Top 5 CIVIVI Knives - One Brand Collection Challenge 

I like to set the video speed on .5 and pretend I'm hanging out with Thomas and David at a bar and they are hammered drunk talking about knives. It cracks me up. I need friends.

The Civivi Sokoke is one of my favorite knives. Super slicy blade, a bit under 3.4 inches, ~USD 60, ... Pure love.

Its interesting watching your top choices. I own 28 Civivi's but because I have medium sized female hands, a lot of these knives that are too small for your hand, are perfect for me. My favorite Civivi's are the Qubit and Baby Banter (I own 5 Baby Banter's). For my 'gentleman's folder, I'd pick my Civivi Sokoke with brown linen micarta scales, which is next to impossible to find, and that I purchased from KC on backorder. As for the Civivi Altus, mine doesn't even come close to the flipping action of that of the Qubit or Baby Banters and it doesn't feel as good in my hand as the previous two do by a long shot. For my large sized folding knife, I'd pick my orange Praxis (although I do own the new Praxis with the green aluminum handles, which is very cool). I also own the Civivi Conspirator in black micarta. I did own a Vision FG with the damascus blade and found the lock hard to open and close and it was more a showpiece than a user knife. I also thought the Vision FG was very heavy and I returned it because I knew I just wouldn't carry or play with it. As for the fixed blade Elementum with the black G10 scales and red liner accent -- its a very beautiful looking knife but I don't use it because I don't want to mess it up. I remember at the time of your review David from several years ago, which started my knife mania collection-- you said this particular fixed blade Elementum (with the satin blade) didn't fit closely into a specific genre for using as a fixed blade. And no I wouldn't carry that axe like Civivi ever. Civivi doesn't offer a compelling choice in that category (huge honking knives) and I'd choose my Kershaw Camp 10. I do own two axes and one is in my bedroom in case someone breaks into my house while I'm there. I figure someone carrying a huge axe is more intimidating that a folding knife.

Big fan of Civivi because I'm left-handed and so many of their designs include swappable pocket clips. The Bhaltair is my absolute favorite, nothing else looks or feels like it.

The civivi altus fixed blade 14c28 gonna be a home run 😄

Since I'm a sucker for damascus blades I love me some Civivi. They make all of their knifes in damascus version, and of course they're not expensive.. From the good ol' Elementum to Conspirator.. All good stuff.

I picked up the exclusive Vision FG. Loving it. I did all my food prep for dinner last night using it and it's a great impromptu kitchen knife.

Hey DCA & Thomas, i really appreciate these highly intelligent knife reviews 😊 Thanks brothers, keep up the awesome reviews 👍

I agree that the Teton Tickler is one beautiful knife !!!!

Just got a Praxis over the weekend and absolutely love it just like all of my CiviWe knives

Love this video concept!

I have the Sendy spay blade and carry it around the house almost every day. I love having something useful that I can use around my two kids without worrying about a pig-sticking point on it

The different versions of the Elementum alone could fulfill 4/5 of these categories🤣

I play David's vids to put my 6 month old to sleep.... works every time hehe. Love your vibes buddy.

I agree with you on the Sendy, Dave. I'd really like to see that with a stonewashed blade and brass hardware. Think it'd compliment the wood a little better and give it that classy yet rustic look- some heritage knife vibes.

Love this kind of videos

Y'all always have the best exclusive Civivis... Please make the Vision with S35VN in a different handle than the carbon fiber, maybe aluminum? Get some texture like the Stormhowl? Love my Vision FG but a better steel would be great.

I’d get a Teton Tickler if they upgraded the steel. Knifecenter exclusive version? 😬😬

Not a fan of civivi folders, but the fixed blades killed it.

just got my civivi elementum love it

My Civivi Teton Tickler arrived today. WOW. It's such a drop dead gorgeous fixed blade bowie knife. The quality of manufacturing is superb, and the blade profile is perfect to me. It arrived in flawless condition and ultra sharp, and the handle has a subtle Japanese influence that compliments the blade extremely well. Civivi absolutely crushed it.

