Two of the smallest folders Kizer makes could not be more different in personality. The Yorkie is a Ray Laconico design — 2.58 inches of restrained, gentlemanly pocket knife that comes in a non-locking slip joint version. The Microbe, designed by Maksim Epifantsev, is Kizer's playful 2.19-inch fifth-pocket knife with a button liner lock and a growing line of collectible variants. If you are shopping for a small, office-friendly knife, both are likely on your shortlist. This comparison sorts out which one fits your carry.
Meet the Yorkie: Laconico's tiny classic
The Yorkie is a 6.17-inch overall folder with a 2.58-inch Nitro-V drop point and a 3.59-inch handle. Ray Laconico's design language is all over it: clean lines, no gimmicks, proportions that make sense. It is the kind of knife that does not announce itself in a pocket or on a desk.
What makes the Yorkie unusual is that Kizer sells the same name with two completely different personalities:
- Kizer Yorkie Aluminum — $69, 71.9 g. Gunmetal gray aluminum handle, Nitro-V blade, thumb hole opening, and a slip joint: no lock, spring pressure holds the blade open and closed. It is a traditional, non-locking pocket knife in the best sense.
- Kizer Yorkie Orange G10 — $59, 70.9 g. Orange G10 handle, black PVD-coated Nitro-V blade, and a liner lock with flipper opening — a fully locking modern folder in the same 2.58-inch frame.
Same silhouette, different lock, different opener, $10 apart. The aluminum slip joint leans traditional; the G10 version leans modern. At 60–62 HRC, both blades are hardened on the harder end of Kizer's Nitro-V range, which favors edge retention for a knife this small.
Meet the Microbe: the button-liner fifth-pocket knife
The Microbe is Kizer's smallest folder: a 5.33-inch overall package with a 2.19-inch 14C28N drop point and a 3.14-inch handle. Designed by Maksim Epifantsev, it has a rounded, almost playful silhouette that started as a fun little knife and grew into one of Kizer's most collectible lines. The name comes from the same fascination with the microscopic world that drives the line's colorful, non-traditional finishes — a deliberate contrast to the serious, all-business look of most EDC knives.
The defining feature is the Kizer Button Liner Lock — an enlarged semi-circular button that spreads pressure across a bigger contact surface. The result is a one-hand close that is easy and low-effort, in the same family as the locks covered in our button lock vs clutch lock vs top liner lock comparison. Open it with the thumb hole, press the button, and the blade swings shut without ever moving your other hand.
The Microbe line starts at the Micarta Vortex 14C28N at $55.99, with G10 at $55.99, aluminum at $59.99, and the "Fifth Pocket" editions around $60.60. Premium variants go up to the M390 Fat Carbon edition at $139.99, and the limited Rex45 PCB editions sit near $129. For the full variant-by-variant breakdown, our Kizer Microbe family guide covers every current edition.
Yorkie vs Microbe: side by side
| Spec | Yorkie | Microbe |
|---|---|---|
| Blade length | 2.58 in (65.5 mm) | 2.19 in (55.6 mm) |
| Overall length | 6.17 in (156.6 mm) | 5.33 in (135.3 mm) |
| Blade thickness | 0.11 – 0.118 in | 0.12 in |
| Weight | 70.9 – 71.9 g | 61.5 g (14C28N) |
| Blade steel | Nitro-V | 14C28N (M390 premium) |
| Hardness | 60 – 62 HRC | 58 – 59 HRC |
| Lock (aluminum) | Slip joint, non-locking | — |
| Lock (G10 / standard) | Liner lock | Button liner lock |
| Opener | Thumb hole / flipper | Thumb hole |
| Designer | Ray Laconico | Maksim Epifantsev |
| Price | $59 – $69 | $55.99 – $139.99 |
Both are well under 3 inches of blade and under 75 g, which makes them legal-friendly in most urban carry contexts — though rules vary, so our knife laws by state guide is worth a read. And if you are comparing these two, the broader list of tiny folders in our best compact EDC knives under 3 inches roundup is worth a scan before you commit.
Slip joint vs button liner lock: two lock philosophies
The aluminum Yorkie and the Microbe represent opposite ends of the locking spectrum, and that is the heart of this comparison.
