CIVIVI Baby Banter Folding Knife, Nitro-V, G10 Black, 19068S-1
[CIVC19068S1]

This Ben Peterson small EDC will appeal to knife enthusiasts, people who are new to the hobby, but there are two cohorts of people this knife will not appeal to. The Baby Banter is quite a different knife than its mother, the Banter. It is very small. It is just a hair over 3” closed and given its weight (just under 2 oz.) and its deep carry clip, it disappears in the pocket. I carry mine in the fifth pocket of my jeans and forget it is there. This is knife you can definitely take to the office and if you take it out Karen isn’t going to say, “Oh my god, he brought a weapon to work”, and report you to HR. She is more likely to say, “That’s cute, can I try it?” But despite being small, the ergonomics are amazing. It has a finger choil on the blade, so you carry it forward and my medium to medium/small hand fits all four fingers on the blade and very comfortably. It is nice in the hand. I appreciate that very much. The blade is very nice. It is just under 2 ½ inches, but because of the finger choil it has 2” of cutting edge. But does it slice. Wow. I know I shouldn’t be surprised that a knife cuts, but too often, knives don’t cut that well. This blade is very thin behind the edge, has a flat grind, is leaf shaped, and man it cuts. It is a serviceable tool and more. Nitro steel is a very nice budget steel IMHO. The action on the knife is really good. It runs on bearings, and it pops open using the studs. It also drops shut when tuned. Civivi’s are like that, and this doesn’t disappoint. The G-10 is nicely textured and with the choil, you can work all day in the Vaseline factory, knowing the knife is secure in your hand. Is the price great? It’s OK. It also goes on sale quite often, so there are opportunities for bargains. But when you compare it to its most obvious competitor, the Spyderco Dragonfly, it is a bargain. The Dragonfly in G-10 and VG10 will run you $180, not $90, and I like this knife just as much if not a little more. So, as I say, enthusiasts will find a lot to love with this knife. But so will people who just want a knife. It is a good gift for someone who might be curious about carrying a knife. This isn’t intimidating, is well built, and is a good, practical tool for someone new to the hobby. Who won’t like it? First, people who like big knives, not small knifes. This is small. Second, I suspect people with big hands. I have medium to medium/small hands and can get four fingers on the knife. I think people with big hands might find it uncomfortable, but I am speculating a bit. This knife is a gem, and I can absolutely recommend it. Hope this helped you with your decision.