I should have bought a Naja when I had the chance... The Backlash was okay. Still carry a Praxis everyday. 👍🏽

I got the cendy and I love it. I warn you though, that tooth pick is SHARP I drew blood on my finger. It’s gonna be amazing for removing slivers when combined with the tweezers. Over all Ben knocked it out of the park yet again. On that note everyone needs the warnclif baby banter.

It's a pity that among the winners, there were no tall hollow grinds, as frankly, I think that's CIVIVI's special contribution to the budget knife world. The ones I've handled were remarkably thin behind the edge, and that means simply better at doing what we most often ask our knives to do, cut without excessive (and dangerous) force. The Elementum II, in the calming/dye-ready natural G10, would be my pick for 3" folder. I really do wish the wood handled CIVIVI's opted for satin or stonewashed blade and hardware. The Sendy is now the 4th or 5th WE/CIVIVI knife I think would a lot more attractive without a coated blade.

I brought the Tamashi with me on some long back country trail runs and then use it as a camp knife after. Like you said, very good edc and camp knife. Worked great for cooking at camp. Carried very easily horizontally on my belt, comfortable even when running.

Love the Baklash. My EDC for a few years now. The handle is great with curved edges. Fits perfectly in front jeans pocket.

I love the Praxis but the finger choil is a huge flaw. Not only does it take up edge space but it reduces leverage. It's the only thing keeping me from picking up a third one. I might have to try the Conspirator.

Vision, Appalachian Drifter II, elementum the big cleaver and Teton fixed blade

Vision FG, og Praxis, Chevalier II, Brazen, and the Qubit are my top 5 Civivi's.

I’m surprised you didn’t have the Civivi Cachet on the table for the large folder. For $48-$55 you get 3.48” of 14C28N blade steel. Yes it’s a clip point… and I know you’re more of a drop point guy but it has different steel and a different lock (frame lock). It’s also a great looking knife. My winner in this category is the Knife Center exclusive, Vision FG with S35VN steel.

I have that version of the Qubit. Comfortable in the hands and nice and slicey.

All the Civivi knives are so damn elegant ! Definitely a bucket list brand 👍 Where was the Ultem handled model though ?? 🙁

Great choices for the folders. The Vision FG and the Altus are my two favorite Civivi knives in my fairly large collection. I don’t have the Sendy but I like the design. I like the Teton Tickler but I would prefer something other than D2 at that price point.

The original button lock elementum is one of my all around favourite knives. It was pretty expensive personally for a hard user but it makes such a great work knife. Keeps fingers free opens and closes fast and made using a knife at work much more enjoyable

I have the Elementum fixed blade in all black and the Elementum 2 button lock in Nitro V. I end up carrying these more often than knives that are 3X their value. They have great edge retention, awesome flipping action, fantastic ergos. I use them daily, I take them camping, I honestly couldn’t be happier or more surprised at how versatile, durable and comfortable they are. I can’t speak for all of Civivi knives but the Elementum series is definitely recommended.

My top 5 Civivi's: Elementum Button Lock, Praxis, Pintail, Durus, Elementum Fixed Blade.

I like these top 5 of a brand videos, keep them coming 👍

that "chopper" is literally just a funky shaped short handled hatchet lol

I really enjoy edc'ing my Elementum Fixed blade in satin D2 with its custom desert ironwood scales. I also modified the great kydex sheath by removing that junk belt clip it came with, and adding a custom leather belt hanger to the kydex.

I love my Arata, coming up next is the Vaquita. Oh and the Stormridge.

I've carried the now discontinued Civivi Brigand almost every day for the last three years. I have Spyderco and Benchmade knives, amongst others, but I love my Civivi.

The Teton tickler is a winner. The sendi would look good with a Civivi ti clip on it and yes black to go with the rest of the knife. The black isn’t messing up the gentleman vibe.

