Civivi Elementum Button Lock Review: An Elementum, Just Better

Introduction

Civivi’s Elementum has long been one of their best-selling knives, and the Button Lock version takes that proven formula and changes two significant things: the lock and the steel. The question is whether those changes are enough to elevate a knife that was already popular. Short answer: yes, and then some.

The Elementum Button Lock runs a Nitro-V blade steel instead of the D2 found on the original, adds a button lock in place of the liner lock, and uses a slightly thicker and slightly longer handle. The price sits a bit higher, roughly 10 to 15 dollars more, and based on how this one feels, that premium is easy to justify.

How It Compares to the Original Elementum

Side by side with the standard Elementum, the differences are small but real. The overall length comes in just around four and an eighth inches versus under four inches for the original. The handle is noticeably thicker, which makes sense given the space needed for the button lock springs, and the shape is slightly different as a result. Blade length and steel thickness look essentially the same.

What is surprising is how much better the thicker handle feels in hand. The comfort improvement is immediately obvious, and the button lock itself has improved spring tension compared to earlier button lock designs, with a little bounce but not too much. Lockup feels solid, the action is smooth and satisfying, and the knife locks up better than the brand’s original button lock models. The choil is unchanged, so you can still choke up on the blade.

The steel swap matters too. Nitro-V is a clear step up from D2 for anyone who values easier maintenance and better edge behaviour, and it makes the modest price increase well worth it.

Left-Handed Use

One genuinely underrated aspect of a button lock is how well it works for left-handed users. Closing a liner lock with the left hand is awkward, but a button lock is as easy or arguably even easier to operate left-handed, just with a slightly different motion. The Button Lock Elementum is a legitimately ambidextrous knife in daily use.

The One Missed Opportunity: Pocket Clip

The single criticism worth raising is that the knife does not come with a fully reversible pocket clip. There is no mounting position on the reverse side, so left-handed carry is not possible. That feels like a bigger miss now than it did on the liner lock version, because the button lock makes this such a good left-handed knife otherwise.

There is a bright spot, though: the clip itself is now recessed into the handle. Both versions had recessed screws, but here the whole clip sits flush in a cutout, which is a really nice touch for pocket comfort and a cleaner look in the pocket.

Verdict

Call it strictly better: the Elementum Button Lock takes everything that made the original popular and improves it with Nitro-V steel, a refined button lock, and a more comfortable slightly thicker handle. It is a fantastic sub-3-inch hollow-ground drop point EDC knife, one that earned a full week of pocket time quickly and displaced other knives in a collection. Add a reversible clip and it would be close to perfect.

If you are deciding between the original and this one, the extra ten dollars or so is worth it. The comfort difference alone settles it, and Nitro-V seals the deal. Expect this to become the brand’s new best seller in short order.

Conclusion

The Elementum Button Lock is the same beloved package with meaningful upgrades: better steel, a better lock, and a better feel in hand. All the strengths of the original Elementum still apply, and now the knife is even more fun to fidget with. This is a winner, plain and simple.