Review Civivi Qubit

 

- when attention to detail pays off

Once upon a time, there was a series here on the blog that I called "The Hunt for the Perfect Pocket Knife", or rather "Jakten på den perfekta fickkniven" since it was in Swedish. Anyway, if it had remained, this knife may have been the end of it all. 

Now the question of which is best is always subjective in some sense but in any case, this is a clear contender for the throne. The knife is as the title says the Civivi Qubit and I think it's the best thing they've done in this way so far.

Civivi Qubit

Like many knives from Civivi, this one can also be had in several versions, but actually, not as many as is sometimes the case. In addition to this design, which is called and lives up to the name "Bright Blue", there are also other happy colors such as green, red, and now actually pink! Yes, and a completely blacked-out version with both a black handle and a black blade. In addition, there is a luxury version with a blade in pattern-welded steel.

No matter what you choose, you get a knife that performs well in every aspect. Let me go through them!

The thin blade, which is even thinner behind the edge, is a good selling point

Short version: Civivi Qubit, a knife close to EDC perfection!

Blade

The heart of the knife is of course the blade. Without a competent blade, no good knife. A quintessential drop point is found here. In addition, a blade with very harmonious proportions, which also makes it pleasant to look at. Possibly with the exception of when the knife is in the closed position when a large "hook" is visible.

The length of the blade is 76 mm and the height is 29 mm. The finish is a glossy satin and as usual from this brand, texts and logotypes are conspicuous by its absence. The brand logo is found elsewhere and the steel type is certainly found on the ricasso but only if you have the eyesight of a hawk or are in possession of a magnifying glass. 

The blade has a recess that acts both as a place for a finger (forward finger choil) and which facilitates future sharpening (sharpening choil). It may possibly be objected that it is done with too little confidence. Is it one or the other, the size does not give a clear answer.

The back is not rounded but the edges are broken, which makes it feel soft. At the base of the blade spine, grooves are found for better traction. Like everything else on this knife, they are really good. They provide increased grip without tearing off the skin on the thumb or index finger.

A drop point with a low tip and very thin blade stock

The blade is made of Swedish Sandvik 14C28N-steel often used by Civivi. You can tell that they are starting to know how to harden and heat treat this material. It behaves very well as in that it stays sharp for a very long time for not being a super steel and as usual the steel is very resistant to rust. The specified degree of hardness is in the range of 58-60 HRC. Therein probably lies part of the secret.

What sets this blade apart, however, is neither the steel nor the look, but how thin it is. Here they have finally dared to trust the materials, as I usually put it*, resulting in a blade that is only 2.3 mm thick. It's not much and you have a completely flat ground blade. This results in a blade that measures 0.2-0.3 mm behind the edge. The factory edge is also nicely made, even, symmetrical, and not least sharp. I have only one objection to the blade geometry and that is that the edge is a bit too steep for my liking. It could well be flatter to be in line with the rest of the geometry.

Then it is enough to look at the tip to realize that it is sharp. Half a centimeter into the blade, the stock thickness is only about 0.7mm!

A sterile knife blade freed from all text and logos

When these measurements are translated into practical action, you get a knife that just cuts and cuts, and that in everything except maybe a grumpy birch. But this is not a camping knife but an EDC knife. This means that when it is presented in front of everyday materials such as thicker paper and cardboard, plastic packaging, string, and thinner rope and tape, it is not shy at all. On the contrary, it jumps right in with a good appetite. This is a true slicer!

The rather low tip facilitates what in English is called "utility cuts", those that are often performed with the tip and the outermost part of the blade. This is because the tip is found so far down, which means that you don't have to angle your wrist as much.

For short, Qubit is thoroughly enjoyable to work with. The blade glides through cardboard and the tip easily opens bulky packages.

Handle

Whether you like this handle or not has nothing to do with ergonomics as it is close to perfect but more your attitude towards a certain type of material in the handle. In this case, it is aluminum that has been anodized. The surface is not completely polished but has a slight texture, which gives it a chalky feel and thus a bit of friction.

