In my search for a solid, inexpensive EDC I narrowed the choices down to the Kansept Warrior and Civivi Imperium.
Basic requirements: liner lock, thumb stud opener, light weight, capable of taking a lanyard and good fit to my hand. I had previously tried the WeKnife Banter but found that it didn't fit my hand, and the wood scales were very slippery.
Similar in size, the Kansept is considerably heavier.
Both are well-centered. Lockup on the Civivi is about 35%. On the Kansept the lockup looks like 15-20%.
A lanyard is a basic necessity for my EDC. This was a reservation I had when ordering the Civivi. I was happily surprised to find that Civivi included a recessed lanyard pin. I have not seen this in any of the pictures or reviews of this knife.
The Kansept was delivered with a coating of oil pretty much everywhere. Wiping it down with alcohol revealed a couple of light marks on the blade.
The Kansept fit my hand well, but the clip is a hot spot. The aluminum bolster is slippery, the action is stiff, and the thumb stud is bit pointy. Combined with the stiff action it is uncomfortable to use.
And no, the small cut on my thumb is from swarf off the lathe.
The Civivi is a quite comfortable fit with no hot spots. The textured G-10 is nice and grippy, and the action is slick.
Here you can see the hot spot on the Kansept.
Summary:
As delivered the Kansept Warrior's D2 blade was noticeably sharper than the Civivi. But the stiff action, slippery bolster, and hot spot place it in the return bin. $80 on sale.
The Civivi Imperium with Nitro-V has smooth action and is good fit to my hand. The slim shape is a bit like a gentleman's knife (my previous EDC was a WH T12 in a pocket clip sheath) and it carries well with the recessed lanyard pin. For $50 this knife is a steal and is my new EDC.
Basic requirements: liner lock, thumb stud opener, light weight, capable of taking a lanyard and good fit to my hand. I had previously tried the WeKnife Banter but found that it didn't fit my hand, and the wood scales were very slippery.
Similar in size, the Kansept is considerably heavier.
Both are well-centered. Lockup on the Civivi is about 35%. On the Kansept the lockup looks like 15-20%.
A lanyard is a basic necessity for my EDC. This was a reservation I had when ordering the Civivi. I was happily surprised to find that Civivi included a recessed lanyard pin. I have not seen this in any of the pictures or reviews of this knife.
The Kansept was delivered with a coating of oil pretty much everywhere. Wiping it down with alcohol revealed a couple of light marks on the blade.
The Kansept fit my hand well, but the clip is a hot spot. The aluminum bolster is slippery, the action is stiff, and the thumb stud is bit pointy. Combined with the stiff action it is uncomfortable to use.
And no, the small cut on my thumb is from swarf off the lathe.
The Civivi is a quite comfortable fit with no hot spots. The textured G-10 is nice and grippy, and the action is slick.
Here you can see the hot spot on the Kansept.
Summary:
As delivered the Kansept Warrior's D2 blade was noticeably sharper than the Civivi. But the stiff action, slippery bolster, and hot spot place it in the return bin. $80 on sale.
The Civivi Imperium with Nitro-V has smooth action and is good fit to my hand. The slim shape is a bit like a gentleman's knife (my previous EDC was a WH T12 in a pocket clip sheath) and it carries well with the recessed lanyard pin. For $50 this knife is a steal and is my new EDC.
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