CIVIVI Qubit has had criticism from many knife reviewers for being very similar to other pocketknives. It is made of aluminum scales with a button lock, thumb studs and tool steel blade like many other knives in the market. Its blade is even shorter than 3”, making it easier to carry in most States.
CIVIVI Knives became popular in 2018 when the demand for low-cost high-quality and high value knives increased. It is a budget line of knives of WE Knives, its parent company, and produces all its products in China. To keep their prices competitive, CIVIVI uses affordable materials like G10 and tool steels, rather than titanium or exotic steels. However, CIVIVI knives are produced with the same production standards as WE Knives. The average price of CIVIVI knives falls between $40 and $110.
What sets Qubit apart from other knives is the aluminum handles that it only shares with one other CIVIVI lineup knife, the Altus – apart from the three other variations of Qubit. But that’s not all. There are many knives out there with aluminum scales and 14C28N stainless steel. But Qubit has the brand name of CIVIVI etched on it paired with premium mechanism made out of economic materials and sold within $100 range.
CIVIVI Qubit
The CIVIVI Qubit is a user-friendly and sleek budget knife as long as 7.19” with a blade length of 2.98” and a handle length of 4.21”, and weighs only 2.82 ounces. That makes it easy to carry and lightweight.
It is configured for right as well as left hand with a tip-up pocket clip carry. It also has a ceramic ball bearings pivot that makes the thumb stud easy to deploy. It has a button lock seamlessly placed at the spine for easy reach.
It has aluminum scales with a drop point 14CN28 stainless steel blade with a satin finish, flat grind and plain edge. The blade width of 1.24” and stock thickness of 0.10” makes it an idyllic utility EDC knife.
CIVIVI Qubit Prices |
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Check Price at Blade HQ |
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Check Price at Chicago Knife Works | |
Key Specifications of CIVIVI Qubit
First Impressions of CIVIVI Qubit
The CIVIVI Qubit came in a standard package in the mail after we had ordered it. The product came in a simple black CIVIVI branded box with a label that had all the details of the knife along with the barcode. That authenticates the dealer and the ingenuity of the product.
Inside the box was a black CIVIVI pouch in which was the instruction manual that contained the product details and the knife itself. You can also use the pouch to store the knife and other tools in. It is a pretty handy semicircle shaped zipped pouch made of a durable fabric.
The knife came out very smooth, contoured and well-finished. The blue handle was impeccably sleek and shiny and so was the blade, giving off that newness shine.
The deployment and the button lock were both smooth as butter. The knife flicked open with a simple flip of the thumb stud with a gentle wrist action. It opened in one swift motion and the blade stayed locked in position. The button lock was just as easy to use with a soft detent.
You will see something different at front of blade which is a bottle opener, I believe and it turns out to be very good in my testing later on.
The blade, as expected, was razor-sharp right out of the box and exceptionally thin. The blade edge protruding out could be used as a bottle opener, making it a dual-tool. It is not too sharp and not too soft.
However, the screws were a little loose out of the box. We tested it by shaking the knife, and it swindled a bit. Luckily, the screws are simple and easy to tighten up. Once done, the blade did not swindle nor made any noise.
The liners were quite clean cut. You could see the blade fir perfectly inside and locked in position. The blade does not come in contact with the insides of the scales, retaining its original form.
The pocket clip had a fine finish and was deep pocket tip up carry configured for right and left hand carry.
The Blade of CIVIVI Qubit
The blade of CIVIVI Qubit is geometrically aligned to perform EDC tasks seamlessly and smoothly. The drop point 14C28N stainless steel has excellent cutting edge retention and is more corrosion and wear resistant than its former 13C26. It has more chromium and less carbon than 13C26 with the addition of Nitrogen, which makes it more corrosion resistant.
The less carbon brings the hardness level down to HRC 57-59. That may make it less durable in the face of tougher and harder EDC tasks though. But it is a small and thin knife with an even smaller blade, so it can be used well around the house and the office. But at the same, it is also razor-sharp. So it kind of compensates its own drawback.