A slip joint (as on the aluminum Yorkie) has no lock at all. Spring pressure holds the blade in the open and closed positions, and the blade can fold if you push hard on the spine. That makes it the classic choice for office carry, places with restrictive knife rules, and anyone who wants a knife that reads as "tool, not weapon." We covered the format in our slip joint knives explained guide.
The button liner lock (as on every Microbe) is a one-hand-close locking mechanism: press the button, and the blade swings shut smoothly. It locks up securely for cutting tasks, then closes with a satisfying press-and-swing. It is more convenient in practice — one hand does everything — at the cost of being a locking knife.
If locking is a requirement, the G10 Yorkie (liner lock) also fits the bill. So the honest version of "Yorkie vs Microbe" is really three choices: non-locking traditional (aluminum Yorkie), locking traditional (G10 Yorkie), or locking and playful (Microbe). For background on the non-locking tradition these designs draw from, Wikipedia's pocketknife overview covers the history, and Kizer's catalog on kizercutlery.com has the official spec pages for both models.
Small knife carry: fifth pocket, office, and beyond
Both knives disappear in a pocket, but they do it differently. The Microbe at 61.5 g is built for the fifth pocket on a pair of jeans — the small coin pocket that most knives are too big to use. The Yorkie at around 71 g carries more like a classic penknife in a front pocket. If pocket position matters to you, our EDC knife pocket carry guide covers deep carry, tip-up, and tip-down considerations.
There is also a practical argument for small blades at a desk. A 2-inch-class knife opens boxes, trims cable ties, and cuts tape without the blade projecting halfway across the table — and in shared office spaces, a small non-locking folder draws far less attention than a 3.5-inch locking knife. Neither the Yorkie nor the Microbe was built for heavy-duty abuse, but both will out-cut any dedicated box opener you have lying around.
Nitro-V vs 14C28N: the steel matchup
The Yorkie runs Nitro-V at 60–62 HRC; the Microbe runs 14C28N at 58–59 HRC. Both are well-regarded budget stainless steels with similar personalities: easy to sharpen, corrosion-resistant enough for daily pocket duty, and more than capable at these blade lengths. Nitro-V is a nitrogen-enhanced steel that Kizer leans on heavily across its lineup, while 14C28N is the classic Sandvik steel with a long track record. We compared them head-to-head in our 14C28N vs Nitro-V comparison — at this size, either steel will outlast most people's willingness to sharpen a small knife. If you want the full technical breakdown of what nitrogen does in blade steel, Knife Steel Nerds has the definitive articles.
Which should you pick?
- Non-locking and rule-friendly: the aluminum Kizer Yorkie at $69 — the slip joint is the traditionalist's pick.
- One-hand close and fun: the Kizer Microbe at $55.99 — the button liner lock is the most convenient of the three.
- Locking but traditional: the G10 Kizer Yorkie at $59 — liner lock, flipper, classic lines.
- Collector: Microbe M390 Fat Carbon at $139.99 or the Rex45 PCB edition — the Microbe is where Kizer puts its special editions.
- Smallest overall: the Microbe at 2.19 inches and 61.5 g.
FAQs
Is the Kizer Yorkie a slip joint? The aluminum version is a non-locking slip joint. The orange G10 version is a liner lock with flipper opening.
Which is smaller, the Yorkie or the Microbe? The Microbe: 2.19-inch blade and 5.33-inch overall, versus the Yorkie's 2.58-inch blade and 6.17-inch overall.
Does the Kizer Microbe lock? Yes, it uses the Kizer Button Liner Lock, which allows smooth one-hand closing.
What steel do these knives use? The Yorkie uses Nitro-V (60–62 HRC) and the Microbe uses 14C28N (58–59 HRC), with M390 on premium Microbe editions.
Which is better for office carry? For restrictive or low-key environments, the non-locking aluminum Yorkie is the safest read. For everyday convenience with a lock, the Microbe's button liner lock is hard to beat.
Bottom line
The Yorkie and the Microbe prove that Kizer's smallest knives are also its most personality-driven. Choose the Yorkie for Laconico's clean, traditional lines — slip joint or liner lock depending on your rules. Choose the Microbe for the one-hand button close, the playful design, and the collectible variants. Either way, you are getting one of the most pocket-friendly folders in the catalog.