I often change small things i dont like in production knives

Your two big knives are spot on. I'm going FG, Qbit, and mini Odium. I'm a suckered for a finger choil

That Banneret looks beautiful.

I love the sendy. had the wood handled one, but one of the corners that isn't backed by the metal liner snapped off along the grain in my pocket. I can't recommend that version if you're going to use it as a daily driver, but for a "gentleman's" knife type use, it's pretty great. oh and I did get it replaced (great customer service) with the spey blade version, and it's probably my most carried knife

The Vision FC is and an awesome looking knife and I’m not really a Civivi person. Thanks 🎸🔪

Perfect background music. We rather have the Elementum folder & full tang including the Arata, Sendy & Baby Banter. It's just cool..! Cheers DCA & Thomas from Australia.

Thanks for this vid. Civivi is a brand I love. The Elementum 2 indeed is a very cool design. It's perfect in size and weight, the shape is appealing and the different materials make all happy that buy one. And the best - I own one - damask blade and graphite grips 😀Currently, I'm seeking for a nice Elementum with grips made from Ultem. Ultem seems to be the new cool material. And it seems to be really cool to me. The Vision is another story. I bought one (Jade grip and black washed blade) just because I was interested in its locking mechanism. Surprisingly, it is a very handy knife. The locking mech is highly reliable. Of course, this knife is a bit heavy. I would not really want to carry it every day.

Here's hoping some of that nitro v migrates over to the fixed blades.

Love these challenges!

I like that vision fg!!!!

Looking for a fixed blade to EDC. Would like a 2.5” - 3” heavy blade, full length handle, and Micarda if possible. I can be rough with my knives so a steel that can hold up to some abuse. Do you have any suggestions?

Buying two of these fixed blades.

I really miss the Sentinel Strike here. Such a great knife that has it all: versatility, utility, fidget factor, looks, price etc.

For gentlemen's knife I really like the Lumi

I have a manix 2, a tenacious, and I ordered the cruecarta manix 2 xl but I can't decide if I should buy the shaman, the pm2, the smock, or the yo jumbo. Which one is best in your opinion?

Good video

Civivi is primarily a small flipper seller, but the Backlash also gives you a decent 3.5" blade. The Pletheros' blade is only 3.45" but feels like a bigger knife and is my favorite of their "bigger" flippers. The Pintail is my favorite smaller flipper. While I don't have one, the Damascus clad version of the Lazar, with the copper handle, would be my choice for formal carry. I'm not a big fan of their fixed blades, but if I had to choose one it would probably be the Kepler, and it would be quickly relegated to being a spare kitchen knife and eventually end up being given away. I'd take the Teton Tickler over the Altus in a heartbeat, but it wouldn't get much use compared to my other fixed blades.

what about the sokoke? that is my favorite edc. the altus and qubit aluminum are nice.

The only criticism I would ever have against DCA and Knifecenter is the usage of "cheap" and "expensive" I don't think relative terms should be used like that at all, as 400$ might be "cheap" to one person and unreachable to another. Also a 200$ knife can be "cheap" in its construction or choice of materials, it's confusing imo. "high" and "low" price or "premium" and "budget" I think works way better. This is the language I use in my profession as to not put connotations on the words and make the customer feel a certain way about themselves or their purchase. Just a nitpick from me.

How does the button locks strength compared to other locks?

Got to handle a Civivi this morning, and I was impressed. How do you feel they stack up against Reate? I surprise myself that I have such an interest in Chinese Knives, but I picked up a Chavez Liberation 229 titanium by Reate, and I love it. Have a great day

My favorite is the (discontinued) Brigand (specifically with copper scales, 154cm blade)

Hey DCA & team, thx for the great and informative videos! On a side note, not sure if previous videos had music playing in the background, but couldn't help myself not get distracted by BGM in this video, it somewhat ruined the experience for me.

