Civivi RS71 Flipper Review: A Modern Take on a Classic Fighting Knife

Introduction

The RS71 Flipper is a new release from Civivi, and while the name might sound unremarkable, the knife itself is anything but. The RS reportedly nods to the designer, and the silhouette carries unmistakable hints of the classic Fairbairn-Sykes, the British fighting knife issued to several Allied forces during wartime. This is not a short knife: the overall length runs over 9 inches, with a blade of roughly 4 inches.

That 4-inch figure matters. In many jurisdictions it is the threshold for legal carry, so it is worth checking your local knife laws before ordering. Regulations vary enormously from place to place, and what is unproblematic in one region may not be in another.

The RS71 is a striking knife with real personality, and after spending time with it, it reads as a genuine winner for a specific kind of user.

Who This Knife Is For

This is, in the best sense, a “CEO knife”: a slim, thin-profile folder designed to disappear in a pocket and look at home in an office environment. If you liked the idea of paper-thin premium folders, the RS71 sits squarely in that family.

It is also for anyone drawn to classic knife design. The handling nods to Italian stilettos and early automatic knives, with a long, elegant blade and a compact handle. It is not a utility workhorse, and it is certainly not a knife to abuse; the Fairbairn-Sykes was notorious for breaking at the front of the handle and at the tip. The RS71 borrows the look and the guard, not the fighting role.

Design and Handling

The review example is the green canvas Micarta version, and the handle is a beautiful expression of that material. It has a subtle belly swell that is not quite a canoe shape, but it fits the hand excellently. The handle is long and easy to operate, and the small guard at the front end is a detail that earns its place both aesthetically and functionally.

Deployment is flexible. You can open it with the thumb stud, flip it with the flipper tab, or, if you are practiced, flick it open using the front guard. The pivot runs on caged ceramic bearings, giving a smooth, fast action.

One clever deliberate detail: the knife is almost symmetrical, but the spear point runs down just a hair off-center at the tip. That tiny asymmetry tells you at a glance which side is the sharpened edge. With some double-edged designs, a shaded light makes it genuinely hard to tell, which is not a mistake you want to make.

Blade and Lock Details

The blade is Nitro-V steel with a black coating, sharpened on a single side. That single-edge configuration is part of what makes the spear point practical rather than purely decorative, and if local rules allowed it, the unsharpened side could be sharpened too, though most owners will leave it as delivered.

There is real artistic flair in the blade work, and the overall symmetry of the package is lovely, with the lock being the main asymmetry in the handle. The pocket clip has some flourish to it, carries with good spring tension, and rides well, though it is not quite as deep-carry as some would like. It sits acceptably low, but a touch more depth would have been welcome.

Weight is 4.2 ounces for the Micarta version. The two G10 variants, one with a stonewashed blade and distressed black-and-white G10, and another with a black blade and black G10, weigh around 4.6 ounces. The Micarta version also gets a large lanyard hole, which suits the classic styling.

Buying Advice

Pricing sits around $93 at the time of writing against a retail of about $109, which is a reasonable entry point for a knife with this much design character. If you prefer the feel of Micarta, this green version is the one to pick; if you favor G10, the two alternatives are very similar in everything except weight and texture.

The main caveat remains legality. A roughly 4-inch blade on a folder is over the limit in some places, so confirm your local rules first. If your jurisdiction allows it and you want a slim, classic-styled folder with genuine heritage cues, the RS71 is easy to recommend.

Conclusion

The Civivi RS71 Flipper takes inspiration from one of the most recognizable knife designs in history and turns it into a refined, slim everyday folder. With a Nitro-V single-edge spear point, canvas Micarta handle, caged ceramic bearings, and a 4.2-ounce carry weight, it is more than a showpiece: it is a genuinely pleasant knife to carry and use in light-duty roles. Just respect the blade length rules in your area, and it has every chance of becoming a favorite.