Civivi Conspirator Review: How Does It Hold Up?

Wayne Walter of Wayne’s Sharp World

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Today, we're going to be taking a look at a highly anticipated button lock knife - which means I'm exploring a Civivi Conspirator Review. There were very high hopes for this knife. It didn't quite meet those hopes, but my expectations may have been unreasonably high. Even so, it's still a satisfying knife that's enjoyable to use and will stick around in the collection.

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of what makes the Conspirator such an intriguing blade.

Key Takeaways

• The Civivi Conspirator is a highly anticipated button lock knife with a sub-$100 price tag. Even without inflation, this knife would likely still be somewhere in the $70 to $80 range, so no issues with the price at all.
• It boasts impressive specs, including a 3.5" Nitro-V steel blade and black micarta handles.
• The Conspirator is the largest of Civivi's button lock offerings, fitting into a medium-large size category.
• The wide, slicey blade offers excellent performance thanks to its tall, thin grind and spot-on jimping.
• The standout feature is the phenomenal fuller, which adds an addictive fidget factor and easy middle-finger deployment.
• The action is good but not great, with a well-tuned detent for button locks and solid flipper action.
• Ergonomics are comfortable, with a neutral handle shape and well-executed choil, though the clip could be improved.
• Micarta scales provide decent grip and comfort but leave room for improvement.
• Overall, the Conspirator is a solid choice for those seeking a high-fidget, budget-friendly button lock knife in a medium-large size.

Specs and Details

Let's take a look at some overall specs on this guy right here:

Size Comparisons

Let's take a look at some size comparisons, sticking with a couple of lines that everyone's likely very well aware of. We're going to compare them with the other Civivi button lock knives:

• Civivi Cogent (small)
• Cevi Altus (medium)
• Civivi Conspirator (largest of the three) 

As you can see, the Conspirator is very much the biggest of the group, easily. It might not be a big knife overall, but it's the biggest of the button locks from Civivi so far this year. It's a nice little range to select from, and all three are really good blades with a lot to like about each of them.

Compared to other Civivi button locks like the Cogent and Altus, the Conspirator is easily the largest of the trio. It sits in a nice sweet spot - not quite a big knife but a solid medium-large option.

Blade and Action

The Conspirator's wide, slicey blade is a standout feature. With a 0.017" edge thickness that gradually increases to 0.12", you get excellent slicing performance thanks to the tall, relatively thin grind.

The jimping on this knife is spot-on - perfectly spaced and grippy without being overdone. The jimping extends all the way around the flipper tab, providing excellent purchase from any angle.

But the real star of the show is the phenomenal fuller. While it doesn't enhance cutting performance, it adds a whole new dimension to the fidget factor and deployment. More on that in a bit!

In terms of action, the Conspirator is good but not quite great. The detent is well-tuned for a button lock, allowing for easy middle-finger flicking while still being shake-shut resistant. You can kick the blade out effortlessly using the fuller, making this an addictively fidgety knife. The flipper provides solid action, too, though not the absolute best experience.

Ergonomics and Materials

The Conspirator's handle has a neutral, almost Spyderco Shaman-esque profile that feels good in the hand. They're straight and neutral but get just a little wider at the end. The forward choil works really well, giving you a good place to position your index finger. Just be careful, as choking up too hard could potentially lead to catching the bottom of the blade, so always use caution with your tools.

Unfortunately, the clip is a bit of a letdown. While not horrible for ergonomics, it's a little longer than ideal, and more than anything, the ramp sits a bit too high and can create a slight hot spot during hard use. It's right around the callus area, pushing right in on the softer uncalloused area, where you could feel it more. It's not quite a hot spot, but it's definitely noticeable and felt more than I'd want. It's a shame because the rest of the handle feels very good and fills the hand well.

The black micarta scales are decent but not outstanding. Not the worst, but definitely not the best either. They offer reasonable grip without being abrasive, and the nicely chamfered edges keep things comfortable. It's an area where Civivi could improve, but at this price point, it's hard to complain too much.

However, in terms of in-hand feel, it's pretty good overall. They did a good job chamfering the edges of the micarta, so even if it's not contoured, it does feel fairly smooth with no annoying points sticking out.

Action, Dentent, and Fidget Factor 

Now, going into the action, it's a little bit of a mixed bag. It's definitely good - not bad by any means, but not quite excellent or on par with the best button lock actions I've felt. It's very solid and certainly good enough to talk about in a Civivi Conspirator review, though.

This knife really shines in its excellent fidget factor, and it all comes down to that amazing fuller. It's so easy to place your middle finger back and have the fuller catch perfectly. They didn't chamfer the inside of the fuller, so it's nice and grippy, grabbing your fingernail or the meat of your finger. Even with very little fingernail, it's effortless to flick this knife open.

So while we're raving about the fidget factor because of how great the middle finger flicking is thanks to that fuller, what brings the action down a little is the detent. However, it's important to keep in mind that the detent on a button lock is extremely different than on a frame lock or liner lock, as there's no ball bearing involved. Instead, it comes down to the depth of the milling and the pressure needed to overcome it when the button is pressed. 

The detent on the Conspirator isn't the strongest, but you don't necessarily want a super strong detent on this kind of knife, as it would make the middle finger flick too difficult to perform consistently. They did a good job tuning the detent to be strong enough to keep the blade in place, only coming out a little when shaken very hard, while still being light enough to easily kick out the blade with your middle finger. That same detent is also strong enough to provide good flipper action - not amazing, but very solid.

You end up with a good balance and synergy between the middle finger flicking and the standard flipper deployment. Overall, the action is reasonably good, even if it's not the absolute best button lock action out there. It's still satisfying and enjoyable to fidget with.

Video

Final Thoughts

Overall, this Civivi Conspirator review found that it is a very solid button lock knife, especially for under $100. With its slicey blade, excellent fidget factor, and reliable Civivi fit and finish, there's a lot to like here.

Thanks to the perfectly executed fuller, the middle finger flicking action is an absolute joy. Even if there are some minor nitpicks and things that could be improved, like the clip and micarta, it's still a great offering overall. Ultimately, not quite living up to sky-high expectations, the Conspirator still delivers a pleasing experience. 

If you're in the market for a high-fidget, budget-friendly button lock in a medium-large size, the Conspirator is well worth considering.

Related: Civivi Stormhowl Review: New Features Take This Knife to the Next Level