Lieb M

With Kizer bringing a bunch of button locks out over the last few years I thought I would try out a couple that caught my eye. Both the Lieb M and Original XL are the up-sized versions of their original models and I honestly can't see why you would go for the smaller siblings. These both are a really great pocketable size for edc.

Out of the box I gravitated towards the Lieb M—the modified sheepsfoot blade, browny-black burlap micarta and blackwash hardware are totally my go-to. I was drawn to the heft and stability that the steel liners give the knife. The handle is contoured and fills the hand well. With the reversible clip and button lock, this knife is perfect for lefties. The clip itself, is really good too. I love the spare screws which came in the knife wallet—I used them to plug the unused clip holes…nice. It feels like the Lieb can take a lot more beating-on than the Original XL which, by comparison, is extremely light (immediately reminding me of a Bugout with the FRN scales). Both of these knives have a little bit of lock stick, but I don't have a button lock that dosen't—is there such a thing? Of the two, the Original is better and both of them are better than the Malibu!?

I like the forward gimping on the Lieb's blade, just like the Urban EDC F5.5 of which, the Lieb M is just a little larger in size. You can tell the quality / fit and finish is not at the same level as the F5.5 (the steels obviously don't compare), but at the same time at roughly quarter of the price, with the majority of the design/material decisions that are spot on, the Lieb M (and the Original) totally stand proud. The things I would give to the Original XL over the Lieb M would be the slightly smoother, lighter action (with less lock stick) and the minimal billboarding on the blade itself is way nicer. If you like a more paired-back, gentlemanly and light office duties vibe then the Original XL is the go—the micarta is spot on and patinas nicely. It's amazing the great value both of these knives are at this price point. If you like what you see, you can't go wrong.