/brass washer deal is no bueno. It's the same deal I had with my Begleiter, although I notice you've reviewed that knife and didn't mention this. Did a look into more info on this, and now I'm seeing someone else had a Begleiter that had 6 washers? Good grief. Dunno why they would be continuing on with this trend when it's clearly not adding a benefit in terms of performance, but between my experience with two of their knives, and the fact they're heading in this same direction here, I'm not a fan of Kizer as a company. That's a shame, because I do like the look of a lot of their knives, this one included, but I'm not giving them my money.
Dimitry their automatics are highly regarded in the community, as well as the centerdrive multitool, the fastball (now In 20cv) and their China imports coming in with d2, 440c, and micarta. Where have you been?
Stef Stylo where have you been? Fastball (now In 20cv), flatiron In d2 and micarta, strongarm, their autos, the centerdrive, the list goes on for those who don’t have their head up Spyderco and benchmades ass
They’re making a comeback. They have had decent offerings the last few years. The ones that think that they are horrible still and won’t try them are probably new to the hobby and only go by what they hear, rather than what they have experienced for themselves. Hella people can make inferences from watching a TH-cam video. This guy who said lmao, prob watches a couple videos and now he’s a knife expert lolol. He doesn’t know rike frok Ruike imho. These are all budget blades anyways homie - so the companies that you define as better are less than the customs we own too. Anyone can knock on a company and say that they are not a good company, but that’s a total lack of knowledge. There is no company that makes all Dad products, unless you’re jumping on a bandwagon and just following Internet hype. People make comments about stuff that they have never even tried for themselves it’s hilarious.
I for myself like the natural G10.
Nick, thanks for the video 😎👍
me too,i love it ahahah
Yea same.
@@barkingspider2007 Fist time I ever saw the Jade G10 it was on a PM 2 with M4 and I had to have it. Then before I got a chance Rick Hinderer came out with the Gen4 MX-18 3" Stanto in you guessed it beautiful Jade G10 handles.😆
I was given this knife in black scales as a gift a few months ago and I quite like it. in my smallish hands the handle felt quite comfortable actually. I do love how thin the blade is, in fact I used it to pop the bezel off my Vostok Amphibia with ease. I don't know how old mine is but the action is pretty smooth at this point in time.
I'm also biased because I really like straight lines, so the whole form factor appealed to me.
My black and white G10 domin has great action and is one of the few non-assist knives that I can easily flip open. My clip was also different size/color than the one show in this video. I bought 2 other Kizer's and returned them because they had terrible flipping actions but am thinking of buying another of the black/white domins with the G10 scales.
I have a domin mini with the Jade g10 scales, but it's running on bearings and has a deep carry clip. I guess Kizer updated this model, it was also 55 bucks. It's one of my favorite edc's.
Thanks for the video Nick. I only ever owned 1 kizer and it was the Gemini back in 2015. I loved that knife for sure but that was also at a time just before TwoSun/Civivi and Rike made there major appearance. On my radar at least. I believe there was a big Buzz going around that Todd Begg had made a deal with one of these Chinese "knife Company's" to make a production version of his famous Custom Bodega folder. Like you've said a hell of a lot has changed in the past five years and at least in some major ways Kizer as failed to keep up. Much like your video I just watched on the Shirogorov Neon Zero. I watched it because I put down $25 CND in a lotto and actually won the thing!!😲 It was so cool when you wrapped up the video and said but for a few small issues the knife was a beautiful pice of work but way over priced. Lol.😂 Then you said at $500 it was a winner so I guess at $25 CND It comes in as a freekin' Grand Slam. 😯😰😲😆 Trevor
Your reviews are amazing i come here when I want to know if a knife is quality or not
Lol i predicted the but Civivi... Kizer needs to be consistent with the detents. Like that knife a lot. Thx for review.
I wonder if you can get the action better by removing the tiny little teflon spacers... I may have to test that theory with my mini begleiter
To be fair, you can get it in different colors. I'm very partial for the black and white G10 one.
I'm pretty surprised with this review, the action on mine as been flawless with just a little less pivot tension and without adding blade play. The G10 is on the smoother side and I sold my R2D2 because it just wasn't as good
Is there a lanyard slot on this one?
Never heard of the 690 steel. I do like that is very thin behind the edge. Thanks for the great review.
Some consider N690 steel as comparable to VG10. (Knife Informer Essential Guide to Knife Steel) I like it because it is very rust resistant. (Edit) Actually, it is Creely Blades Steel Charts that considers N690 comparable to VG10
It's actually kind of common. Expecially from Kizer. There is n680 too.
Full or quick review?
Going against Nick's advice, I just picked up a more recent/updated Mini Domin. I agree that the natural jade G10 looks a little sickly and I am not up to the task of trying to dye the scales myself. So, I got the black blade with black and white G10 scales version. Kizer also upgraded the knife with a nicer deep carry pocket clip that is ambidextrous. I got to say, it is a beaut! The action is actually terrific, but, as Nick said, that could be just anecdotal. It has been my go to EDC since it arrived.