Peace fellas, thank you all for the endless information!! What quality folder (button/axis type lock) has the most options for aftermarket scales? I tend to lean towards the knife center exclusives and limited editions and then don't want to use them😂 looking for a knife $50 - $150 to swap scales, personalize and not feel bad about using. Any small business recommendations are much appreciated

My thoughts exactly with the steel on that Arata. It drives me crazy that they keep using D2 on certain fixed blades especially those whose design would be better to favor toughness over edge retention. D2 is an excellent steel and I'm old enough to remember the days when it was considered premium and it's awesome seeing it available on a lot of budget knives. However, it would be great to see certain knives in their lineup with something other than D2. I lost my mind in pure excitement when I saw the storm ridge come out in nitro-v. I bought it as soon as I could and have used it daily for about 6 weeks now and love it. Anywho....end rant.

Praxis button lock, Elementum button lock, Elementum fixed blade, Big Banter Arta.

Great video, but I didn't understand why you chose the Sendy over the Foldus. I would choose the Sendy for the two tools, although I share your aesthetic preferences.

I don't understand how you can be happy with Civivis in the long term. For me, they're knives that are fun for a few days and then disappear into the drawer. It's better to save longer and buy one special knife than one Civivi after another.

You brought up the reason I passed on the Aratra - for a company that uses Nitro-V for everything, to put D2 on their only chopper is a really poor choice.

You chose well.

Civivi has great designs and initial quality seems excellent but that’s where the good ends. I have a couple and if I use them they need to be sharpened constantly. I’d rather pay twice as much for a decent knife steel and sharpen less often.

Green Micarta Stormridge fixed blade Red Micarta Tamashii

Nicely done, thank you! Good to see someone else twirl w contrast & compare. The curated juried selection did suggest some must haves - taste & colors.

wish they didnt use bearings for all their knives, washers are so much better when there's a bunch of dirt and gunk

Love some of the designs, but I wish they'd do somethin other than D2🙄 If price is a factor, they could still stay around the same price point with 14C28N or maybe even VG10.

Civil - Exarch is det classier than the ones you have in thegentlemans category

The Arata is very much not my style, but for use in the kitchen it might be really interesting. If only it were in one of Civivi's other steels, like 10Cr or even 9Cr. 14c would be awesome. I may have to pick it up anyway.

Give us a Conspirator fixed blade Civivi, please!

I love me some Civivi blades

You had to address the Elementum in the room, although I think it is outmatched these days by some of its stablemates.

I like the elementum, but when I "choke" it , it "bites" me a little, a little cut, maybe my big fat fingers fault, but "choking" is a must for me like a para 2/3

I love my plains look designs...knifes😅

Do Hogue next!

Bottle opener not can opener. One thing I would like you (David) to do is to identify the handle materials with information on whether or not there is a steel frame under the scales. i.e. the Qubit doesn't have steel frame supporting the aluminum. This is important to me and I believe a lot of people out there. Otherwise, good choices. Thanks

D2 pulled back to 50ish hrc is actually very tough and still better edge stability than 1095 in the 50s... Or so I hear

Kershaw brawler vs. Benchmade barrage mini?

Damn. I can't see paying 2 somethin for D2 but DAMN IF THAT BOWIE DOESN'T LOOK GOOD!

A liitle time and attention to detail, can modify ANY knife's form factor to suite your particular taste!

Would love to see the Mini Praxis with a button lock. New Knife Center exclusive?

Someone with communication with the company; ask them to make a nice little boot knife or dagger.

Is it just me, or does the banneret look like a kephart?

Swap the Sendy clip for a titanium deep carry clip from Kizer, aka the best clip ever made, imo. Ymmv.

I remember getting the Foldis, being all excited because I both love copper and technically can't legally carry a locking blade, starting to use it and realising that double detent mechanism is worth jack shit. getting nicked by my knives is nothing new, but when it doesn't even frrl like it's my fault it's a whole other thing. I can't stand looking at this knife now.

The Qubit is 14c28N

how do you not mention the best pocket knife of all time the elementum ?

A quibit with a flipper and button lock…….oh please please

KC needs to make a way to sort by clip style

The Qubit comes in 14c28n