The Qubit has a very soft rounded aluminum handle

The handle consists of two sides of aluminum that have not been lightened internally. It gives a very strong knife, while the weight is still very low. The sides are held together with two screws in addition to the pivot screw and are open in the back. The size of the screws is T8, even for the ones in the handle which is good. As usual with Civivi, the pivot screw has a small locking lug, which means it does not spin if you want to adjust it.

Possibly, I think the knife could be lightened, not because of the weight but to improve the balance. As it is, the balance point is found about one and a half centimeters or half an inch behind the pivot screw. A slightly lighter handle would have moved it closer to the pivot screw which I prefer.

Inside, you will find double bolts for blade stops along with an extra bolt aft to put a lanyard around if one is desired.

The sides are not milled out and the handle is open in the back. The two stop-pins are also visible here

The sides themselves are about four millimeters thick and the entire handle is 11.3 mm. The height varies from just under 2.3 cm to around 2.6 cm. It gives just enough to hold around for the knife to feel full in the hand given the overall size of the knife. Simply a good balance. Then the good feeling is enhanced by the fact that the edges are very softly rounded. Not just chamfered but properly rounded which requires more processing time. However, the sides of the handle itself are flat and not curved.

This is a knife that is very comfortable to work with. Especially without a clip

In all simplicity, it can be said that there is no grip that does not work with Qubit. The hammer grip feels solid given the size of the knife and even though there is a recess in the blade, it doesn't feel as if you end up too far from the edge, which is a big plus. Even better is a saber grip with a thumb on the base of the blade. Then the handle literally melts into the hand. The same can be said if a guiding finger lands on the spine of the blade or if you move the knife to a pinch grip. Now it should be added that in order to be as ultimate as I describe it, I have used the knife mostly without a clip. Even with that in place, the knife is very very good but you can feel the back end of the clip against the inside of the hand in a saber grip.

There is also the option of sneaking the index finger or at least part of it onto the blade for further increased control if desired.

Opening and Lock

Recently, I noted that it is fashionable to have knives with several alternative opening systems. That idea is supported by this knife whose blade can be lured out in several ways. Two hands are always an option although the two main methods include the lock or the double-sided thumb studs.

The thumb studs are perfect both in terms of function and placement. The button for the lock has been given a discreet pattern, which gives a better grip

Whatever you choose to do, it's lightning fast. Here we are talking about a knife that has such an unusual combination of a perfectly balanced resistance with this type of lock. They do not have detent balls, but it is the lock that takes care of that function. The result is felt immediately. You have to make a conscious effort to get close to the thumb studs without the blade just flying out. This applies both if you use your thumb or index finger in a fingerflick. 

Then, as I said, you can press the button and not so much flick the wrist as tilt the knife and you will get the blade out that way. If you flick, the risk is that the speed will be so high that the blade almost has time to bounce back in before you have time to react.

The explanations are found both in very small tolerances and invisible subtleties such as ceramic ball bearings. In this case, nine balls per side.

A close-up of a plunge lock. The asymmetric spring-loaded locking bolt moves laterally to lock against the blade base

Qubit quite obviously has a button lock. It is a function that is also common on many automatic spring-driven knives, but this knife should not be confused with one. 

The functionality of this knife is brilliant. Civivi has really tuned the resistance in the little spring inside the button to be just right. Just hard enough so that the button does not cause you to accidentally release the blade at the same time as that extreme speed is achieved. Also just enough for the lock to be extremely easy to release.

However, the button is slightly recessed, which means that it cannot easily be activated by mistake. Then the lock fulfills its function in a more than meritorious manner. It is not possible to feel even the slightest hint of play in the blade, either sideways or up and down. Not even if you grab the blade against the tip and provoke. It's lock perfection!

To Carry

Even on this point, I have to sing Qubit's praises. A knife that is small and light, with rounded shapes and discreet weight can never get anything but top marks.

When folded, the Qubit measures one decimeter plus a few millimeters. The height is at most 3.3 cm and the thickness as previously mentioned 1.1 cm. Very discreet indeed. 

The clip is one of Civivi's standard variants but works very well

Then the weight is impressively low at 80 g. This is, of course, due to a combination of a thin blade and aluminum in the handle, which is also open at the back.

