The Cormorant Platform
The Kizer Cormorant is one of those knives that keeps showing up in EDC conversations because it does a lot of things at once. Designed by Yue Dong, it pairs a clip point blade with a fidget-friendly button lock platform and a handle that comes in everything from checkered G10 to full titanium. Across the four variants currently in the Kizer buying guide, prices run from $39.99 to $101.50, which makes the family unusually wide for a single model name.
What ties the family together is the blade shape and the general layout: a clip point blade, tip-up carry, and opening options that usually include a flipper tab and thumb hole, with the button lock added on most versions. If you already read our button lock comparison, the Cormorant is a good example of the category done at three different price points.
Kizer Cormorant Variants at a Glance
| Variant | Model # | Steel | Handle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cormorant Nitro-V G10 | V4562A1 | Nitro-V | Checkered black/white G10 | $69.00 |
| Cormorant S35VN G10 | Ki4562A1 | CPM-S35VN | Black/white G10 | $65.40 |
| Cormorant 20CV Titanium | Ki4562A4 | CPM-20CV | Gray titanium | $101.50 |
| Cormorant SMKW Christmas 2024 | V4562E7 | Nitro-V (satin) | Aluminum | $39.99 |
Cormorant Nitro-V G10 (V4562A1) — $69.00
The standard-bearer of the family. The handle is a dual-layer black and white checkered G10 pattern that Kizer says was inspired by Tetris — it looks playful, but the layered texture genuinely improves grip. The 3.17-inch Nitro-V blade carries a hollow grind, which keeps the edge thin behind the apex while the blade profile stays elegant.
This is the most feature-complete variant: four deployment methods (front flipper, flipper tab, thumb hole, and button), a reversible pocket clip for left or right carry, and a lightweight G10 build that disappears in a pocket. Nitro-V is a German steel with strong corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and Kizer runs it with a good heat treat, so it takes a keen edge and holds it through normal EDC tasks like opening packages, cutting zip ties, and stripping wire.
Cormorant S35VN G10 (Ki4562A1) — $65.40
At $65.40, this variant trades Nitro-V for CPM-S35VN, the workhorse American powder steel, and keeps the black and white G10 handle. The spec sheet is explicit about its role: a button lock knife with a clip point blade that opens via front flipper or thumb hole. It weighs 3.10 ounces (88g) with a stainless steel frame/liner, and the overall length is 7.375 inches.
Kizer's description calls out real-world utility tasks — opening packages, stripping wire, removing splinters, cutting zip ties — which is the same framing the rest of the family gets. The S35VN version is a good middle pick if you want the button lock experience with a steel that has a long track record in premium EDC folders.
Cormorant 20CV Titanium (Ki4562A4) — $101.50
The top of the range, and the variant where the designer's attention to detail is most visible. Kizer's Yue went through the design and refined several details: a changed pocket clip style, a larger button, a thicker spring (diameter increased from 0.04mm to 0.045), a reinforced stabilizer, changed jimping, new scale textures, and modified chamfering around the thumb hole. These are exactly the kinds of tweaks that make a fidget-friendly knife feel more refined in hand.
The blade is 3.23 inches of CPM-20CV at 3.32 ounces total weight, with a gray titanium handle and frame. CPM-20CV is a high-vanadium powder steel that sits a step above S35VN in wear resistance, which is why this variant carries the highest price in the family. If you want the Cormorant platform in premium materials, this is the one.
Cormorant SMKW Christmas 2024 Edition (V4562E7) — $39.99
The value play. This SMKW-exclusive Christmas 2024 edition swaps G10 and titanium for an aluminum handle and pairs it with a satin Nitro-V clip point blade at 3.25 inches. It is a button lock with a 7.37-inch overall length and a 0.12-inch blade thickness.
What makes this variant interesting is the price: at $39.99 it undercuts the rest of the family by a wide margin while keeping the same core design. Aluminum handles keep weight down, and the satin finish gives it a cleaner look than the stonewashed siblings. Exclusive editions like this also tend to disappear once sold out, so if the festive colorway appeals to you, it is worth checking availability rather than assuming it will come back.
How the Button Lock Fits In
The button lock is the family's signature interaction: you press a button on the handle to release the blade, and it can usually be fired open with a flipper or thumb hole first. It is one of the most fidget-friendly lock types in modern EDC, and Kizer has used it across a lot of models — the Kizer Original 2 family guide covers another Kizer lineup built around similar interactions. If you are new to the mechanism, our button lock vs clutch lock vs top liner lock article explains how it compares to Kizer's other locks.
Which Cormorant Should You Buy?
- Budget pick: SMKW Christmas 2024 Edition at $39.99 — same platform, lowest price, aluminum handle.
- Best all-rounder: Nitro-V G10 at $69.00 — four opening methods, Tetris G10, hollow grind.
- Steel upgrade: S35VN G10 at $65.40 — button lock with a proven premium steel for barely more money.
- Premium pick: 20CV Titanium at $101.50 — refined details, titanium frame, high-wear-resistance 20CV.