It is an overall mid-range steel, but its extreme sharpness also comes with the exceptionally thin blade stock. It is only 0.10” thin with a blade width of 1.24” and a cutting edge of 2.7”. Coupled with the drop point and flat grind, this blade is very well made.
The grind lines are visible along the entire length of the blade from the spine till the edge, leaving no space un-ground. It also comes with a small finger choil that allows the user to hold the blade close up. The jimping along the spine further makes it a breeze to hold, allowing you to choke up the knife and use its pointing edge however you like.
The blade, as expected, was razor-sharp right out of the box and exceptionally thin. The blade edge protruding out could be used as a bottle opener, making it a dual-tool. It is not too sharp and not too soft.
However, the screws were a little loose out of the box. We tested it by shaking the knife, and it swindled a bit. Luckily, the screws are simple and easy to tighten up. Once done, the blade did not swindle nor made any noise.
The liners were quite clean cut. You could see the blade fir perfectly inside and locked in position. The blade does not come in contact with the insides of the scales, retaining its original form.
The pocket clip had a fine finish and was deep pocket tip up carry configured for right and left hand carry.
As you see in the picture above, blade is little off centered which tells that Civivi Knives now does not focus much on quality as it’s used to in previous years. If you guys have the same issue do let me know on my Instagram account.
Although, the clean edge geometry combined with a great stainless steel blade makes it really durable. You can leave it in dirt and murk without worrying about rusting or breaking it. But that does not mean that you can leave it intentionally for a very long time. It is still stainless steel after all, so it will eventually rust. It is not totally rust-proof, but a clean solid material for carrying out EDC tasks easily. The satin finish adds shine to the blade.
Thus, the stonewash finish protects the blade more from scratches and fingerprints, the satin finish on Qubit is also really well done. The flat grind means that it is easy to sharpen and the plain edge adds a nice sleek touch to it.
The Handle of CIVIVI Qubit
Just like the blade of Qubit, the aluminum handle is also corrosion resistant. The blue anodization with finely contoured edges gives it a clean look and makes it weather resistant. However, its smoothness and sleekness makes it less grippy. There are no hinges or textures to add friction to the knife hold. It is not totally slippery; it does have enough traction. Similarly, it also does not have support for the knuckles.
That means that when chopping vegetables on a chopping board, you would have to lift your knuckles, or maybe slide your index finger on the back of the blade to make fine cutting. The knife being lightweight further adds to a better hold and ergonomics of the knife.
It is also just as durable and compliments the knife’s blade very well. It is a relatively lightweight handle material with a slim profile. It is just 4.21” long with a width of 1” and a thickness of 0.42”. It fits perfectly in one hand and in the pocket. It is just the right-sized pocketknife – not too big not too small.
But when you close the knife, the edge of the back of the blade protrudes out with its pointy edge. Now when you open the knife, the edge disappears back into the scales, so it really has no purpose protruding out like this. The edge could be sharp enough to prick even when it is closed, which is not safe to carry.
The tip-up reversible pocket clip is also silver stainless steel with a satin finish and is well-placed. It does not get in the way of the handle action and is easy to slide into the pocket. Although, it does create tiny hot spots in the pocket, but that is easy to ignore. It is lightweight and configured for both left and right hand carry.
It is nicely held together with just two recess screws at the bottom and the anodized branded C pivot screw. That makes it easy to unscrew and disassemble for cleaning and maintenance.
The blade sits perfectly straight within the stainless steel liners. The opening and closing action of the blade is also nice.
The handle overall is very attractive with its contoured edges and the bright blue color makes the knife pop up.
Deployment and Lockup of CIVIVI Qubit
The thumb stud deployment on the caged ceramic ball bearings pivot makes the opening and closing action buttery smooth. The button lock is also strategically and safely placed away from the blade, close to where your thumb would be while holding it. That makes the lockup and deployment seamlessly synchronized and made for the hand’s action.
You can flick open the blade with a minor pressure on the thumb stud with your thumb, middle finger, and even your index finger. The button lock and deployment can be used interchangeably. You can flick the blade open with the thumb stud and close it with the button lock. You may even do it unconsciously; perhaps it was built this way. But one thing that we noticed is that the lock is not very rigid. The detent is not too hard neither too soft.
