CIVIVI Elementum Knife

I think the Elementum checks a lot of boxes for an EDC knife. From the size, to ease of opening, and it's unassuming nature the Elementum has seen a lot of pocket time and has been given as a gift a couple of times to those needing a knife. I've probably got 6 different Elementum variants and there's a reason - their simple operate, they are good value for the money, and the design simple and effective.

I've had a lower-end Leatherman multitool for about 25 years. I used it as a utility knife and didn't give it a second thought. Recently, I fell into the EDC / pocket knife rabbit hole and discovered that I really needed a folding knife: something that could serve as both an occasional cutting tool and a fun fidgeting toy. Countless reviews by YouTube personas such as Nick Shabazz, Metal Complex, and the Knife Beater helped me to narrow down to a handful of choices. I went with the Elementum because it seemed like the safest choice: for the materials, reputation for good build quality and action, general purpose drop point blade shape (I was interested in sheepsfoot too, but that is more specialized). I think this could be a good one-knife collection for someone on a budget, if it's possible to show some restraint. I also like Elementum because it avoids "the appearance of a weapon", at least that's my impression. I can imagine a general audience becoming anxious if they see you with a much more aggressive looking knife, even if it has the exact same function. I also wanted a blade under 3" to make the knife compatible more with state laws. The knife has fulfilled my expectations and lived up to the hype. The action was stiff at first, to the point where I couldn't easily flip it all the way open using the flipper tab or flick it closed after unlocking the blade. But after fidgeting around with it for a while, it has loosened up quite a bit and I have no complaints. Overall, the knife feels very high quality: the handle is comfortable and grippy, the liner lock feels good to disengage, and the blade feels sturdy when it is locked. There is enough of a choil to choke up and not cut myself, and the jimping on the back of the blade helps in this mode. The profile, grind, and finish of the blade are visually appealing, and the blade has had no problems with the small cutting tasks I have been using it for. The only caveat for the Elementum that I can think of is the price - at around $50 when I purchased it, it's a little expensive compared to competitors. I like the flipper tab, but if I got something else I would try another deployment mechanism like a thumb stud or thumb hole for a different fidgeting experience.

I'd never heard of the Civivi brand. I assumed it was another one of those generic cheap Chinese brands that just sells the leftovers from factory runs, something like that. Now, there are tons of knife snobs out there who'll probably laugh at me for saying it, but this knife is actually pretty good. And it turns out, the guys who make it seem to actually care about making good knives. The steel itself feels sold, not to brittle, not mushy. It's been holding an edge nicely. Of course, one doesn't judge a knife by the factory edge, that's like judging a TV based on what the picture looked like at Costco—as in, it doesn't at all represent what you're going to get when you use it for real. The only thing the factory edge tells you is that it can *take* an edge, which, well, that's probably most knives you're going to run into. The handle is simple, solid, and comfortable. The blade shape is new to me, I've never owned this style of blade, but is comfortable to use when actually knifing things with a knife that need to be knifed. It's easy to maneuver usefully. Opening and closure is easy and straightforward, no struggling with it at all. The Elementum feels maybe a little heavier than it ought to. I suspect that's a sign of the thickness of the blade, but again, I'm no expert. It's comfortable enough to keep on hand normally, in a purse or even an actual pocket. This is the size of knife that, if you're a chick, you can easily carry if you have one of those "Thanks! It has POCKETS!" garments. As in, you don't need anything huge, just bigger than the average women's pocket. If you carry a purse (or a man bag or whatever, I just call mine a purse) it plops right in there and I'm perfectly happy just letting it swim around in the bottom of the bag. They do give you a simple, kinda cheap-feeling zip up nylon case for it, if you're worried about sand or random junk in the bottom of your bag. Overall, the whole thing feels like—despite not being a big brand—something made with care and attention to detail, using surprisingly decent material. I would gladly buy another Civivi, even though I'd literally never heard of these dudes before I looked them up.

This blade came highly recommended after I'd done my research on the web. Watch the video that l comes with the rest of the ad about this knife on Amazon. What you're seeing in that video is the knife that you're going to get. It's a nice little knife and for everyday carry, it's more than adequate. There are certain aspects of the design of course that the average person is going to say are not quite what we need but not in this price category. It's worth what they're charging. It seems smaller than the knife we're seeing online, and it's not quite as solid maybe than what we'd like to have. But the blade itself is super Sharp, it's well engineered, and for what I paid it's actually in my book worth more than what they're charging. Yes I will probably end up replacing it for everyday carry. But then it will go into my collection to stay forever. You can't argue with a well-made blade and that's what this is. When you get it you're going to find out real fast then it's razor sharp and crafted from quality steel. They put a lot of into this knife when it comes to utility. Just remember it's going to hold that edge on the blade for a long time. And for everyday carry, we all know that a good blade just needs a nice sharpening once a while. So make your purchase of this very well engineered knife. I'll tell you one thing ... you won't regret it.

