Civivi
Founded 2018 · Yangjiang, China · WE Knife Co.
Civivi is the accessible brand of WE Knife, the Chinese maker of fine cutlery. It was created in 2018 to bring the house's designs and finishing — ball bearings, decent steels, collaborations with well-known designers — down to a far lower price band.
History
WE Knife Co. was founded in 2000 in Yangjiang, China's knife-making capital, and through the 2010s earned a name among collectors for its finishing and its premium steels. Civivi appeared in 2018 with the same factory behind it but cheaper materials: D2 or Nitro-V steel instead of S35VN, and G10 or Micarta handles instead of titanium. The play was to work with recognised independent designers — Ben Petersen, Ostap Hel, Elijah Isham — and to print their names on every model, uncommon at that price.
Iconic models
Elementum
The brand's best seller: a simple profile, a smooth action and a low price; the entry knife many people recommend.
Baby Banter
A Ben Petersen design, small and light, meant for daily carry.
Praxis
A generous-bellied blade with a liner lock; the line's working model.
Worth knowing
Civivi and WE Knife come out of the same factory in Yangjiang. The difference is not who makes them but the steel and the handle material.
Civivi at Reserva de Marcha
See all 119 in the catalogue →
Baklash Folding Pocket Knife, 3.5" Blade G10 Handle C801H
Elementum Folding Pocket Knife, 2.96" D2 Blade G10 Handle C907E
Elementum Folding Pocket Knife, 2.96" D2 Blade G10 Handle C907R
Praxis Folding Pocket Knife for EDC, 3.75" Blade G10 Handle C803F
Pocket Clip for Folding Knives, NO Screws Included CA-05A (Black)
Brazen Folding Pocket Knife, 3.46" Tanto D2 Blade G10 Handle, Black
Button Lock Elementum Pocket Knife, 3.47" 14C28N Blade C2103A
Ki-V Mini Pocket Knife, Front Flipper Slip Joint, 1.55" Blade C2108B