CIVIVI Praxis Review: The Classiest Tactical Knife You’ll Ever Carry

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CIVIVI PRAXIS

SPECS

PRICE

IS THE CIVIVI PRAXIS WORTH THE MONEY?

Hands down, the Praxis is worth every penny! And when you’re talking about the cost of quality knives, the Praxis is a great price.

You’re getting a lot of knife for a fraction of the cost of knives of equal quality.

OVERALL

The CIVIVI Praxis is a great, hard-use tactical folding knife. The version I tested here has an aluminum handle and a blade made from premium Nitro-V steel.

The ceramic ball bearings move smoothly, and the blade locks into place with a crisp, hard snap.

Although quite smooth and slick in the hand, the aluminum handle feels great, with its deep finger choils and bevelled edges that match the curves of your hand.

The aluminum scales make the whole knife extremely light yet still extremely strong, making the Praxis very easy to wield.

The button lock on the Praxis feels very axis lock-like and gives the Praxis a strong, solid, and confident lock when opened.

Overall, the CIVIVI Praxis is a solid EDC and a benefit to all who carry it.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

CIVIVI does a great job with its presentations. The Praxis came in a well-built zippered pouch with a soft felt lining.

The black-finished aluminum handle and the black stonewashed blade look great. The Praxis definitely has an air about it, that “aww” factor. It is just such a slick-looking folding knife.

CIVIVI’s reflective brand logo over the pivot point on the front adds to the knife’s beauty.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

The Praxis shows up in a neat little box with CIVIVI’s brand logo on top.

Inside the box is the zippered pouch, which contains all the goodies. Along with the Praxis, CIVIVI includes a cleaning cloth, a few stickers, an information booklet, and a promotional pamphlet.

Overall, it’s very nice and shows the concern and thought put into the product as a whole.

FIELD FIRSTS

A few things stood out to me the first few times I used the Praxis, most of which I mentioned but were highlighted after I had spent some time using it.

The blade movement is crisp, the knife is lightweight and barely noticeable in your pocket, the button lock makes one-handed use very easy, and the finger choil design and handle size feel solid in your hand.

A more negative aspect that stood out also was how slippery smooth aluminum handles have the potential to be.

I did have to play with the Praxis a bit to figure out the best way to hold it while opening and closing it. I found it could easily slip out of my hands, as there was no etching or knurling on the handle.

QUALITY AND DESIGN

HANDLE

SCALES

The Praxis’s aluminum scales mean it can function well in nearly any environment. It won’t rust when used around salt water or in wet and arctic locations; however, metal can become too cold or hot to use in extreme environments.

The scales are smooth black-finished aluminum, giving the Praxis a slick, classy design. The full aluminum handles are lightweight and extremely strong.

They have no texture, which enhances the Praxis’s style and also, unfortunately, adds to the handle’s slipperiness.

The scales feel great in the hand and are very comfortable, and the handle is just long enough to fit an extra-large hand.

FINGER CHOILS

CIVIVI put some solid finger choils on the Praxis, and a firm finger stop at the base of the blade. The grip on the Praxis is one of the highlights of the knife.

The edges are all bevelled, allowing the Praxis to sit comfortably in your hand. That and the top two deep finger choils give the Praxis a very solid grip, making it an ideal tactical knife.

BLADE PIVOT

CIVIVI used a caged ceramic ball bearing for the pivot point on the Praxis. Delivering a feature normally found on much more expensive knives.

Ceramic ball bearings are harder than steel, so they don’t wear down as quickly, and they roll much smoother. They also don’t rust like steel, again making the Praxis a solid operator in any environment,

LANYARD HOLE AND POCKET CLIP

The Praxis has a very solid deep-carry steel pocket clip. One area in which companies sometimes compromise on material is the pocket clip, using cheaper and thinner material making the clip easier to bend and brake.

CIVIVI hasn’t done that; the pocket clip is strong and tight. It won’t come out of your pocket unless you want it to.

They have also added a small lanyard hole right on the tail end, which is a nice little addition for those who want it.

BLADE

STYLE

For the Praxis, CIVIVI chose a drop-point blade with a flat grind, which makes it very stabby and slicey. The blade has a black stonewash finish for a classy yet rugged look.