TLDR: The lock is a little stiff and the edge is nowhere near close to 15 degrees, but the 3 inch blade and simple design make this my ideal EDC knife. I have only had the knife for one day, so this is by no means an extensive review. I have used it enough, though, so that I can be annoyed by a few small things, while still being impressed with its design and form factor. Annoyances: Lock - I own another CIVIVI knife, the Praxis, and despite its blade being 0.75 inches longer and 0.5 inches wider, it opens so much smoother and faster. The Elementum is still super fast to open, but I expected it to be faster than a much bigger knife. When I went to close the knives what’s where I realized why the Praxis was faster to open and easier to close. Despite the metal plates that sit on either side of the blade and make up the main structure of the handle being the same thickness and distance apart, the Elementum’s blade is about 0.5mm thicker at the point that it interfaces with the lock. This means that the lock applies more pressure to the blade, making it feel a bit more sluggish when opening. This also explains why the lock feels more difficult to open, as you have to push it open further in order to clear the blade. Ultimately, this is incredibly nitpicky and something you’ll only notice if you own multiple liner lock knives, but it was something that took some brownie points off for me. Blade edge - The blade was not sharpened to 15 degrees by the factory. When I measured it with my sharpening system that allows me to sharpen to a specific angle, it measured at almost 25 degrees. Now the edge was still pretty sharp and can retain its sharpness better at a higher angle, but the promise of a 15 degree edge means that CIVIVI should be sending you a wicked sharp knife. I ended up putting a 15 degree edge on my Elementum and it is stupid sharp now. It almost passes the standing paper test and I can easily shave hair off the back of my hand with it. Long story short, either deliver on your claims CIVIVI or don’t make them. A higher angle edge can still be sharp and is good for most people, but just tell people that is what they’re getting. Why this is my perfect EDC knife: Aside from those minor annoyances, this knife is still perfect for me. Why? Maybe it’s because a 3 inch blade feels very familiar to me, as my first pocket knives had blade lengths of approximately 3 inches, but the blade and knife feel perfectly proportioned in my hand. The handle is just long enough so that all 4 of my fingers can securely grip it without a bunch of excess at the end. The contour of the handle is ergonomically perfect for me, as I much prefer one continuous contour over individual notches for the first and second fingers like on the Praxis. The jimping on the spine of the knife is perfect in its placement, length, and aggressiveness. It looks elegant while still providing ample grip right where my thumb naturally rests. By all accounts, the ergonomics and simple appearance of this knife are what won me over in the end. My annoyances with the Elementum can be easily managed or corrected without much effort, so they ultimately did weigh on me much in the end. I look forward to putting this knife through its paces over the coming months, and I plan to update this review after this knife has spent more time in my pocket and hand. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading, and I hope you found my review helpful.

picked up the Civivi Elementum as part of my everyday carry setup, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite knives. Right out of the box, the fit and finish were flawless. The blade came razor sharp, and the action is buttery smooth thanks to the ceramic bearings—flicks open with ease and drops shut like a much more expensive knife. The deep-carry pocket clip keeps it low-profile, and the slim design makes it disappear in the pocket. It’s light enough to forget it’s there, but sturdy enough to handle everything I throw at it—boxes, rope, zip ties, and random tasks during the day. Honestly, for the price point, this knife punches way above its weight class. Clean design, rock-solid performance, and zero complaints so far. If you’re looking for a reliable EDC blade that won’t break the bank, the Elementum lives up to the hype.

A no nonsense, no frills design, beautifully constructed and top notch QC. 1. Razor sharp blade perfectly centered. 2. Smooth bearings and snappy deployment. 4. No friction or drag. 5. Liner lock perfect @ 1/3rd engagement. 6. Med. hand, 4 finger grip. 7. No hotspots. 8. Great ergos. 9. No blade play up/down or sideways-tuned. 10. Sturdy clip. 11. Feels good in hand. 12. No "billboarding" 13. Nice liner/scales shadowboxing. 14. Very good price point. 15. Subtle but positive jimping. Civivi has taken good mid range materials keeping this in an affordable budget EDC knife that is outstanding. Highly recommend.

I am somewhat a pocket knife collector. I am NOT an expert on anything. However, concerning pocket knives I am well knowledgeable. This knife ( for the cost ) is above and beyond outstanding. This knife is a simple design, built solid, high quality materials and the perfect EDC. It feels comfortable and good in the hand. It is arm hair shaving out of the box. I have several Benchmade bugout and mini bugouts and for 50 dollars, ( telling you the truth ) as of now I would put this knife along side the Benchmades for an EDC. I used one of these knives to dull it a little and several slaps on a leather strop brought it right back to an "arm hair shaving" edge. This should explain to you, why I recommend it and am telling you the facts "I HAVE BOUGHT 3 OF THESE KNIVES". I have noticed the price is beginning to inch up. They are putting different handles on them and the price is going up. This is now a sought after pocket knife. I sincerely CANNOT find any fault with this knife. By the way, it is light, yet tough and can handle any job that any EDC is expected to handle. The opening and closing is smooth as silk...

Me gustó mucho como se siente la calidad delos materiales y la presentación. Es cómoda, tiene buen filo y mecanismo de bloqueo.

Ce couteau fait partie des meilleurs couteaux de poches dans sa catégorie. La lame est parfaitement centrée, il n'y a aucun jeu dans le mécanisme. L'ouverture de ce couteau se fait grâce à un flipper, avec une détente parfaitement réglée et des roulements à bille qui permettent une ouverture fluide et sans faille. La lame est en acier D2, facile à aiguiser et qui conserve bien son tranchant. Les plaquettes son en micarta, ce qui assure un bon grip. Le couteau est petit, léger et possède un clip poche qui permet un port discret.

Tellement content et satisfait de ce couteau que je vais en offrir à mes fils ! le top qualité à ce prix . Bon tranchant , qualité en main extra. pour un prix très correct . Top

Superbe qualité , tranchant redoutable et efficace. En plus livré avec une petite housse. Un très bon rapport qualité prix , d'ailleurs j'ai acheté d'autre modèle de cette marque. Très beaux couteaux et de qualité. Je recommance.

Mon premier couteau flipper. J'en suis totalement satisfait.