- an example of a particularly successful collaboration
Sometimes you can sense that specific collaborations will be good even before they are implemented. This was one of those. If you take the know-how that Civivi possesses at this point and combine it with a name like Ray Laconico, the outcome can only be successful. Whether the result is appreciated is another question. It's a matter of personal preference. But it can hardly be a bad knife.
The only question is how successful and if any details have been missed? Time for a review of Civivi Sokoke.
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| Civivi Sokoke |
Ray Laconico is a name I came across for the first time eight years ago. Then it was an interpretation of his custom knife Jasmin that was up for scrutiny. Many knives have been reviewed since then and now it's time for another one. The two Laconico models have one thing in common and that is a light and airy design, simple if you like, even if it hides small subtleties.
Sokoke is currently available in four versions. This specimen comes with a blasted blade and a brown Micarta handle. It is also available with the same blade finish but with a black handle, a combination of black blade and brown handle, and the luxury version with pattern welded blade and black handle.
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| Civivi and Laconico in beautiful harmony |
Twitter version: Civivi Sokoke, near EDC perfection. This is an example of when good design meets excellent execution!
Blade
The blade follows the design philosophy I mentioned above. It, too, is apparently simple but executed with great finesse. A drop point blade with a slight swedge.
The length is 85 mm or actually a tenth of a millimeter more as the knife is made in inches and is matched by a height of 21 mm. The thickness is almost more interesting as it contributes to how the knife works. Here, the stock thickness has been kept down to a sympathetic three millimeters.
The grind is almost completely flat except for a small flat surface closest to the thumb studs and the area that forms the front flipper. At the base of the blade, there are also some grooves with the purpose of giving a thumb a better grip.
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| A gray blasted drop-point blade |
The choice of steel seems almost a given these days. I say so because Civivi uses Swedish Sandvik 14C28N in many of their knives. Now I'm not unhappy with it, quite the opposite. It is one of my favorite steels among budget materials. It keeps the sharpness reasonably well, but above all, it can get really sharp and it is easy to sharpen and maintain. In addition, it is very resistant to rust, although that property could probably be even better in this case.
I certainly haven't had any rust issues with the knife despite dropping it in a lake and then letting it dry a few times just to investigate. However, what I have in mind is the blasted finish which is not my preference. For one thing, I think that the gray surface can look a bit cheap, even if in this case it is evenly and nicely done. But what it does more than that is that it opens up "pores" in the metal where corrosion takes hold more easily. But in practical terms, I haven't had any problems as I said.
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| Discreet branding as we are used to from Civivi. Completely clean presentation side and Laconico's marking on the other |
The factory edge was good. Not the best but good, sharp enough to shave hair with some pressure and handle thin paper without problems. Then, as I said, this steel does not keep its sharpness for extremely long, but in return, it responds excellently to being honed or stropped. Then it's nice to have a good original edge to work with so you don't have to resharpen the knife right away. The thickness behind the edge is about 0.4 mm, by the way.
If a knife blade is not more eye-catching than this purely in terms of appearance, then it should be practical. And this blade is! A tip that does what tips are supposed to do, penetrates various unpleasant plastics, and kills tape in an excellent way. Packaging and boxes have all the reasons in the world to be afraid. Speaking of which, Sokoke cuts excellently in cardboard and other commonly used materials.
Since cycling has started again, heaps of cloths are used for cleaning in the Wikström home. When these are to be cut from used clothes, it is appreciated that the knife does NOT have any damn features such as large "forward choils" or similar depressions. On the contrary, with Sokoke, you can cut fairly close to the handle where you have the most power and control, which I appreciate.
Wood in different varieties is something I quite often cut, as well as leather. The latter when I make sheaths, preferably for throwing knives. There, Sokoke's well-placed tip was actually an asset when I used it for cutting a pendant. Likewise, I tried to trim some edges. After a while, it is noticeable that the knife loses its sharpness. But as said, Sokoke is easy to maintain the edge on.
Handle
While the blade is nice on this knife, it's the handle that shines. That's because it's both nice to look at, comfortable to hold, and well-made. A textbook example of what I described in the introduction. Good design meets manufacturing quality.
The size is sufficient to accommodate the whole hand, more precisely just over eleven centimeters. Because the shape is so simple, it also works for different shapes and sizes of hands. The thickness is 13 mm and the height of the handle varies between 24 mm and 27 mm.
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| The micarta in the handle is of very good quality |
The load-bearing structure consists of a very lightened steel frame. Outside you find sides of linen-Micarta. The quality of the Micarta deserves an extra mention as it is excellent. Even the backspacer is made of the same material and design, which gives a uniform appearance. The sides are attached with only two T8 screws. Then, of course, there is a pivot screw that has got Civivi's usual logo with a stylized "C" on the presentation side. It is the same size as the body screws and is also "D-shaped, " making it easy to adjust. It's just one of several small elements that show the bank of knowledge that Civivi has accumulated and uses to build competent knives.
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| In the back is a back spacer made of the same material as the handle sides |
The micarta is shaped so that it swells slightly in the middle and that the back is slightly curved to match the inside of the hand. In addition, they are slightly domed so no flat sides here.
