- Civivi Elementum · Drop Point2.96″ blade · 0.12″ spine · 2.78 oz · ~0.87″ tall
Civivi Elementum
DiscontinuedCivivi no longer makes this knife in this configuration. Its current replacement is Civivi Button Lock Elementum II.
The Civivi Elementum is a 2.96" drop point folder in D2, hollow ground. The handle is G-10, secured by a liner lock. At 2.78 oz it sits 18th-lightest of the 61 EDC folders here, where the median is 3.2 oz.
- Blade
- 2.96″
- Weight
- 2.78 oz
- Steel
- D2
- Price band
- Budget
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
- 2.96″
- Spine thickness
- 0.12″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Hollow
- Steel
- D2
- Overall length
- 6.99″
- Closed length
- 4.03″
- Weight
- 2.78 oz
- Lock
- Liner
- Deployment
- Flipper
- 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 D2
Semi-stainless: enough chromium to resist spotting, not enough to be stainless. Big carbides mean long edge life and a coarse, toothy edge.
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 D2 knives
What owners say
Drawn from 1,191 owner discussions of the Civivi Elementum since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Takes real work: one oil and gas field worker carried theirs every day for a little over a year, stripping cable and cutting plenty it was never meant for
- The D2 and red G10 version won pocket space from a pricier knife: one owner who loves their Benchmades, including a custom-dyed 940 Osborne in M4, said the Elementum had been in their pocket since Christmas
- Flipper action that holds up against rivals: one buyer who was on a third return of a Kizer Amicus over poor action said the Elementum's action is much better
- Light, slicey and cheap enough not to worry about: one owner of an S35VN version calls it the do-everything knife they carry no matter what the day holds, because losing or breaking it would not hurt much
- A big aftermarket around the handle: owners fit titanium or copper scales, upgraded thumb studs and deeper-carry titanium clips, and one called their fully upgraded Wharncliffe the Elementum of their dreams
- Easy to reprofile at home: one owner put a coarser, toothier edge on a purple G10 Elementum with 240, 600 and 1000 grit diamond stones and a strop and found it cut quite nicely
What owners flag
- Not a pry bar: one field worker's knife broke prying fiberglass out of a hole saw, and another owner's Nitro-V version snapped after three years when twisted with pliers to extract a broken PVC pipe
- One owner took theirs fully apart, cleaned and lubed it, and still had slight blade play afterward, which left them wondering if tolerances are looser than on pricier brands
- The handle is thicker than some want: one owner hunting for a slim 3-inch flipper found an S35VN Elementum close but too thick in the hand
- Not everyone takes to it: one owner of a large Benchmade and Zero Tolerance collection named the Elementum as the knife they hate most
Stripping cable in the oil and gas field, everyday carry whatever the day holds, and a slot in the car kit are the uses owners describe for the Civivi Elementum. One owner picks it as a light, slicey knife cheap enough not to worry about losing, and one owner with a Benchmade collection kept their D2 red G10 version in the pocket instead.
Prying is where they fail: one daily-carried knife broke on fiberglass after a year, and a Nitro-V version snapped on a PVC pipe after three. One owner found slight blade play survived a full teardown. On the positive side, the action beats a Kizer Amicus for one buyer, one owner reprofiled the edge on diamond stones and found it cuts nicely, and owners build them up with titanium scales and deep-carry clips.
Benchmade's 940 Osborne and Civivi's own cheaper Zizzle are the knives owners weigh it against, and one buyer who wants a fidget knife plans to step to the button-lock Elementum II, though one owner finds its button sticky.
Can the Civivi Elementum handle prying?
Two owners found out it cannot. One knife broke after a year of daily oil and gas field use when prying fiberglass from a hole saw, and a Nitro-V Elementum snapped when its owner hammered it into a PVC pipe and twisted it with pliers. That owner had been using it as a beater for three years.
Liner lock Elementum or the button-lock Elementum II?
This page is the liner-lock flipper. The button-lock versions draw lock-stick complaints: one Elementum II owner described a sticky button that clinks when finally pressed, and a Utility owner said the button stick was bad enough that they sometimes leave it home. One buyer who wants a fidget knife plans to get the button-lock Elementum II for that.
Is the Elementum worth carrying over a Benchmade?
One owner with several Benchmades, including a 940 Osborne in M4, found the red G10 D2 Elementum stayed in their pocket after Christmas and told anyone on the fence not to hesitate. A Civivi Zizzle owner said they would take the $25 Zizzle over the $50 liner-lock D2 Elementum.
What upgrades do owners add to the Elementum?
Titanium or copper scales, upgraded thumb studs and deeper-carry titanium pocket clips are the common ones. One owner went further on a Wharncliffe, removing the swedge and flipper tab and widening the thumb stud hole for Benchmade aftermarket studs.
Do Elementums have blade play?
One owner who fully disassembled, cleaned and lubricated theirs still had slight blade play after reassembly, and wondered whether tolerances are looser than on pricier brands.
Features
- Flipper
- Liner lock
- Hollow grind
- Made in China
- Tool steel blade — will patina
