One of the challenges to running a Youtube product consumer culture lifestyle review
channel, other than Youtube itself is getting new products.
I tend to take time with things to get to know them, and working out the perfect dick
or sex joke pairing to the appropriate knife.
If you're wondering DPx Hest was the easiest.
Also I don't know how this channels fits into retailer or manufacturers corporate image.
Oh yeah, easy with 3-in-1.
A recent criticism of the channel was it took too long to talk about the knives the video
was about so let's talk about the new budget line of sub $50 We Knives, known simply as
Civivi, suh-vi-vi, suh veeuhheeeuhhh... pronounced Su-vive-uh, ok I'm not going to give up.
Oh you know what it's roman numerals.
Here let me go to the roman numeral converter.
Let's see.
Ok Invalid.
Huh.
So the We Budget knife line known as Invalid Knives, feature many things, like the higher
end of the Chinese CR steels 9Cr18MoV and not the poor peoples 8Cr or 7Cr.mov or whatever.
They also have nice tolerances, the classic We sorta evenly brushed satin finish, and
of course a flipper tab.
(Do they have anything in purple?)- and circling back around to the topic of getting newer
products to review instead of a bunch of old loaners or cheap garbage fellow knife channel
Birdshot Iv had a few extra of the New Civivis laying around, so I could hop on the click
train.
Yay!
Views on my videos!
I was allowed to pick two of them.
The Baklash in Tan G10 and the Praxis in Green G10.
But before we go any further, and while you wonder if you really did catch a Destiny's
Child reference in the intro let's look at the dimensions like the overall length and
weight.
Consider that shots fired at the dudes who complained about the Duece Bigelow joke in
the Estiletto review.
Blade length and cutting edge.
(You better not be making fun of Queen Bey) Handle size and grip area.
It's my channel and for Christ's sake there's not anything wrong with Rob Schneider movies.
Spine thickness and handle thickness.
Except Rob Schneider.
Also welcome to all the new viewers and no the videos don't get better.
Tallnesses.
And the flipper tab things, whatever they're called.
These Civivis both feature satin finished blades made from 9Cr18Mov.
9CR18Mov is short hand for some of the components of the steel make up... and it will require
slightly less sharpening than the 8crs or the 7crs.
Now according to Pete over at Cedric and Ada outdoors, and his steel test which I'll link
at the end, it performs somewhere in the VG-10 or 440C steel in edge retention...
Between manufacturers though even the same steel can vary due to heat treat, an ultra
alpha reverse grip, the combination of the full ness of the tactical beard and the tightness
of the underamor shirt from the dude holding it, and other manufacturing processes so it's
sort of a guide.
The Backlash first has a drop point blade that is hollow ground.
There's a nice thumb sized indentation on the spine with some ok jimping.
allowing for choking up on the blade.
You know moving your fingers closer.
Living on the edge means bringing bandaids.
The Praxis on the other hand has a taller blade profile with a flat grind and a slightly
longer cutting edge.
Both knives are razor sharp out of the box.
Blade centering on both is great.
Both are deployed by flipper tabs which are kind of edgy.
I assume here that smooth comfortable, easy to fidget with flipper tabs found on the lion
steel SR-11A are patented.
Otherwise companies wouldn't need to create acute peaks, or add jimping.
Now you might offer a counter point, well if you only open your knife when you intend
to use it, what's the big deal.
And I'd say are you stupid, who does that??
It's no secret social media knife people fidget and resell their knives more than use them,
so it's a real big consideration.
The tabs aren't terrible or anything, just about standard on most flippers I've used
even ones like the Hinderer XM-18 which is a $400 knife.
The deployment is nice and smooth because the blade pivots on balls.
Or a ball bearing system which is the way an adult whose sense of humor has evolved
past a male in the 7th grade would say.
I'd say the Baklash is a slightly quicker flipper, not by much though.
Detent is strong- I can't flick it downward and get it to open.
However somehow I screwed up my elbow about 2 months ago so my flings aren't as hard as
they used to be.
Batoning elbow.
Both knives locks are handled by liner locks that are jimped.
They feel about standard for a liner lock.
I prefer axis locks and compression locks to liner locks, but that's just a personal
preference.
