Hey everyone David C Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter and
today we're taking a look at two of the best folding pocket knives that you can
get for just 50 bucks it's the Buck Sprint select versus the
CIVIVI Elementum let's check them out
so let's say that you've got 50 bucks set aside for your next EDC pocket knife
now fortunately there's plenty of solid knives out there to choose from today
I'm gonna run you through a couple of our favorite recent models that fit our
criteria for an average-sized everyday carry they're not too big and not too
small and versatile enough to do any job we've got one from China the CIVIVI
Elementum as well as the all-American Buck Sprint Select alright I'm gonna
start by comparing the blade side-by-side you can see that the
Elementum has a no frills drop point profile and the Buck Sprint is also a
drop point but it has a slightly pointier tip and a more dynamic shape overall
the Buck also has a little bit more length as well now according to the spec
sheet they're actually pretty close the Buck comes in with a 3 and 1/8 inch
blade measured from the leading edge of the handle out to the tip itself
well the CIVIVI comes in just shy of three inches when it comes to the actual
amount of sharpened edge though the Buck pulls away with a full half an inch more
of usable edge now the reason that difference is so big is mainly because
the Elementum features a broad space ahead of the flipper tab and that's big
enough to fit your index finger so basically you trade off a little bit of
edge for the ability to more finely manipulate the blade especially out
there at the tip now when it comes to the steel itself the CIVIVI uses D2
tool steel it's got semi stainless properties and
very capable edge retention although this can be a little bit harder to
sharpen than some of the other inexpensive steel's out there meanwhile
the Buck Sprint features 420HC stainless steel with a stonewashed finish and that
finish is gonna allow scratches on the blade to blend in as you use it over
time especially when you compare it to the satin finish on the CIVIVI now it
should be pretty easy to say here that the edge retention on the D2 of the
CIVIVI should be higher than the Buck however Buck is recognized for getting
more performance out of their 420HC than anyone else
out there I will say from personal experience sharpening Buck's 420HC that
it requires moderately more effort than the same steal from other manufacturers
because it's abrasion resistance directly tied to the edge holding is
definitely higher so without having been able to actually edge test these two
knives side-by-side we can only make an educated guess but the gap is probably a
lot closer than you would think now both of these knives are flippers which means
you can get to the blade in a heartbeat just as soon as you pull it out of your
pocket a press on the tab on the back is enough to send the blade around nearly
friction free thanks to ball bearings in the pivots of both of these knives
the CIVIVI has nice crisp action overcoming its detent with an easy
straight down push of the flipper tab now the Buck actually feels a little bit
different than many flippers out there and that's mostly because the detent is
definitely lighter with this design it's not quite as crisp and it requires a
little bit more of a light switching motion with your finger but I've really
grown to appreciate the silky feel of this blade when it's in motion the
handle even has a nice landing pad here right behind the blade it's this little
cutout that feels like it cushions your finger when you're opening the blade as
opposed to the straight back on the CIVIVI now I don't mean to give off the
wrong impression the CIVIVI is not uncomfortable at all but the Buck is
just a little bit more comfortable but while we're on the subject of the handles
this is where the imported CIVIVI pulls out it's big advantage and that's handle
materials the Elementum features flat G10 handle scales over top of dual
liners and the liner lock and that G10 is available in a range of color options
and wood is even sometimes available too meanwhile the Buck Sprint uses FRN
which is fiberglass reinforced nylon also available in several different
colors with some contrasting back spacers that are usually cerakoted now
while the FRN is not as quote-unquote nice they do it really well with nice
dual inset liners and lock and a nice scooped out character line that makes a
great place for your fingertips to grab hold of when they're wrapped around the
handle continuing that trend set by the blade the handle is a little bit longer
than on the Elementum when held lightly it sits in a three and a half finger
grip for me with an easy wrap around for my
pinkey at the back of the handle but there is enough length that when I grasp
it firmly I'm able to get a full four finger grip for when you really need
to bear down on a cut and even though it has a single finger groove here at the
front it's large enough and a gentle enough radius that I don't see it
getting in the way for most hand sizes out there but the CIVIVI's shape is even
more neutral than the Buck's with no grooves and a smoother profile that
should work for just about any hand size out there for me in a light grip it's
technically a three and a half finger design but it feels more like a three
finger grip due to the rounded end here at the back and yet I can still choke up
for a four finger grip I just have to go a little bit above the finger tab with
my index finger to do it that's okay though because most of your grip
strength is actually gonna come from your back two fingers anyway and I
definitely have a solid hold on this knife now as far as how these knives
carry in your pocket both are about the same weight at roughly three ounces so
they're not gonna weigh you down too much but if you want to keep pocket
clutter to a minimum the Elementum pulls ahead slightly here due to its smaller
proportions but not by much the Buck isn't unreasonable at all and only takes
up just a little bit more room than the CIVIVI both of these knives feature
single position pocket clips set up for right side tip up carry the Buck's is
mounted to the cerakoted back spacer and while it is folded over it isn't
quite deep carry it keeps it pretty low while still being easy to access that
clip also has a nice stonewashed finish that really integrates well with the
blade itself the Elementum features a true deep carry clip with a blackened
finish this is not a painted clip so it's not going to chip off over time and
they've screwed it into the outside of the G10 scale although it's not going to
be difficult to retrieve your knife from your pocket this type of design is gonna
require a slightly more considered grip when you go for the knife but to make
things easier you could attach a lanyard through the holes in either of the
liners or both which is a feature that the Buck does not have as far as
maintenance both knives feature an adjustable pivot and open backed
construction too so both are going to easily clear pocket lint when you need
to clean it often with just a blow of air which brings us of course to the
question at hand which knife would you put in your pocket would you take the
Buck Sprint select or the CIVIVI Elementum
or maybe there's another knife out there that's worth your $50 be sure to let us
know in the comments what your choice would be and to get your hands on either
of these great designs you can use the links in the description to head over
the KnifeCenter.com thanks for sticking around if you want to see more
comparisons like this one be sure to subscribe to our Channel and let us know
what other comparisons you might like us to do in the comments as well I'm David
C Andersen from the KnifeCenter signing off
see you next time