Review: Civivi – Propugnator fixed blade

Introduction

Civivi is known for its many collaborations with knife makers from all around the world. With the Propugnator, the knife brand of WE Knife adds yet another one to its portfolio: PG Knives from Poland.

The very distinct design of the Propugnator, especially the Reverse Tanto blade shape, quickly caught my eye and thanks to Civivi/WE Knife, I am able to give you a more detailed look of this fixed blade.

With that being said, let’s do a quick overview and look at the specs, before diving deeper into the topic.

Overview

The Civivi Propugnator is a full tang fixed blade knife with a Reverse Tanto design (length: 4.15″ / 105.5mm). The handle scales are G10 and the steel D2 (other handle materials are available). Overall length is 8.62″ / 218.9mm and the knife weighs 188g. Featuring two different flat grinds through a compound grind, the Propugnator makes finer and harder working possible with the knife.

Specs

Overall Length: 8.62″ / 218.9mm
Blade Length: 4.15″ / 105.5mm
Handle Length: 4.46″ / 113.4‬mm
Blade Thickness: 0.18″ / 4.5mm
Weight: 188g
Steel: D2
Blade Hardness: 59-61HRC
Handle Material: G10

The Civivi Propugnator

Teaming up for the first time with PG Knives from Poland, Civivi Knives offers a fixed blade that bears close resemblance to the Defender model of the Polish knife maker. It not only looks similar – the name itself is a latin translation: Propugnator actually meaning “defender”. While the similarities are noticeable, there are several aspects that are quite different.

The slightly smaller knife features D2 steel instead of Elmax, but provides the option for either Micarta or Civivi’s Ultem handle material besides the G10, featured in the knife of this review.

The Civivi Propugnator next to its sheath

A very distinct Reverse Tanto blade shape is combined with a flat compound grind, featuring a thinner front for finer work and a slightly thicker back for cutting that needs more thumb pressure. The edge is razor sharp and the spine provides jimping for a better grip, as well as a forward placed recess for the thumb or index finger.

The front of the spine is angled and adds to the overall technical look.

Looking at the G10 handle, one will notice the light grooves on the scales, as well as the Stainless Steel Torx screws. It has very light bends to accommodate the fingers without forcing them into a particular position.

The pommel features a skull crusher/glas breaker, as well as a lanyard hole.

The Sheath of the Civivi Propugnator

The knife comes with a high quality Kydex sheath, featuring a Terzuola design T-Clip for mounting the knife to belts and gear. One can attach the MOLLE compatible T-Clip vertically and horizontally, depending on the needs of the user.

A total of 8 grommets provide different mounting possibilities, including carry options for both left- and right hand users.

*The Terzuola T-Mount for different mounting options*

The Propugnator secures safely into the sheath with a noticeable click, and does not rattle when shaking the whole setup.

To save some weight and cut down the size of the sheath, the space between the grommets has been rounded a bit. This also gives the whole package an appealing look of its own.

Quality of Manufacture

So far this is the third fixed blade by Civivi, which I have written about (check the reviews of the Tamashii and Elementum fixed blades here), and I can only attest to the excellent quality of manufacture. There is a reason why so many knife makers choose to collaborate with the company.

The heat treatment of the steel is good to go, there are no rough edges on the blade. The handle scales are nicely made and the screws are set in a clean way. There is nothing to complain about and the same can be said about the Kydex sheath as well.

The Civivi Propugnator in use

Coming razor sharp out of the box, it is a pleasure to work with the Civivi Propugnator. The flat compound grind gives you the option to either do finer cutting tasks with the front of the blade, while still being able to cut more demanding tasks with the back of the edge without having to worry about the edge.

The knife feels good in the hand in both hammer and reverse grip and the recess next to the jimping works nicely for both the index finger or the thumb – depending on how you grip it.

Being a middle sized knife, the Propugnator is an excellent knife to carry for EDC or outdoor uses and the blade length of 105,5mm makes it legal to carry in Germany – which is good to know if you plan to travel or are living there.

Conclusion

With the Propugnator, Civivi made it possible to get a feeling of having one of the many models by PG Knives. Taking the design of the Defender and making it available to a wider audience is surely appreciated by the knife community. Giving the knife the latin translation of the Defender adds a nice touch to the whole collaboration.

This is my third fixed blade by Civivi knives and I am still impressed by their level of workmanship and quality. And even though the Reverse Tanto blade with its distinctive compound grind might look very particular at first, the Propugnator proved to be a very versatile working horse for both finer tasks as well as more challenging cutting.

With that being said, the knife is certainly worth taking a look at! Coming to an end I want to say many thanks to WE Knife/Civivi Knife for giving me the chance to take a closer look at this blade.

Thank you for reading!

Take care!