Brian Brown's name on a folding knife usually means a custom order with a long wait, or a mid-tech run priced well past $200. Kizer's Astur ZeroS puts his design language on a production folder that starts at $149, and one of the six versions is built for left-handed users.
The knife runs 7.59 inches open with a 3.18-inch clip point blade, 3mm stock, and a high hollow grind. Blade steel is CPM MagnaCut at 62 HRC plus or minus one. Four of the six versions use an aluminum handle, the other two use crystallized titanium, and every one of them is opened with a thumb stud rather than a flipper tab.
Six versions, two prices
- 3818ZBD1: black aluminum, DLC Ultra blade, $149, in stock
- 3818ZBD2: light gray aluminum, satin blade, $149, in stock
- 3818ZBD3: dark gray aluminum, DLC Ultra blade, $149, sold out at launch
- 3818ZBD4: left-handed, black aluminum, satin blade, $149, in stock
- 3818ZBDK1 and K2: crystallized titanium, satin blade, $199, sold out
Only the two titanium knives are sold through Kizer's direct store as limited editions. The rest sit in the normal catalog. Same blade, same lock, same 3.18 inches of MagnaCut across all six.
What 62 HRC MagnaCut actually buys
MagnaCut was formulated to hold an edge without rusting in a pocket, and Crucible's data puts it near the top of the stainless powder-metallurgy group for toughness at that hardness. Running it at 62 HRC rather than the softer 60 to 61 range many production knives use is a deliberate choice: more edge retention, less forgiveness if you pry with the tip. A hollow grind on 3mm stock keeps the shoulder thin behind the edge, which suits slicing better than chopping.
The result is a knife that will cut cardboard for a long stretch and still take a clean apex on a stone. It will not shrug off being used as a screwdriver.
A screwless look and a trademarked lock name
Kizer machines the handle so the hardware disappears into the frame, a look the company calls ZeroS. There are no visible body screws on the show side, only the pivot and the lock button. The clip is titanium, non-reversible, and sits flush against the tail. Weight on the titanium version is 3.98 ounces.
The lock carries a trademark: Kizer Button Liner Lock. Mechanically it is a liner lock released by a button, with a spring under the button tuned so the blade does not shake open in a pocket but still fires with a thumb. Naming a lock is now standard practice for Chinese manufacturers, and it tells you something about how they expect buyers to shop.
The left-handed version is not a footnote
Most budget folders treat left-handed users as an afterthought, usually by making the clip reversible and calling it ambidextrous. Kizer built a separate SKU here, 3818ZBD4, with the lock and clip mirrored instead of swapped. It costs the same $149 as the right-handed aluminum models and it is in stock. For a left-handed buyer who has spent years making do, that alone may decide the purchase.
Skip it if you want a fidget knife. There is no flipper tab, the thumb stud is the only way in, and the detent is set for carry rather than for playing. Skip the titanium versions too if you plan to use the knife hard, since crystallized titanium shows every scuff and the two limited SKUs were gone before most people saw them.