Civivi’s Revered Elementum EDC Knife Gets a Bronze Age Retool Fit for ‘The Odyssey’

With a blade inspired by ancient blacksmith techniques and a labyrinthine handle, this knife seems fit for a Greek hero.

Close-up of a folding knife with a partially serrated stainless steel blade and a translucent yellow handle with a maze pattern.

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By Sean Tirman

Published 2 hours ago

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Updated 40 minutes ago

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The Civivi Elementum is the brand’s most popular and best-selling knife. And there are some pretty straightforward reasons why: it’s relatively inexpensive (usually), incredibly versatile and has more variants than you can shake a stick at.

The latter just became even more the case, as the brand has announced another pair of new editions.

But these Civivi Elementum Flippers (the C18062AM-1 and C18062AM-2) aren’t just any old material or color tweaks. Both of these knives have elements that appear to harken to the Bronze Age and, more specifically, Greek mythology.

Folding knife with a silver blade and a translucent yellow handle featuring a maze-like pattern. — The core Elementum is here, but there are some neat additional details that help this interpretation stand out.

Labyrinthian edge

For the most part, these two Elementums are built exactly the same. Their only actual difference is in their handle scales.

One boasts Ultem scales (which are naturally yellow) and the other has clear Lexan scales. While there is a slight price difference, they’ll ultimately function the same, so it’s really a choice of which appearance you like best.

Folding knife with a silver blade and a translucent yellow handle featuring a metal clip. — The translucent scales, available in Ultem or Lexan, cover both sides of the knife.

But there’s another element: on the presentation side, the knives have a maze pattern CNC-machined below the handle scales. While that’s clearly a stylistic choice, there’s also a functional element. Within the maze, there’s a small ceramic ball that users can navigate by tilting the knife (like a childhood toy).

While there’s no labyrinth in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (or in the original texts), it’s hard not to draw a connection between master craftsman and inventor Daedalus’s mythic maze and the Greek epic film adaptation. And yet, that’s not the only connection to that era and folklore.

Folding knife with translucent yellow handle and partially serrated stainless steel blade on green background. — The maze isn’t just a visual design. There’s a tiny ball bearing inside that you can navigate through the labyrinth.

Get hammered

The 2.96-inch satin-finished blade is built from Nitro-V steel on both versions of this knife. It’s a classic, low-investment steel that performs well in an EDC context, and it’s one that Civivi often turns to.

The blade has a flipper deployment, which, alongside the caged ceramic ball-bearing pivot, ensures quick and smooth deployment. It also has jimping along the spine to reduce slippage when applying pressure to the edge for tougher cuts.

Silver metal folding knife with textured handle and pocket clip on a green background. — The Ultem option has a yellow tint, but the Lexan is clear, allowing the silver steel to show through.

But there’s another stylistic element: a rock-grind pattern on the flat of the blade. While this is machined and not actually hand-hammered, it does recall the appearance of blades built during the Bronze Age, giving the knife a more rugged overall look.

The knife measures 6.99 inches overall, and it weighs just 2.98 ounces. Furthermore, it has a classic liner lock, right-side tip-up pocket clip, lanyard hole and more.

Folded pocket knife with a translucent amber handle and a visible textured metal blade spine. — The hammering along the spine of the blade is purely aesthetic and does not affect its strength or cutting power.

Availability and pricing

The Civivi Elementum Flipper C18062AM-2 and C18062AM-1 are coming soon, but you can sign up for stock notifications now on the brand’s site.

When they do launch, they’ll be priced at $87 and $77, respectively.

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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