The new one runs on bearings.
I just got the Black and white G10 mini Domin today. It's action is freaking AMAZING!
Given its tiny size I can't wait to see the Kizer Lieb on your channel.
I concur, Lieb is also designed by Azo, can't wait to see Nick review it.
I like the size 😁
Hey Nick, why not review of the James Brand Carter? Sure VG-10 is a snoozer, but the design and overall brand aesthetic seem very appealing.
N690 comparable to aus 10 like on new Demko?
So far the only kizer I've been impressed with is my T1. Super slicey blade and very satisfying action
All my kizers are great. Try them out for a change. They’re cheap and they offer free value.
Nothing wrong natural jade g-10 !! I think I’d freak out if a baby had that particular color coming out of either end 😂.
It will always be funny to me that in the end the action is more important to you than the grind and how good of a tool a knife is. Flicking the knife open is not the only way to open a thumbstudd knife.
I really appreciate seeing a good knife in this price range, that runs on washers. I don't like bearings and i don't think they fit in a tool knife.
I also like a good fidgety toy knife, I just wished it wasn't the whole market.
Anyways, I love your reviews and your nitpicky aproach. If there is a flaw in a knife, you will find it and that allows me to decide if that matters to me. Lots of love.
Watching The Nick review with captions is funny. The captions at sometimes are funny. Ricky rake ha ha
Organ Amma Klee good.
@@Demanufactur3 😂 ergonomically good to go
Is the Civivi Elementum a better value?
I have both knives. The Elementum uses a flipper tab so it's not apples to oranges. However, the Elementum feels wonderful in hand and has an excellent action. Versus the Elementum, the Mini Domin has two things going for it. First is the thin slicey blade. Having cut cardboard with both knives, the Elementum is good but the Mini Domin is great. Second is the steel. D2 holds a nice edge but is only semi-stainless. It can require more care, especially if you live in a humid place. N690 also holds a nice edge but is significantly more resistant to corrosion.
I had the full size version of this with tan G10 and it was fine but not enough to keep. I got it mostly for the external stop-pins which it turns out are not external stop-pins at all but just thumbstuds, the covers are way too lego-like and are uncomfortable, and though nice and slim it's a little long in the pocket. You can get the similar but *far better* Tangram [Kizer] SantaFe for 30 bucks and be a happy man.
It makes for a half decent little pocket knife that doesn’t cost too much 👍 ‘thanks for the video’. Just another thing nick, can I use 70% ethyl alcohol to clean my knives whilst disassembled ? 😄
I can dig it. Makes me think of a budget small Sebenza.
Not so many 💎 in 2020, huh? Not saying this one deserves, but I scratched my head and I don't think I saw one this year. Or did I miss it?
Kitefin is definitely a gem
My daughter and I both have Mini Domins, in purple and black respectively. They look great and I hate to see the color impact your review. The action on both of ours are okay. Nothing to write home about but by no means are they bad. As you noted, the real value is in that thin slicey blade and good steel for the price tag.
Strangely the Tangram line was superior in every way to the Vanguard yet it seems defunct.
We now have three of the Mini Domin and two of the Santa Fe. I honestly prefer the Santa Fe but the Mini Domin is good when you need a smaller knife.
"But I digress..." And that's why we watch! 👍
Never been impressed by any kizer offering whatsoever i dont know what it is but damn thats impressive!
This is one of my favorite EDC knives because of the overall size, the price is not so high that I'm afraid to lose it, actual G10 scales, lightweight, decent stainless steel that's easy to strop, 3" blade that I can carry in the more restrictive cities around here, and looks good enough (in black) that I can carry it in the office or when going out. Action was always fine on mine but has gotten smoother with time and use. I recommend it for the price as a good, stainless, thumb stud/washer alternative to the Rat 2 if you prefer G10 scales.
That washer stack nonsense has been adopted by all too many Chinese companies who are unsure of their tolerances. Ruike is another one, the P662-B on my desk for example. Running them dry seems to help quite a bit. I don't know why they don't like the lube, but they don't.
My RAT2 has a washer stack too. Next time I disassemble it I'm gonna try running without the teflon and see how things go.
I've had this knife for a year and am still waiting for it to break in.
I think there might be a discrepancy between different runs of these. Mine is really smooth for the washers in it. I did disassemble it tho so that might've helped
@@koenbobeldijk Now having three of these in the family, I've taken them all apart for a thorough clean and lube. Between that and getting them tuned correctly, two are now flickable and snap open nicely. The third had a mangled teflon washer. I emailed Kizer and they were happy to send me a replacement washer. It's just a matter of waiting for the shipment...
FWIW my mini begleiter's detent is fine, and my ontario RAT II's detent is weak mushy and horrible. Might be luck of the draw on both cases. Either way though, there's a lot of asterisking with a lot of budget knives, and more and more I've been eyeballing the CIVIVI lineup for how much less asterisking there seems to be. That said, I got another spyderco native recently and I'm sure I'm gonna be spending at least a few months head over heels in love with that design again.
