- Civivi Altus · Drop Point2.97″ blade · 0.12″ spine · 3.11 oz · ~1″ tall
Civivi Altus
DiscontinuedCivivi no longer makes this knife in this configuration. See Civivi’s current knives.
The Civivi Altus is a 2.97" drop point folder in Nitro-V, flat ground. The handle is G-10, secured by a button lock. Its Button Lock lock is rare here — only 2 folders in the catalogue use one.
- Blade
- 2.97″
- Weight
- 3.11 oz
- Steel
- Nitro-V
- Price band
- Mid
Everyday carry in pocket-knife-restricted areas
We don’t have a verified retailer link for this knife yet. We only link products we have confirmed resolve to the right item — here’s why.
Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against civivi.com.
- Blade length
- 2.97″
- Spine thickness
- 0.12″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Flat
- Steel
- Nitro-V
- Overall length
- 7.12″
- Closed length
- 4.15″
- Weight
- 3.11 oz
- Lock
- Button Lock
- Deployment
- Manual
- Handle material
- G-10
- Country of origin
- China
Why a drop point
The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.
Every drop point here →About Nitro-V
AEB-L with nitrogen added. Fine-grained, takes a screaming edge, easy to sharpen — a lot of steel for a mid-priced folder.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All Nitro-V knives
What owners say
Drawn from 55 owner discussions of the Civivi Altus since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Fidget-friendly action. One owner who rarely pockets theirs still loves how fidgety it is every time it comes out, another calls the action snappy, and a first-time Civivi buyer says it opens more smoothly than anything else they own.
- Thumb studs give more ways in than a flipper: one user recommends it because you can open it with a thumb or a middle finger reverse flick.
- Solid build for the price. After five days of daily carry, one owner praised the blade shape and jimping, said the body feels like high quality aluminum and the skeletonized liner still feels substantial, and called it a decent knife at an ok price.
- Sharp out of the box: a first-time Civivi buyer calls it the sharpest knife they own.
- Picked over its Civivi siblings. When a first-time buyer asked about the Elementum 2, the button lock Praxis and the Altus, four of those answering across their two questions chose the Altus.
- Versions share parts, so blades can be swapped. One owner moved a Damascus blade into wood scales and posted the result, and another who did the same swap a couple of years earlier says both knives look way better for it.
What owners flag
- Button lock reports are mixed. One owner says these were prone to sticky buttons and had one open in a left pocket when something pressed the button, and another had to break the button in before it worked well.
- No full finger choil, and the scales can feel a little slick, according to one owner after five days of daily carry.
- Thumb studs worked loose on one owner's knife, spinning and rattling together on the blade.
- Heavier than the Qubit: one person who owned both kept the Qubit because it is lighter, has no liners and has the better handle shape to them.
- Paid prices vary a lot. One owner called $85 an ok price for the materials in 2024, a 2025 buyer paid $100 including $30 shipping, a shopper in Turkey was facing $135, and another caught one for $56 on Prime Day.
Under three inches of Nitro-V behind a button lock and thumb studs, the Altus is carried as a small daily knife and fidget piece. One owner carries it every day, another pocket-carries it alongside a Mini Praxis, and a first-time Civivi buyer upgraded the clip to titanium right away.
Five days of carry left one owner pleased with the snappy action, the build and the jimping, but wishing for a full finger choil and grippier scales. Button lock reports split: that owner needed to break theirs in, and another says these were prone to sticking and had one open in the pocket. One owner's thumb studs worked loose.
Qubit, Elementum 2 and the button lock Praxis are the knives buyers weigh it against. One person who owned both kept the lighter, linerless Qubit, while four of those answering a first-time buyer picked the Altus over the Elementum 2 and Praxis. Prices paid range from $56 on a Prime Day sale to $100 including shipping.
Can I swap blades between two Altus knives?
Yes. One owner swapped a Damascus blade into wood scales, and another did the same swap a couple of years earlier. The advice is to use quality Torx bits, move the button lock plunger with its blade, and work inside a bag because the button spring can launch. One warns that the C-shaped pivot is keyed to the scales and can crack wood scales if it is tightened out of line or overtightened.
Should I get the Altus or the Qubit?
One person who owned both kept the Qubit for its lighter weight, no liners and handle shape. A Qubit owner adds that both cut alike while sharp but the Qubit's geometry keeps it cutting when dull; another user prefers the Altus look and its aftermarket scale options.
Is the Altus button lock reliable?
Reports are mixed. One owner had to break theirs in before it worked well, and another says these were prone to sticky buttons and had one open in the pocket when the button was pressed. A shopper had heard of the blade locking up when the button is pressed and asked whether that was fixed.
Altus, Elementum 2 or Praxis button lock for a first knife?
Across one buyer's two questions on exactly these three, four of those answering chose the Altus. One cited the extra ways to open it with thumb studs and a reverse flick, and another, who has a Praxis, said it is a lot in the pocket.
Features
- Button Lock
- Flat grind
- Made in China
- Stainless blade
