Before You Buy a CIVIVI Elementum, Compare These Alternatives
Updated for 2024, our list of the best alternatives to the CIVIVI Elementum is more competitive than ever! If you’re considering a CIVIVI Elementum, you already know that it’s one of the top choices for a modern everyday carry knife. The design is a hit with our customers because it’s easy to love: straightforward, well made, and reasonably priced. However, it’s not the final word in affordable excellence, so before you pull the trigger on a new Elementum, read on to take a look at the excellent alternatives you may have overlooked!
Kershaw Skyline
If you’re looking for value, your search stops here. Reborn with a ball-bearing pivot, 2.8? blade, D2 steel, and ambidextrous deep-carry pocket clip, this new mini version of the classic Kershaw design is an absolute steal at just $34.95. The prominent finger groove and flipper tab combine to lock your grip into place, allowing for outstanding control over the edge with a substantial margin of safety that helps you cut with confidence. Like the original Skyline, the Mini version also features a single liner, which keeps the handle rigid and strong without adding excess mass—a subtle but important detail that keeps the weight down to only 1.8 ounces!
Featherweight in your pocket, unflappable in your hand, the Kershaw Mini Skyline undercuts the Elementum in price and weight without sacrificing an iota of capability.
Vosteed Corgi
Our second pick for a CIVIVI Elementum alternative is the Corgi, a supremely well-designed everyday carry knife from upstart brand Vosteed Knives. Priced at just a few dollars more than the competition, the Corgi delivers a much more elevated package than the plain Elementum, with excellent 14C28N stainless blade steel and some cool aesthetic features like the inlaid collar around the pivot and hidden lanyard post buried in the backspacer.
The satisfying symmetry of its design isn’t just an upgrade in style, it’s also easier to use thanks to dual flipper deployment and a button lock mechanism. Simple yet stylish, the Corgi is definitely one to consider if you want an elegant design that looks and feels fancier than its price point would suggest.
Kizer Amicus
The value proposition of the Kizer Amicus is impossible to ignore. For a few dollars less than your average Elementum, it simply offers more: a more premium lock, a more comfortable handle, and a reversible pocket clip. In fact, the Amicus has become our go-to recommendation for anyone looking for their first pocketknife because it’s so easy to afford, easy to use, and easy to enjoy.
A major part of the Kizer Amicus‘ easy appeal is its button lock. It doesn’t get much easier—simply push to unlock! In addition to its intuitive operation, a button lock is also finger-safe for the user since it does not require one’s fingers to intersect the path of the closing blade. Even seasoned collectors will agree—few knives can match the speed and satisfaction of a good button lock flipper.
We also like the pleasantly hand-filing ergonomics of the handles, which despite being bulkier than the Elementum manage to keep the weight down thanks to elegantly minimal liners that only reenforce the handle exactly where it needs support. Overall, the Kizer Amicus is a smart choice, no matter how you look at it!
Buck Sprint
If you’re looking at the CIVIVI Elementum but would rather buy an American-made pocket knife, the Buck Sprint is the one for you. It’s tough to build a budget knife here in America, but nobody does it better than Buck. Known for their immortal hunting knives—the 110 folder or 119 Special fixed blade, for example—the Sprint is not necessarily the kind of design people think of when they think of Buck, but it’s a worthwhile alternative to the Elementum.
There are several upgraded versions of the Sprint with G10 or carbon fiber handles and CPM-S30V steel, but the Sprint Select—with its 420HC blade and colorful polymer handles—is more evenly matched with the Elementum in price. The flipping action is smooth, thanks to a ball-bearing pivot.
With its injection-molded handles, The Sprint has a more rugged, less refined feel than the Elementum. If you want something you won’t hesitate to use hard, the Sprint feels just right.
Bestechman Dundee
CIVIVI may be leading the market when it comes to value knives, but Bestech‘s new Bestechman line is nipping at their heels and gaining ground. Coming in at an even lower price than the Elementum, the Mini Dundee matches it in many respects and may even surpass it in some.
Despite the hard-edged looks, designer Ostap Hel‘s thoughtfully placed chamfers help the Mini Dundee‘s handle shape remain comfortable enough to suit just about any hand.
Like the Elementum, the Mini Dundee also uses D2 blade steel for solid edge retention and ceramic ball-bearings in the pivot for nearly frictionless deployment. The Mini Dundee pulls ahead of the Elementum, however, with two features that set it apart: nested liners and a reversible pocket clip. The nested liners are seamlessly tucked inside the handle scales, pulling them out of view for an elevated look and feel. Even if you’re not left-handed to take advantage of reversible pocket clip, you’ll appreciate that it comes with flush-fit mounting hardware to fill the extra holes on the handle scales. Plus, the Mini Dundee is also available with a larger 3.4? blade should you be interested in carrying something a little more capable!
Knafs Lander
Thanks to its subtle but smart design and extremely efficient use of space, the Knafs Lander offers a comparable cutting edge to the Elementum with a smaller overall footprint. Without a flipper tab, the entire length of the handle is available to support your grip, and the nested liners and pocket clip filler tab add a touch of refinement to what is otherwise a very workaday design.
The Lander’s perfectly-proportioned drop point blade shape is a joy to use, with a sturdy high flat grind that straddles strength and slicing ability to suit virtually any cutting task. Available with D2 steel for edge retention or 14C28N steel for toughness and stain-resistance, you can select the right Lander for your needs.
The customization doesn’t stop with a selection of blade steels, either—the Lander features “Fast Swap Scales” that can be removed without taking the knife fully apart, so you can easily replace them with a number of factory or aftermarket options. If you’re the DIY-type, you can even make your own scales using the blueprints that Knafs themselves provide!
Spyderco Astute
This pick is a personal favorite because it hits a lot of the same notes as the Elementum but with Spyderco’s characteristic function-first approach. The Astute is a refreshing addition to Spyderco’s value line, with wonderfully thin blade stock, supremely comfortable ergonomics, and of course, a great price.
Obviously, the Astute is not a flipper, but it does have satisfying deployment action thanks to a crisp detent and Spyderco’s trademark round hole. In use, it feels more deft than the Elementum—the handle comes up right to the cutting edge, giving you better control over your work. It’s also much more flexible in terms of its carry options, with a 4-way ambidextrous pocket clip to suit left- and right-handers alike.
The 8Cr13MoV steel on the Astute doesn’t have the edge retention of the D2 steel on the Elementum, but Spyderco’s excellent blade geometry wrings every bit of performance out of the alloy, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with its performance.
ESEE Zancudo
There’s no knife better suited for rough work on this list than the ESEE Zancudo. With its sturdy steel framelock and spearpoint blade, the Zancudo has a surprisingly tough feel. The full-flat grind provides a great balance between cutting power and muscle, and the pot-bellied handle fills the hand for when you need to really bear down into a cut.
Instead of ball bearings, the Zancudo utilizes flat washers. As a result, the deployment feels a little more deliberate, but what you lose in speed you get back in reliability, as the washers are more resistant to dust, dirt, and water. Available in a nice selection of handle colors, materials, and either AUS-8 or D2 steel, the Zancudo is the Elementum alternative for the outdoorsman, survivalist, or anyone who values toughness over style.