MATERIAL

CIVIVI creates the Praxis in four different variants using four different materials for the blade:
– 9Cr18MoV
– D2
– Damascus
– Nito-V

The Praxis I tested was made using Nitro-V stainless steel, a premium cutlery steel created in the USA by  New Jersey Steel Baron. Nitro-V is basically AEB-L made better.

Nitro-V steel has a high hardness of around 63-64 RC, exceptional edge retention, and extreme corrosion resistance.

It is so tough, in fact, that it rates tougher than many of the highest-end steels, such as M390, Elmax, and S35VN.

OPENER AND LOCKING MECHANISM

FLIPPER

The Praxis is primarily a flipper open, and thanks to the ceramic ball bearings, a little press on the flipper sends it flying open smoothly and easily.

CIVIVI has placed a small amount of knurling right on the flipper for increased grip when opening the blade and added thumb grip when using the blade.

PUSH BUTTON AND LOCK

Pressing the button lock is the secondary method of opening the Praxis, and it is the only way to shut and lock the Praxis.

The button lock has a nice yet firm press and functions well with the ceramic ball bearings, allowing the blade to swing open smoothly.

The button lock uses a spring design, which creates just enough tension and resistance to prevent the blade from opening accidentally while still allowing the lock to release when you go to use the blade.

When open, the Praxis blade locks solidly in place. There is not the smallest bit of wiggle in the blade.

FUNCTIONALITY

In general, the CIVIVI Praxis is an extremely functional knife. It is designed for hard use in any and all environments, and it is made to withstand the elements of the world and the hardest abuse people can give it.

The aluminum handle and Nitro-V blade are highly corrosion-resistant, strong, and extremely tough.

The Nitro-V steel gives the blade exceptional edge retention, allowing for a lot of cutting before sharpening is necessary.

The Finger choils with bevelled edges give any user a solid and comfortable grip on the handle.

The flipper allows for an easy opening while also creating a solid finger stop, preventing your hand from ever moving or slipping over the blade.

The pocket clip is strong, preventing it from unclipping and coming off of whatever you have it attached to. With the Praxis being so light, you can attach it pretty much anywhere without it being cumbersome.

Finally, with the classy matt black finish of the handle and black stonewash finish of the blade, the Praxis is right at home whether you’re in a suit at a dinner party or a uniform on the battlefield.

It is one of the most functional knives I’ve owned.

WHAT I LIKE BEST

LIGHTWEIGHT

The Praxis is incredibly light at 3.94 oz, especially when my typical everyday carry for the last while has been the SOG SEAL XR, which weighs in at 8.25 oz.

When you hold the Praxis, it feels like you are holding nothing. It’s so lightweight.

HAND FEEL

The Praxis feels great in the hand. With a slight curve on the rear of the handle and the deep finger choils on the front, you can really get a solid grip on the handle.

The handle also isn’t to big or to small feeling once it’s in your hand. I find it feels narrow when I open it, but once I grip it, it feels solid.

BLADE DESIGN

I am a big fan of drop-point blades and wide blades. Although narrow blades also make good tactical blades, as they can be very stabby, I have always preferred wide blades.

The Praxis has a nice wide belly that tapers off into a very solid pointy tip goof for cutting and poking.

CONCERNS AND CRITICISMS

SMOOTH SCALES

When I opened the Praxis package, I noticed how smooth the scales were. Tactical knives are meant for high-stress situations; the last thing you need is for your knife to slip out of your hand.

As nice and classy-looking as the clean aluminum handle is, it is slippery in your hand. CIVIVI could have added some nice texture to the handle to increase grip while keeping it clean and classy.

Thankfully, the deep finger choils compensate for the lack of grip quite a bit.

MORE FINGER CHOILS

CIVIVI could have really made the Praxis the ideal tactical knife by inserting one more finger choil for increased grip and functionality.

The bottom of your knife is one big spot where your pinky and ring finger sit together. They could have separated that into two individual finger choils and made the front of the handle super grippy.

The extra finger choil would have also made it look cool and more tactical.

CONCLUSION

The CIVIVI Praxis is a great high-end tactical knife sold at a budget price.

Everything about it looks good, and its design makes it feel so good when you wield it. Its ceramic ball bearings make the blade fly open, and the spring-loaded button lock ensures it always stays that way.

Its aluminum handle and premium Nitro-V cutlery steel make it incredibly tough and able to withstand operating in any environment and under any conditions.

It is a highly functional tactical knife ready to go right out of the box.

Ultimately, the Praxis is a classy tactical knife with an even classier price.