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Civivi’s Unique, Affordable New EDC Knife Is a Conversation Piece 2,000 Years in the Making

Bonus: its moniker sounds like a made-up word but is an actual thing that makes total sense once you see it.

Close-up of a black folding knife handle with a circular logo on a teal background.Civivi
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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When you churn out as many cool, wallet-friendly knives as Civivi does, you can be forgiven for occasionally just totally making up a name that sounds fun and funky.

I was convinced that’s what they had done with the Natterjack, until I Googled and learned it is actually a European toad with a shape and texture that totally jibes with the formidable flipper’s aesthetics.

Folding knife with a textured black handle and a dark patterned blade.
The newest Natterjack boasts the knife’s strongest and most eye-catching steel yet.
Civivi

The name is even more appropriate with the latest iteration of the blade, as modern toads descend from creatures that have been on Earth for more than 70 million years.

While the new Natterjack (Damascus) does not go that deep, the history of its particular style of steel does trace back a couple of millennia. Not too shabby.

Battle toad

As many knife and EDC enthusiasts know, Damascus steel has a background as ancient and epic as its name. 

Dating back at least to the time of Alexander the Great, who died in 323 BC, Damascus was originally crafted by Middle Eastern blacksmiths, who pounded out a special steel from India called wootz.

Folding knife with textured black handle and patterned dark gray blade partially serrated near the tip.
The almost prehistoric pattern this Damascus strain displays aligns perfectly with the knife’s name.
Civivi

These days, it’s the product of modern smiths blending different steels and working them into folded layers.

The result is a potent combo of edge retention and toughness that, just like in the days of yore, has a telltale rippling sheen.

Folded black tactical folding knife with textured handle and visible blade spine.
Ambidextrous thumb studs are among the three reliable deployment methods the Natterjack offers.
Civivi

That’s perhaps the most outstanding feature of this new knife, distinguishing it from previous editions that deploy 14C28N steel and cost around 20 bucks less.

Given the material involved, it’s fitting that the silhouette is gnarly, a 3.19-inch modified clip point with distinct ridges on the spine that recall its primordial namesake.

Black folding knife with textured handle and partially open patterned blade.
The button lock allows for the blade to be retracted almost as swiftly as it is deployed.
Civivi

Equally badass is this Natterjack’s deployment methods, which are plentiful: in addition to a rear flipper tab and ambidextrous thumb studs, the knife boasts a button lock. 

While its primary role is enabling easy one-handed retraction of the blade, it doubles as a de facto third deployment option, something that is both totally unnecessary and wonderfully fidget-friendly.

Black folding pocket knife with textured handle and partially visible stonewashed blade.
The Natterjack arguably looks the most like the source of its moniker in this particular pose.
Civivi

The handle scales, meanwhile, are made of milled G10, with an ergonomic shape and texture that feels quite toad-like. 

A reversible tip-up clip rounds out the features of a knife that offers much more cutting power and conversation-starting capability than many in its price range.

Availability and pricing

The Civivi Natterjack (Damascus) is available now for $100.

Black textured folding knife with patterned gray blade and ergonomic handle.Civivi

Civivi Natterjack (Damascus)

Taking its name, basic shape and texture from (no joke) a hardy European toad, the Natterjack is a chunky, funky EDC knife that’s ready for anything. Having a 3.19-inch modified clip-point blade made of legendary Damascus steel helps, as do ergonomic G10 handle scales and multiple deployment methods, including thumb studs, a rear flipper and a modern button lock, which also makes one-handed retraction a snap.
About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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