- a small dog with a good bite
I must be clear that I am not really fond of this type of knife at all. Personally, I find it very difficult to see any practical benefits of providing a folding knife with a really small meat cleaver blade. Nor am I attracted to aesthetics. In that case, when it comes to more impractical blade shapes, I simply prefer a dagger. That is, as far from this blade shape as can be imagined.
With that said, this knife surprised me in a couple areas and confirmed some concerns I had. Let's take a closer look at the Civivi Mini Bullmastiff.
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| Civivi C2004C Mini Bullmastiff |
As the name suggests, there is a larger dog barking in the background. For those of you who are not familiar with them, a Bullmastiff is a damn massive dog originating from the British Isles where Mastiffs (even bigger dogs) were crossed with Bulldogs. At that point, the name can be apt as the knife also gives a massive impression. However, the dog is heavy and sturdy while the knife of the same name is significantly lighter than what the appearance gives at hand. It was a first positive surprise by the way.
In true Civivi fashion, the knife is available in a plethora of different variants. Both with different colors on the G10 sides, variants of handle material with laminate (CF on G10), and blades in both mono steel and pattern-welded alternatives. They tend to do that way with their popular models.
The most striking thing about this knife is of course the blade shape. The handle shape is not as spectacular but almost generic and is found in similar variants on several knives from Civivi.
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| A bold blade shape is what characterizes this knife |
Twitter version: Mini Bullmastiff is a very good representative of Civivi knives and target those who are looking for a small EDC knife with a meat cleaver-inspired blade.
Blade
What distinguishes this knife is, as I said, the blade shape, a rather bold and pronounced meat cleaver in mini format with a clear "blood groove"/fuller in the blade. The blade measures 7.5 centimeters in length, is 3.3 centimeters high at most, and has a thickness of three millimeters.
The blade finish is stonewashed and polished to a semi-gloss. As usual, basically, all the text on the blade is missing. Civivi has chosen to keep its logo away from the blade and instead place it on the head of the pivot screw. But I wrote "basically" because you can actually find the blade steel written there. If you have good eyesight, that is. It has almost become a gimmick for them to print it with the smallest font possible. One thing I actually appreciate. The information is there but does not stand out.
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| The cleaver-inspired blade surprised by cutting well above expectations |
What you can read is 9Cr18MoV. Steel that belongs to a group that sometimes is locked down upon and is called "letter steels" by some. It is a bit presumptuous as there is a significant difference between them in the same way as there is between say AUS6 and AUS10. The 9Cr steel is good in that it is stainless, easy to sharpen, and keeps the sharpness efficient. My experience is that it is decent steel, and especially for knives that are not found in the very highest price segments. That is also the case here. It keeps the sharpness quite well as long as you stay away from really hardwood and the like.
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| It is possible to find the type of steel on the blade, but it requires good vision |
The actual function of the blade surprised me a bit. Positive maybe I should add. What you do not see is that the height of the blade and flat grind makes the blade really thin behind the edge. We are talking about half a millimeter or so here. Not all manufacturers understand how important this is. Nor did WE (which is behind Civivi) at first, but they have increasingly switched to knives that cut well instead of just being durable. Fine steels are more or less wasted if the geometry of the blade is not good.
The fact that the blade is thin on the Mini Bullmastiff means that this blade cuts very well in typical everyday materials. By that, I mean both soft and hard plastic, paper, cardboard, tape, fabric, cable ties, and the like.
In fact, it shreds cardboard likes crazy. Another surprise was that the way the blade is shaped actually, unlike a real meat cleaver, gives a tip. A surprisingly capable one. I use small knives frequently for opening packaging and then I do not just mean the next consignment of knives. In addition to cardboard, this includes much of what our food is packaged in as plastic trays for meat, the plastic around the cheese, nets around oranges, and the like. Then I don't mind if you are able to get a splinter out of your hand with help of a knife tip either. I often get these, not least when I'm out practicing knife throwing.
Speaking of forests, this knife blade does not even back down for cutting some branches and carving in softer wood such as spruce either. Something with the angles makes it work. Then it helps that the factory edge was exemplary. Sharp as heck, thin as you can see, and even in height and straight. That's how you sharpen a knife, literally!
Handle
Civivi has a well-proven concept by now for how to build good knives in this price category. This means that most are similar in construction, not a bad thing as they are very well built. The base is a steel frame that is markedly lightened and looks almost like a truss construction. The liners are also nicely rounded and sanded, which contributes to better comfort. This applies to both the back and the underside. The sides are made of durable G10 on this knife. They are screwed in two points in addition to the pivot screw through a backspacer in the same material. The solution gives a partially open back.
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| The handle shape feels familiar, as does the construction |
Then, as usual, they use their stylized C as the only marking and logo on the knife. It is found on the head of the pivot screw, which is a very stylish way to solve it. Speaking of screws, it can be said that they didn't go for cheaper screws but are using screws with flat heads, which increases the overall impression. The size of them and the pivot screw are T8 and the clip screws are T6s.
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| The handle is partially open in the back |
The handle on the Mini Bullmastiff measures 107 mm in length, of which a little over 7.5 cm is available grip area depending on how you measure since the rear end is rounded and pointed. If you have very skinny fingers you can perhaps use the sharpening choil as a forward finger choil to prolong the grip. That does not work for me except with the outermost joint of the index finger. The thickness of the handle is 1.2 cm and the height is about 2.2 cm.
