Ken Onion Jr. Debut Is a Simple, Solid Hobby Knife: CIVIVI Crabby Review

Since I was a kid, I have always carried a hobby knife. That includes a variety of styles, from slip-joint Barlows to undersized automatics. Generally, they were all knives that were smaller than a standard pocket knife.

Whatever the knife, its main purpose has been functional distraction and simple taskmaster while knocking out miles on trail. When relaxing back at camp, a good hobby knife takes the place of a glowing screen by turning your focus to carving and whittling.

Last month, I received one of the latest gems from CIVIVI, the Crabby. Designed by Ken Onion Jr., the Crabby is a compact, ergonomically enriched folder designed to strike a balance between utility and affordability. While my expectations were modest, the Crabby’s palm swell and upswept belly on its sheepsfoot-style, 14C28N blade, made it a winner from the moment I laid hands on it.

In short: When it comes to picking an everyday pocket knife, the Crabby has the potential to outperform a lot of other contenders in its size, material, and price. Suffice it to say, right down to its purple G10 handle scales, the CIVIVI Crabby checks off a lot of those boxes. It’s ultimately for anyone looking for a great compact EDC that has utility almost anywhere.

CIVIVI Crabby Review

Design & Features

The CIVIVI Crabby has stainless steel liners, a sheepsfoot-style 14C28N blade, and G10 handle scales. These aspects are becoming thematic across the EDC knife world today, as the materials have proven they can stand up to daily tasks. Combined, they make for a cutting tool that offers a mix of performance and long-term reliability.

For a solid year, 14C28N has been an “it” steel. Somewhere, someone figured out it has a lot of great properties, combining corrosion resistance and edge retention. Today, it’s just as popular as MagnaCut; though it’s not as exceptional it is less expensive.

The overall design of the handle is reminiscent of Barlow knives: a wide, round butt that tapers up to the pivot for a fantastic hand fit. However, with the Crabby, there’s an added aspect of choil-centric ergonomics. In fact, the whole belly of the handle angles, curves, and indents so that all types of hands can find a comfortable grip on the compact, four-finger knife.

The Crabby has the wonderful, utilitarian pairing of a thumb stud, caged ceramic ball bearings, and a liner lock. These features work together like pasta and tomato sauce. With the Crabby, it allows the blade to swing open with excitement and lock up with determination.

First Impressions

Thanks to brands like CIVIVI, the market has adapted to expect knives under $100 to be absolute bangers. The Crabby is a fine example of that, and it’s full of nuances.

From the blade steel to the handle material and overall shape, the Crabby fits the mold of what most of us want in an EDC knife. That said, where many of those knives reach 7 inches in length (or longer), the Crabby barely reaches 6.5 inches.

To me, this is where the hobby knife aspect comes into focus. It’s easier to control a smaller folding knife. However, the Crabby’s capabilities are amplified by the sheepsfoot blade and its sweeping belly. 

There is a bit of a sticking point when flicking the knife open. It feels like it stalls, and I found myself running my thumb over the thumb stud a couple of times.

But when it catches, the knife fires open with fervor. I don’t see this being a long-term issue. In fact, I can tell it’s due to the fact that the thumb stud is pushed back into the crest of the choil. A little reprogramming of muscle memory will fix that in a jiff. 

In the Field

Do not let the Crabby’s size fool you. I used it to make a series of tinder bundles, whittle away some time (literally), and stabbed it into a tree as a phone stand. For me, the Crabby became the pocket knife that was everywhere.

It was great for breaking down boxes, opening up stubborn food packaging, and opening junk mail. I even used it to harvest what little of my hops actually grew this year.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

Call it a genetic predisposition or just raw talent, but Ken Onion Jr. did a hell of a job with the CIVIVI Crabby. I don’t know the genesis of the project that later became this knife, but I am sure he could have shopped it to a few different brands.

In the end, I am glad Jr. wound up with CIVIVI. Those folks, along with their sibling companies WE Knife and Sencut, have really been putting out some seriously impressive products. This is one of them.

It could be a perfect companion for ounce-counters and self-avowed knife enthusiasts alike. With its deep-carry clip, it sits wonderfully in your pocket. Or, it’s also small enough that you could remove the pocket clip and add a lanyard. The Crabby is also a great knife for the casual knife user or a kid learning how to carry and use their first knife.

Anyone who picks the Crabby up will find plenty of odd jobs and beckoning tasks to tackle with it. For the price and pedigree, it’s a tough blade to beat.