For steel nerds, the family is a useful real-world comparison of Nitro-V versus CPM-S35VN versus CPM-20CV in the same design: Knife Steel Nerds has detailed breakdowns of Nitro-V and S35VN if you want the metallurgy behind the choice. For general folding knife context, Wikipedia's pocketknife article is a solid primer, and official spec sheets live on kizercutlery.com.
The Blade: Clip Point and Grinds
Every Cormorant uses a clip point blade, a shape defined by the concave curve that drops from the spine toward the tip. Clip points give you a sharp, controllable point for piercing and detail work while keeping a useful belly for slicing — a versatile compromise that explains why the shape shows up across the EDC world. The blade stock is 0.12 inches thick on the steel versions, which keeps the grind geometry thin enough to cut well without feeling fragile.
The grind differs by variant. The Nitro-V G10 model uses a hollow grind, where the blade is ground with concave bevels that produce a very thin edge behind the apex. Hollow grinds are excellent slicers and look elegant in profile, at the cost of a slightly weaker edge than a full flat grind under heavy lateral stress. The S35VN and 20CV versions carry the same clip point layout with their respective steels, so the choice between them really comes down to steel preference and handle material rather than geometry.
Carry and Ergonomics
All four variants are designed for tip-up pocket carry, and the G10 versions add a reversible pocket clip so left-handed users can switch sides without extra parts. Weights range from 3.10 ounces on the S35VN G10 up to 3.32 ounces on the titanium version — light enough that none of them will drag on a pocket, with the G10 models being the least noticeable.
The handle textures are a big part of the Cormorant's identity. The Tetris-inspired black-and-white checkered G10 on the Nitro-V model is the most distinctive, with the layered pattern doubling as grip. The 20CV titanium version takes a more refined approach with reworked scale textures and jimping — one of the design refinements Yue made for the premium variant. For a family spread across this many price points, the ergonomics stay consistent: a 4.125-inch handle on the steel versions gives most hands a full grip without making the knife bulky in the pocket.
How the Cormorant Fits Kizer's Button Lock Lineup
Kizer has leaned into button locks hard over the last few years, and the Cormorant is one of the more affordable ways into the mechanism. If you want to see how the same interaction plays out at other price points, the Kizer Original 2 family guide covers a lineup that starts around $39.99 with 14C28N and scales up to S45VN titanium, and our button lock vs clutch lock vs top liner lock piece maps out how Kizer's button lock compares with its other locking systems.
The Cormorant's position in that lineup is distinctive because it offers four opening methods on the base model: front flipper, flipper tab, thumb hole, and button. Most button lock knives give you two or three ways in; the base Cormorant gives you the full menu, which makes it one of the most fidget-friendly designs in Kizer's catalog at any price.
Maintaining Your Cormorant
Button lock knives need very little day-to-day attention. A drop of light lubricant on the pivot and the button mechanism keeps both actions smooth, and because the lock is a simple spring-loaded plunger rather than a liner interface, there is no lock face to wear in or break in. The G10 handles clean up with a damp cloth, and titanium and aluminum both resist corrosion well enough that the knife can handle regular pocket carry without special care. Just keep the pivot screws snug — a little blue Loctite on the pivot is a common trick if you carry it hard.
FAQ
Is the Kizer Cormorant a button lock knife?
Most Cormorant variants use a button lock. The standard Nitro-V G10 model lists four opening methods including a button, the S35VN G10 version is described as a button lock knife with front flipper and thumb hole opening, and the SMKW Christmas edition is a button lock. The 20CV titanium variant lists flipper and thumb hole as its openers.
What steel is the Kizer Cormorant available in?
The Cormorant family covers three blade steels: Nitro-V on the standard G10 model (4562A1) and the SMKW Christmas edition, CPM-S35VN on the Ki4562A1 G10 variant, and CPM-20CV on the Ki4562A4 titanium variant.
How much does the Kizer Cormorant cost?
Pricing spans $39.99 for the SMKW Christmas 2024 edition, $65.40 for the S35VN G10 version, $69.00 for the Nitro-V G10 version, and $101.50 for the 20CV titanium version.
Who designed the Kizer Cormorant?
The Cormorant is designed by Yue Dong (credited as Yue in the 20CV titanium version's spec sheet). The design pairs a clip point blade with fidget-friendly details like a large button and multiple opening methods.
What is the blade length of the Kizer Cormorant?
Blade length varies slightly by variant: 3.17 inches on the Nitro-V G10 model, 3.25 inches on the S35VN G10 and SMKW Christmas editions, and 3.23 inches on the 20CV titanium version.
The Bottom Line
The Kizer Cormorant family is a rare thing: four versions of one design spread across a $40-to-$100 price range with genuinely different materials at each step. The Nitro-V G10 version is the full-featured standard, the S35VN version is the steel upgrade at nearly the same price, the 20CV titanium version is the premium expression, and the SMKW Christmas edition is the budget entry point. Whatever your budget, there is a Cormorant that fits it.