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| A fairly neutral handle that is a little too short for me to be optimal |
In an Instagram post where I compared two knives with the same length of the handle, I called this the "Flipper dilemma". It is not the absolute length of the handle that matters, but the fact that pinball fins steal part of the available space. Something that does not only apply to this knife.
Opening and Lock
Civivi is starting to know this with flipper-opened knives by now. In fact, they belong to the top elite among manufacturers when it comes to that feature and when it comes to lower price ranges, they are basically unmatched. Therefore, it is no great surprise that this knife also flips well.
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| A small but very effective flipper tab |
The function is very reliable and the knife can be opened without thinking about it. That is, you can both push the tab or pull it backward. It is also possible to open the knife sideways, on the right keel, or upside down without problems. In addition to good geometry, part of the explanation can be attributed to the fine ball bearings in ceramics. That and that the blade is significantly lighter than it looks.
The actual pin tabs have grooves on both the front and top to prevent slipping. It may be needed as the tab itself is exemplary small and discreet. In addition, the Mini Bullmastiff offers another opening method. The combination of a wide blade and the notch in it means that the knife can also be opened with the thumb.
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| A school book example of a well-executed lock |
The knife comes with a straightforward liner lock in steel. It is made according to template 1A with all details correctly executed. The spring tension is well balanced and it is easy to access the lock bar when disengaging. That the lock holds the blade in place without any play hardly needs to be pointed out. The lock bar also does not travel under negative load, although it should be pointed out that I do not engage in so-called "spine wacking".
To Carry
It is impossible to avoid the fact that a knife with a blade shape like this means certain concessions. One such is how it feels in the pocket. The dimensions are actually quite modest, at least length and thickness measured to 106 mm and 12 mm respectively. The weight is also very respectable as it weighs just under 100 grams.
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| The clip has also been reused, a "deep carry" clip in steel |
The width, on the other hand, is more noticeable with this blade shape, even if it is less than one is led to believe. The knife is 42 mm high at most. But apart from the fact that it's more than an ordinary knife of this length, it is above all where that width is found that is a bit annoying. The knife is widest at the top of the pocket. Exactly where it is most in the way if you want to carry something else in the same space.
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| The clip is not countersunk but the screw heads are flat which gives more space |
The clip is one of Civivi's standard variants but it can be said that it is very good. The spring tension is ok, the ramp is high enough to work and even if the two fixing screws are not countersunk, they have flat screw heads. But one of two is not that bad and it gives enough space under the clip for the most fabric to fit.
Possibly it can be objected that the clip is a bit boring in terms of design as it is not unique to this particular knife. But that's really the only objection I have.
To Conclude
I do not really know how to summarize my impressions of this knife. They are a bit divided. It is not possible to avoid the fact that the format entails certain limitations. The problem of lack of tip has been worked around but not the width of the knife in the pocket. And it is of course the rather extreme leaf shape, even if the format is small, that makes up for it. It's also what makes me divided, I do not like the look. But it is, of course, highly personal.
If you break down the dimensions, the blade is not really that extreme. It is more the form that is deceiving. The length is fairly normal for a smaller EDC-oriented knife and the height is not de facto extreme by a bit over three centimeters. What gives the massive impression is of course where that width is found, which is at the front.
Otherwise, this blade works really well when it comes to practicality. It cuts better than I expected and the look is sober with a nice finish and almost no marking. A wide fuller is the only decoration. My objections come rather elsewhere and I had not expected that before I handled the knife.
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| It is not beautiful, in my eyes. This is a knife for those who appreciate a wide blade |
The handle is a little too short for my taste. Or rather, it is not too short, but the grip surface becomes too small because the flipper tab gets in the way when it acts as a finger guard. In addition, the problem is somewhat aggravated by the fact that the handle is slightly wider right there, which gives the feeling that the hand wants to slide backward. It's only millimeters we are talking about, but that's enough. But it should be added that it is mostly in a hammer grip that I experience this and a small knife like this does best in a saber grip anyway. In that grip, it's really good! So that criticism shouldn't be taken too harshly.
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| Civivi Mini Bullmastiff, an excellent EDC knife for those who like the distinctive aesthetics |
So overall, the Mini Bullmastiff is a really nice acquaintance. It has a distinctive appearance which makes it stand out. Well, except for all the other knives that are hooked on the same trend of course. But a little from the most common forms of EDC knives. It is also quite practical given the format and well built in the same way as Civivi knives are. The speed of the blade and the security of the opening are there as well as a solid lock. The operation is thus uncomplicated.
By that, I mean that anyone who likes this type of aesthetic and is looking for a smaller EDC knife has a good candidate in Mini Bullmastiff.
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| Mini Bullmastiff and other knives can be bought at Civivi's Amazon Store |
Specification:
Length Overall: 182 mm
Length Folded: 106 mm
Weight: 98 g (weighed by me, said to be 100 g)
Blade Length: 75 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: 9Cr18MoV, 58-60HRC
Handle: G10
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: Civivi, made in China
/ J - not entirely fond of barking dogs
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