The clip is good too. Perfection may not prevail here, but it's still good. The tension is well balanced, the ramp is sufficient and there is space underneath for fabric, especially as the clip is recessed in the handle and the screw heads are in turn recessed in the clip. The fairly smooth material in the handle also does not cause too much friction, which means that the knife sits securely while being easy to pull and put back in the pocket.

The knife is discreet in the pocket if you ignore the color of the knife

However, I did manage to bend the clip on one occasion when I got stuck in something. It was just a matter of unscrewing it and bending it back into reasonable shape. The clip is anchored with two small T6 screws by the way and it can be noted that they are of different lengths.

Accidents happen and I had to disassemble and bend back the clip into shape after getting stuck somewhere

In the meantime, the knife was used without a clip and it worked almost as well. The rounded shapes work well even loosely in a pocket and the ergonomics were, of course, even better. Not that the clip interferes much, but a clip can almost always be felt in the hand when using a pocket knife. 

To Conclude

The whole is of course the sum of the parts and sometimes more,  they say. In this case, it is. All parts are executed in an excellent way, which also creates added value. This applies to 

• Looks
• Function
• Comfort and ergonomics
• Action
• As well as how the knife is to be carried

The first impression you get via pictures and then in hand is of course dependent on how a knife looks. Qubit offers clean lines and harmonious proportions that give an elegant and timeless look. Subjective as I said, but certain measurements are pleasant to the eye regardless of who the viewer is. Such can be found here. With one exception and that is the damned "hook" that is visible when the knife is closed. In retrospect, I have learned that it is intended to serve as a bottle opener! Totally pointless is my comment even if it de facto works, I tried once. If it is used often, I suspect that the anodization on the handle will take a beating.

Then a really thin blade is found in a capable steel with an almost perfect geometry for the area of use. The fact that the edge is close to a masterpiece, even if the edge angle is not, that the knife is thin as hell behind the edge, and that the point is both needle-sharp and can be found far down makes for a very practical knife.

Qubit also feels excellent in the hand. There is not a single place on this handle that can cause chafing or discomfort, no hot spots at all. This is as comfortable as a handle of this size can be.

Opening and closing this knife is a joy. The detent is well-tuned, I have never felt such a crisp action in a button lock before. It gives perfect speed to the blade on the way out and it is just as easy to find and disengage the lock.

This knife belongs to the category of very light pocket knives and also has a good clip and, as I said, a soft rounded handle. Again very well done.

Civivi have once again managed to create a really good little knife, maybe even their best

When approaching perfection, even the smallest details become important. The big pieces are already in place. Even when we come to smaller things, they are well executed on the Qubit. For example

• How the grooves on the back of the blade are made. They provide grip without being sharp.
• That all screws are countersunk and of good quality
• The thumb studs have a softly rounded shape that is not sharp against the skin
• The placement of these studs is close to the handle so they are out of the way when cutting
• The recess in the blade facilitates future sharpening and
• It also gives the opportunity to crawl forward on the handle without stealing too much edge length
• The blade is clean of text and the knife is discreetly marked
• In order for the appearance to be cleaner, they have chosen not to make holes in the handle for the lanyard

Civivi Qubit has barely left my pocket after arrival, it is highly recommended

If you put all the pieces together, you get a knife that really shines. A really good pocket knife. In addition, the price is not excessive either. The target price from Civivi is $75.

The only thing that could make someone hesitate is if you prefer something other than aluminum handles or bright colors. I think a version with further upgraded steel and handles in eg gray titanium would solve that problem. But even in this design, the knife is a real smash hit.

My advice? Buy a Civivi Qubit!

Civivi Knives

Specification:

Length Open: 183 mm

Length Folded: 107 mm

Weight: 80 g

Blade Length: 76 mm

Blade Thickness: 2,3 mm

Blade Steel: Sandvik 14C28N

Handle: Aluminum

Lock: button lock

Produced by: Civivi, made in China

/ J - nods approvingly

* Another brand that has appeared in recent years and does the same is American TRM. It bodes well that more manufacturers do it this way.

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