I can’t even remember now how I met the CIVIVI knife crew. I think maybe via email. But regardless of how we met, I was soon testing out their Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Micarta Handle Knife. Right upon pulling it out of the box, I liked it. Since I’m a writer and have to be able to verbalize why I like a knife, certain features or lack of features, I had to study the knife for a few minutes to see why it was so appealing to me.
After studying the Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Micarta Handle Knife for a few minutes, it hit me why I liked it. It has a long, thinner blade than is the norm anymore. A big percentage of the straight-bladed hunting knives on the market anymore have some thick-bladed inbred, looking drop point configuration.
After I started writing this review, I had to stop and study the Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Micarta Handle Knife a little more. At first glance, you’ll almost think that it is a hybrid clip point/drop point. The tip appears to sweep upwards slightly, but upon further study, you’ll discover that it doesn’t. The spine is almost straight, although the tip just ever so slightly rises up right at the tip.
But regardless of the above, it has a definite point so you can perform all of your stabbing jobs, such as cutting the pattern. By cutting the pattern, I mean making the initial incision into the animal when you’re cutting up the belly line and then the four cuts out to each hoof.
But it also has a drop point, so you can easily skin your big game animals with it. With a drop point knife, you can skin faster than with a clip point without fear of cutting through the hide. So, in a nutshell, the Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Micarta Handle Knife would be a great knife for cleaning and skinning your big game animals.
Gripping Features
The Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Micarta Handle Knife has three features that will help enhance your grip.
1. It has a finger guard.
2. It has thumb grooves not only on the back of the handle but also on the spine in case you want to choke down on the blade.
3. The tip of the handle also slightly flares out, which slightly helps hold your little finger in place.
The only two tweaks that I would make would be:
1. The grooves on the spine don’t start until ½-inch down the spine. Not a deal breaker; I just wish they had started at the handle.
2. The handle is smooth. With the above three features, you’ll have a firm enough grip, but I wish that the handle had a slightly rougher texture.
Civivi Tamashii Sharpness
I always check to see if a knife arrives to me sharp from the factory; if not, that throws up a red flag. It’s one of those last-minute details that the knife company should have done. That was the first test that I performed on the Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Micarta Handle Knife. It easily sliced a sheet of paper. I then tested it by shaving my arm. At the moment, I am in South Dakota, and it is going to get down to -3 tonight. Much more, and my arm would get cold tonight because it easily shaved.
Lanyard
It comes with a 6-inch flat string paracord lanyard already attached. It is braided in a square shape. Back years ago, when I used to cowboy, I braided belts, girths, and such. So, I’ve braided a bit, but I’ve never seen this design. It is unique and adds to the flavor of the Tamashii.
Sheath
It comes with a black Kydex sheath. I like the sheath. The knife snaps firmly into it, and anything short of jumping off the top of the Empire State Building shouldn’t dislodge it! This is an important feature for two reasons:
1. You don’t want to discover that your knife has fallen out of the sheath when you need it.
2. It can be dangerous if you have a knife that inadvertently falls out.
The MSRP on the Civivi Tamashii Fixed Blade Knife Micarta Handle (4.07” D2 blade) C19046-4 is $80.60 and as is usual we will close with the specs.
Specifications:
Model Number: C19046-4
Model Name: Tamashii
Product Type: Fixed Blade
Overall Length: 8.8″ / 223.5mm
Width: 1.33″ / 33.7mm
Blade Length: 4.07″ / 103.3mm
Handle Length: 4.73″ / 120.2mm
Blade Thickness: 0.18″ / 4.5mm
Handle Thickness: 0.55″ / 13.9mm
Weight: 3.84oz / 108.8g
Blade Material: D2
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Finish: Black Stonewashed
Handle Material: Micarta
Handle Color/Finish: Dark Green
Pins: Stainless Steel
Clip: T-Clip (Designer: Bob Terzuola)
Sheath: Black Kydex Sheath
Lanyard: Black-Tied Paracord Lanyard
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