However, you can also slide the blade out without using either opening mechanism. It is like the blade is not locked in per say, but just sitting there waiting to be slid out. That makes the blade too easy to disengage without doing it purposefully.
On the other hand, once the blade is fully open, it locks in place. It does not budge unless you use the button lock or the thumb stud to slide it shut. That leads to another discovery that the blade ruffles in between the liners when you shake it. That means that even if the screws are a bit loose, it still would not disengage from its open position on its own. That makes for a good deployment and a solid lockup. The button lock is also flush with the indentation that you are engaging.
Another good thing about the button lock is that it would not get in the way when holding or even choking up the knife. The button is placed a bit deeper in the handle that it has to be pressed for it to engage or disengage. Although it does not require too much pressure, and you can use either finger to press it down. There are some button knives that only obey the instructions of the thumb or are too rigid. But the Qubit does not have this problem.
It is excellently build and well placed, and works flawlessly. The Kizer Guru, for example, has the button placed above the scales and not deep into it. It can disengage the blade while flipping it. Again, Qubit eliminates this problem with its well-mechanized button lock.
Taking CIVIVI Qubit into the Field
The Qubit is lightweight, durable and easy to carry knife with a nice pocket clip and a smooth opening and closing action. It is indeed a good EDC knife to carry. You can use it in all conditions and weathers. The handle does not accumulate much dirt or sweat. Although the blue color does get tarnished easily. In order to maintain it, it has to be cleaned immediately.
The blade tested positive as it was razor sharp right out of the box. It cut through paper, cardboard, plastic and nylon rope with ease. Its cutting edge was especially sharp. It also easily punched through packages and envelopes and sliced through fruits and vegetables.
At times, if I have to drink beer, I easily reach to my pocket and open the bottles with Civivi Qubit.
I also did a bit of gardening with the Qubit over the course of two weeks. I dug into dirt and harvested plants. It performed really well. After I was done, I washed it off and put it back in the pocket. The high chromium content does not corrode the knife easily.
The drop point, the edge geometry and the overall knife profile proved to be made for the hand with its exceptionally smooth action. We had absolutely no problem deploying the knife. We frequently opened and closed it, and it obeyed each action with a single command.
Pros & Cons of CIVIVI Qubit
PRO’s
Con’s
Comparisons
The CIVIVI Qubit and Elementum Button Lock share a lot in common and look a lot alike when it comes to their overall profile. They both have the same sleek handle shapes, but are made of different materials. Elementum 2 comes with G10 scales with only 1.83” 14CN28 blade. The Qubit has a better usable blade length of 2.98”.
The blade width of Qubit is also wider than that of Elementum, which is a relatively shorter pocketknife.
Although both knives have a great construction, the Elementum 2 has some design flaws that Qubit overcomes. However, both are budget-friendly, reliable and classy pocketknives that would not break easily. Elementum 2 is ultra-lightweight as compared to Qubit, which is also a lightweight dual tool.
The Elementum 2 would be better off with much lighter EDC tasks, while Qubit can perform lighter to medium EDC tasks.
Civivi Elementum Button Lock Prices |
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Check Price at Blade HQ |
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Check Price at Chicago Knife Works | |
Conclusion: CIVIVI Qubit
The CIVIVI Qubit review turned out to just Ok. The knife profile, dimensions and the synchronization between the handle and the blade is good. The caged ceramic ball bearings pivot combined with a light detent makes the knife exceptionally smooth and easy to use. But the blade is not centered. I tried to get it fixed but I to no avail.
The button lock and the thumb stud work perfectly in conjunction with each other. The ergonomics of the handle are also great, however not very exceptional considering it lacks texturing. But it overcomes it by providing enough traction. The pocket clip, the screws and the button are all strategically well-placed that they do not come in the way of knife holding.
The exceptionally thin blade with a drop point, plain edge and flat grind made it razor sharp with an exceptional edge retention and holding. It also performed really well in the field. We would recommend this knife as it is budget-friendly and has no major flaws.
