Kizer Nice Guy Review: My Favorite Kizer Under Three Inches

The Nice Guy has slightly thinner, very slicey 0.100-inch blade stock in Nitro-V. It's a very nice drop point with lots of belly and a flat, slicey grind. My version has Richlite handles, though G10, carbon-fiber laminate and aluminum are also available. Richlite would probably be my last choice of those four.

It uses a liner lock and left- or right-hand tip-up carry. It's a nice, rather light 2.5 ounces and an Azo design. This Richlite version is a phenomenal offering, even with the Richlite.

The two best size comparisons are the CIVIVI Elementum and Kizer Mini Sheepdog. The Nice Guy is bigger than the Mini Sheepdog but just a smidgen shorter than the Elementum. I think that's a perfect pair of comparisons.

The much larger Kizer Brat also helps explain why I like the Nice Guy so much. Both are Azo designs, and their blade profiles are pretty much identical apart from the finger choil. This is basically a Mini Brat blade, which I love because I love the Brat.

The big differences are size and lock: the Nice Guy has a liner lock, while the Brat has a button lock. The Brat is integral, and the Nice Guy has a regular build. There are massive differences and striking similarities. I love both, but the Nice Guy feels really, really good in my hand, and its choil really makes it for me. They feel like big and little brothers in the same family.

This is an amazing blade. It reminds me of an Elementum blade, except for the flat grind versus the Elementum's hollow grind. The jimping is fantastic for my thumb. There's also jimping toward the tip, which I love.

With my middle finger in the choil and thumb farther forward, I get a very, very nice grip for draw cuts and little detail work. It feels great. The jimping is very effective without being abrasive or unpleasant on my fingers. Kizer did a great job. The blade is beautiful and works in every grip position I want.

The handle is very clean. I really love its profile. It doesn't get weird around the choil, with a nice little curve and a very minimal swell toward the bottom.

I can get a four-finger grip without the choil, but it's so comfortable using the choil that I'll always use it. That's the grip for this knife. It feels amazing. The sides are nicely chamfered, so although the handle isn't contoured, it's very, very comfortable.

The clip is truly deep carry, leaving very little knife visible in the pocket. I'm so happy to see a liner lock here. The detent is perfect and so crisp. With the small blade and build, it's very easy to push the flipper and send the blade rocketing out.

It's so fidgety and satisfying. There is only one deployment method, but I could do it all day. It's clicky, crisp and has excellent deployment. The bearings work fantastically. This is a beautiful little knife that looks good, feels good and carries well.

It would make a great office knife because it's small and not intimidating whatsoever, or even a gentleman's carry. Black aluminum might be a little sleeker for certain occasions. I do like Richlite's appearance, though. It almost has a stone look, and the maroon is a casual, modern color.

It's a nice, subdued color, nothing too bright or dramatic. My issue with Richlite is that when my hands are dry, it can be pretty slippery. There isn't any texture; it's very, very smooth. I haven't found it very porous in how it feels.

If my hands aren't dry, I don't think I'll have that issue. But a couple of times outside in cooler temperatures, my hands dried out and I found it a little slippery. The carbon-fiber laminate and G10 have much more texture. Kizer's aluminum has a nice finish that I don't find slippery, though I wouldn't call it grippy.

That's why I'd personally choose G10, carbon-fiber laminate or aluminum over Richlite. It's the only version I own, and I still love it. Even with Richlite, I think it's the best sub-three-inch knife Kizer has ever made. It has everything I want in a small knife.

The flipping action is insanely good, and this is another phenomenal Azo design. In my opinion, it'll be very hard for Kizer to beat this design for a knife under three inches. I love the Mini Sheepdog and Feist, but for what I like, the Nice Guy checks every box. It's an amazing knife.