Civivi Praxis Flipper Review

Blade Quality

The steel alloy used on the Praxis is what we'd call budget-friendly, but certainly not 'cheap'. This high-carbon stainless steel (9Cr18MoV) is well known for great edge retention and corrosion resistance.

Out of the box, the factory edge grind is flawless and sharp. The blade is taller than average, which means the Praxis Flipper is better suited for more blunt force cutting and prying tasks in lieu of fine whittling or detail work. That said, it does a remarkable job cutting through pliable materials like cardboard.

Paired with the black stonewash finish, we couldn't find a single blemish on the blade after misting it with salt water and letting it sit for 24 hours. While many other knives showed at least minor blemishes, the Praxis Flipper was completely clear, even on the raw cutting edge.

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Ease of Use

The opening action is perhaps the best part of this knife. No thumb stud here – it swings open with satisfying authority thanks to an oversized flipper tab. We're impressed by just how smoothly the budget Praxis Flipper opens.

The blade lock is a common 'liner lock' style, which deploys automatically and holds the blade securely from underneath. Disengaging these locks is usually a two-handed affair – holding the blade with one hand, and pressing the locking fin aside. With practice, it can be done one-handed, and thanks to a forefinger guard, this feels safer than with other pocket knives we tested.

The finger flipper sits near the pivot, so it takes less pressure to open than similar styles on other knives.   Credit: Kyle Hameister

The black, ribbed fin to the left of our thumb is the blade lock. To release, just press the lock to one side.   Credit: Kyle Hameister

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Carrying Comfort

The Praxis Flipper is a tank of a knife – it's one of the heaviest knives we've tested, and at the top end of what we'd comfortably carry every day. It's far too big for the 5th pocket on a pair of jeans, but it does have a deep-carry clip, so hardly any of the knife shows above the edge of your pocket.

Even though it looks less intense than a military-style knife, at the end of the day it's just too large to look 'friendly' in a white-collar setting. Although the handle is flat enough to comfortably lay against your thigh, it's much more comfortable to carry in work pants with wider pockets than in a regular pair of jeans. All told, this full-sized knife is a better fit for a tradesperson than an office worker.

Grip

The handle is sized just right to fill your palm, and the pocket clip actually feels quite comfortable when gripping tightly. A couple of prominent cutouts for the first two fingers make the grip feel particularly secure, and a large guard between your forefinger and the blade helps it feel safe.

The handle itself is made from a generic fiberglass composite, which tends to feel cheap and plasticky. Somehow on the Praxis Flipper, it feels more premium than it should, which we chalk up to a refined and subtle inlaid texture. That texture is grippy without feeling rough, and the Praxis is one of those rare exceptions where the grip actually improves when wet.

Unfortunately, the thumb rest is a miss. There are some solid ridges, which help it feel secure and comfortable when applying pressure to a cut. However, the angle is far too shallow, and our thumb often slipped forward off the rest when we tried to apply much more than moderate pressure.

Sharpening & Cleaning

If a blade holds its edge well, it's often not as easy to sharpen. On one hand, you won't need to sharpen the Praxis Flipper as often, but on the other hand, that means that when you do, sharpening is more challenging. Still, with a decent sharpening kit and some practice, that task should only take 15-20 minutes.

Even if it's a bit tougher to sharpen, thankfully, the Praxis Flipper is pretty easy to wash out. Gunk can get caught in the skeleton-like cutouts of the handle liner or in the lock fin. But the handle also has a wide gap, wide enough that you can even fit a small brush in there to clean it out.

Even though the handle is open for most of the length, the one annoying spot is where it's closed near the top.   Credit: Kyle Hameister

The cutout at the base of the cutting edge is known as a 'choil,' meant to help with sharpening so the grip doesn't hit the sharpening stone.   Credit: Kyle Hameister

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Should You Buy the Civivi Praxis Flipper?

As a beefy pocket knife, the Praxis Flipper is a better option as an everyday carry knife for tradespeople who wear work pants with larger pockets. It's also a great option for outdoor activities like backpacking, since it holds an edge well and is so easy to clean out. Although you'll be hard-pressed to find a better value for a full-sized pocket knife, if you're looking for an everyday carry option to slip into a regular pair of jeans or khakis, you may want to consider slightly smaller knives.

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