Thing is the Rat has so many praising it and the core design is solid, bad samples can happen of course but that's the exception not the rule.
This knife uses Teflon and bronze washers which is just... Well plain dumb fuckery. It's a poor design and even a good sample... There's just so many better options out there at lesser or equal pricing. Which makes it incredibly hard to recommend with all the budget options out there superior to it.
@@TheGamerGuy1981 I'm about to share an unpopular opinion: I think the RAT II is severely overrated. I can accept that mine is / was an outlier in terms of action, but the worst thing about it for me is the ergonomics. I don't know how y'all are holding yours that it's beloved for its ergonomics, but I can only find one comfortable grip to use it, and it's one I'd never use while using a knife because it's basically "make a fist with the knife in your hand" and that's really only good for stabbing (and I guess cutting rope. I like the RAT II perfectly fine as a dedicated rope cutting knife)
Also mine had combo bronze / teflon washers. Not like this mini domin, but just a paper thin teflon washer on one side and a phosphor bronze on the other
Blade hq has this blade as 154cm.
I have a Kizer Tangram Amarillo with a great detent, comparable knife steel (Acuto vs N690), and handle and scale quality about the same as the Domin. The Amarillo was only $23 and change, a much better value.
I have a couple of Tangram knives in Acuto 440. I think it punches way above its grade. I'd put it on par with Civivi's 9Cr18Mov in terms of edge retention and corrosion resistance. The N690 is a little better, on par with VG-10, but you know how the curve of diminishing returns works...
jade/natural g10 is the best looking handle material, micarta is wack. I will die on this hill.
It is often a lonely hill :(
Couldn’t agree more, i avoid micarta like the plague
"This is not harmful to you to the best of my knowledge"
Unless you live in CA, I even get those stupid warning labels in some of my American knives that I order, and I'm all the way in London UK.
You found a US seller that ships to the UK? Who?
@@jamesrodgers3132 Every US made knife sold by reputable UK knife dealers comes from the USA. I buy my knives from Heinnie Haynes an authorized UK dealer of most high end US knife brands.
Whooo that’s about as harsh as Nick gets!
Take the Teflon out. Leave the bronze. 👍
Hear ye, hear ye!... Man Donates Knife, Is Kicked Repeatedly In Balls by Nick Shabazz... 🤣
That’s a pretty average one you are right
I wish they used 154cm on this one, n690 is not as strong as 154cm
I don't mind the jade either....I'm not sure, but I don't think Nick cares for it...
Buy a bestech texel instead.
Nick, I don't understand why you havent bought and reviewed a Timex Q. I know you like quartz watches...
I like the looks of this, but the teflon/brass washer deal is no bueno. It's the same deal I had with my Begleiter, although I notice you've reviewed that knife and didn't mention this. Did a look into more info on this, and now I'm seeing someone else had a Begleiter that had 6 washers? Good grief.
Dunno why they would be continuing on with this trend when it's clearly not adding a benefit in terms of performance, but between my experience with two of their knives, and the fact they're heading in this same direction here, I'm not a fan of Kizer as a company. That's a shame, because I do like the look of a lot of their knives, this one included, but I'm not giving them my money.
The piece of fiber is still there...
I haven't personally had a kizer I liked. Sad really
Have you tried the T1?
I'm seconding the T1 here, I prefer it to some zt and spyderco knives I have.
First, last time I was this early, Gerber and Sog were a joke in the knife community
They still are lmao
Still are, beside the gerber strongarm all of them are crap and sog is an even bigger joke.
Dimitry their automatics are highly regarded in the community, as well as the centerdrive multitool, the fastball (now In 20cv) and their China imports coming in with d2, 440c, and micarta. Where have you been?
Stef Stylo where have you been? Fastball (now In 20cv), flatiron In d2 and micarta, strongarm, their autos, the centerdrive, the list goes on for those who don’t have their head up Spyderco and benchmades ass
They’re making a comeback. They have had decent offerings the last few years. The ones that think that they are horrible still and won’t try them are probably new to the hobby and only go by what they hear, rather than what they have experienced for themselves. Hella people can make inferences from watching a TH-cam video. This guy who said lmao, prob watches a couple videos and now he’s a knife expert lolol. He doesn’t know rike frok Ruike imho. These are all budget blades anyways homie - so the companies that you define as better are less than the customs we own too. Anyone can knock on a company and say that they are not a good company, but that’s a total lack of knowledge. There is no company that makes all Dad products, unless you’re jumping on a bandwagon and just following Internet hype. People make comments about stuff that they have never even tried for themselves it’s hilarious.
Those scales remind me of cheapo Chinese Amazon knife
You should try the new one. It has a very good action now.
The ones from Mojave outdoors?
This thing just screams "generic" when you look at it.