The handle is comprised of G10 scales over skeletonized frame locks, which makes the
knives kinda light.
Kind of light being subjective but to me that's usually around 4 ounces or less.
So to one is a good carry way and one is pretty close.
I like that liners are different colors, it's a cool touch even though it's not purple...
blue liners and tan G10 on the Baklash green G10 and gold lines on the Praxis.
Gold of course a sign of wealth or a lack of taste.
The G10 scales have a little bit of traction, not overly aggressive, and shouldn't be too
hard on the interior of your pockets.
Who likes pilly pockets, right guys?
A phrase that sounds as ridiculous as New York City in an Old El Paso commercial, but
an important consideration for people who want nice pockets.
I prefer the grip on the Praxis a bit more because it goes with my grip countours more,
however it doesn't have that nice thumb rest on the top of the blade like the backlash.
Pocket clip.
It's a little ugly but I admire the weight saving holes as being practical.
They have a nice amount of spring, are deep carry, and slide in the pocket nicely.
So they're functional but kind of ugly, so to solve that have a few beers.
You know you're not much to look at either.
The clips can be configured on the right or left side in a tip up configuration only.
Comparisons.
Ok first the Baklash and a few blades.
Let me put it this way, this is probably the better of the two knives from a practical
standpoint, as it's lighter, has a more neutral grip, and has that nice thumb ramp up top.
I just think the Praxis is better looking, and I like the blade shape more.
The handle on the Praxis also works well for my hand, I just wish it had the thumb indentation
on the top of the blade.
Both knives have the paracord bead hole in the back, both are very nice functional blades
for under $50.
Kind of like the Spyderco Tenacious.
This is $40-50 now, and I like the spyder-hole a little better from a comfort standpoint
in deployment.
The steel in the Civivi knives should be more wear resistant.
All have large blades, nice sized handles.
Remember I like knives about 4 ounces or less, 3 and a half inch grip areas or more, and
a longer than 3 inch cutting edge- at least if I'll carry it often and these all have
that.
Now the Lion Steel SR-11A.
A bit smoother of a flipper, and a more comfortable tab.
This is the tab I wish most flippers had.
However it's over $100 more and heavier.
I don't carry it much, plus the rotolock isn't quite as sturdy as Lion Steel claims, as I've
tried two different SR-11s and both had some lock play when the rotoblock was engaged.
I don't have the We 617 any more, but these are on par to me in fit finish, and overall
quality.
I have not played with any of the high end We knives yet, but these are on par with what
I've seen anecdotally and first hand with the you know around $100 We Knives.
Spyderco Para Military 2.
I still prefer this over the other knives, because of weight deployment, and looks, and
I guess blade steel.
However just from a fit and finish perspective, you're getting about the same as the Civivi
knives.
How about one more Chinese flipper, this one is a knockoff of a non production Sinkevich
folder.
This one is very smooth, very light, and most importantly very purple.
Maybe a blu-is purple, but it still counts.
Civivi needs to get in on the purple.
If anyone ever gives you the blanket statement that all Chinese knives are junk, they have
no idea what they're talking about.
I haven't seen any indication that the best American production blades aren't equal to
the finest Chinese production knives.
Sure China does produce junk knives, which is fair- but I own a ton of American and Chinese
made knives, as well as many other countries- they are all capable of high quality.
There are certain locks, and looks, and ergonomics I prefer, and most of those just happen to
be in American made blades.
Both Civivi blades are of excellent quality, and if they work for your hands, and you don't
mind a slightly uncomfortable fidget flipper, then buy it.
This is an excellent value right under $50 and I have an easier time recommending it
than just a basic clone... only because We Knives tends to respect designers and intellectual
properties more than say a Ganzo.
I have some $20 Ganzos that are also very well made too.
Anyway if you like this sort of video, subscribe to the channel.
Give the video a thumbs up.
Subscribe to Bird shot IV, and thanks to the two of them, and Civivi for the knives.
Leave a comment, do the Patreon, or buy the knives through the links in the description
to support the channel.
Or don't.
Thanks for watching.
Now enjoy the next few minutes while the sounds of power tools in the distance and a primate
using a simple tool drone in the background.