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| An excellent handle is a sign of a good knife and it is found here |
With this simple shape of the handle with its little subtleties, it is no wonder that it is comfortable to both hold and work with. All grips are actually equally good, whether you're using force in a hammer or saber grip or stabbing something (although I don't recommend it with a folding knife) with a reverse grip.
And since the thumb studs are kept out of the way and the blade doesn't have any giant "choils" or indentations, you can also use a pinch and grip to engage in detailed work when needed. This is an excellent handle for this size of knife. If you are going to work for a longer period of time, they should be slightly larger in my opinion.
Opening and Lock
Sokoke belongs to those knives that are modern to the extent that they can be opened in a couple of different ways. There's been a bit of a trend in that lately, I've noticed. In this case, there are both thumb studs and a front flipper.
Since a little blade sticks out when the knife is closed and the resistance from the detent ball is not extreme, it is also possible to carefully pry the blade out with two hands as well.
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| Sokoke can be opened both via a front flipper or with double-sided thumb studs |
What is special about this and several other Civivi knives is that they master having multiple opening mechanisms that work equally well. It's very common that one method dominates so to speak, but not in this case. It is just as intuitive to open the knife with the thumb studs as with the flipper. Having said that, in nine cases out of ten, it will be the studs for me as I am simply more used to it.
It goes really quick in any case. The detent ball is tuned to perfection, it holds the blade securely in place while allowing a snappy opening action, and on top of that the blade runs on ceramic ball bearings. But most of the speed comes from good geometry. The size of the flipper is well balanced and the same can be said for the thumb studs. The latter is found exactly where they are expected and stick out just a little outside the handle, which gives a good grip.
The thumb studs are barrel-shaped without sharp edges and are also extremely close to the handle when the knife is in the opened position, which means that they are never in the way. They are simply executed in an exemplary manner.
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| This is a really good liner lock |
Civivi themselves call this a "Nested liner lock" which I do not agree with. Sokoke has a traditional two-part frame which is certainly nested into the sides in an excellent way, but that is not usually what is meant when referring to locks with that name. That term is usually reserved for systems where you have a material in the handle like G10 or Micarta without a frame and then attach a lock bar to the inside.*
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| The access to the lock bar is not perfect but works |
In any case, the function is excellent. No movement in any direction can be detected when the blade is open and the lock snaps into place with one hundred percent efficiency. In other words, a reliable lock that is also easy to release even if the space is not the best. You have to poke the soft parts of your thumb into the lock bar to make it work.
To Carry
The volume in the pocket is not much to talk about. Certainly, Sokoke is not the shortest of knives, nor is it the thinnest or lightest. But it doesn't go in the other direction either, and the softly rounded surface on the sides makes it really nice in the pocket. And no matter how you look at it, 100 grams isn't very heavy either.
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| The very basic shape without edges and corners makes the knife easy to carry |
Especially not if that weight is distributed in a streamlined object. There is nothing that sticks out and is in the way. It also makes the knife very easy to pull and put away.
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| The clip is simple but really good |
The clip contributes to much of that. Basically a simple steel clip but a very well-designed one. The tip does not point outwards, the ramp is just the right size and the tension is good. In addition, Civivi has understood how to attach a clip in the best way. The recess in the side of the handle means that the clip does not slide sideways and the double screws keep it in place. The space under the clip can be utilized to the maximum as the clip is recessed at the same time as the flat screw heads are also. Watch and learn, I say to many other knife manufacturers. Especially as it is also movable to the left side.
To Conclude
Civivi Sokoke belongs to those knives that are easy to review. There are two categories of knives that are, the really lousy ones and the really good ones. This one is one of the latter as you may have noticed by now. Most of it is simply very good. Civivi and Laconico became just as successful a combination as one could hope for.
The only thing I would have preferred differently is the blade finish. Blasted surfaces are not among my favorites. However, it has a small advantage, it makes the knife easier to photograph due to fewer reflections. Joking aside, I would have preferred a satin or tumbled finish.
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| Sokoke is a real standout as an EDC/pocket knife for everyday use |
But that's my personal preference as I haven't experienced any rust issues with the existing finish on the blade.
Otherwise, this knife is the result of a series of steps performed in the correct way. Everything from details such as the execution of the clip that I praised, via flipper, thumb studs, and lock to important bits such as ergonomics and blade shape. In short, Sokoke is good design executed in an excellent way.
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| Civivi Sokoke doesn't make a fool of itself outdoors either |
Overall, the knife both looks and feels elaborated and exclusive, and even more sympathetic is that the feeling is reflected in how the knife feels to work with. It is comfortable and cuts well. You can't ask for much more from an EDC knife. Civivi is a reputable company and this is one of their best knives in my opinion.
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| Civivi Knives |
Specification:
Length Overall: 195 mm
Length Folded: 112 mm
Weight: 100 g
Blade Length: 85 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: 14C28N
Handle: Micarta
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: Civivi, made in China
* One of the earlier examples of such a solution was Spyderco Military.
/ J - more than happy
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