Sencut is a new Chinese knife manufacturer that is part of the WeKnife/Civivi group of which we have already dealt with on more than one occasion. The company is very young but is on the market with a catalog already articulated on five folding models: Scepter, Episode, Actium, Citius and Snap, all flipper folders featuring a liner-lock mechanism, each of which is available with different handle materials and blade finishes. The already low prices and the frequent promotions on the e-commerce site of the Asian company make the price of these knives extremely affordable.
Citius and Scepter: two well thought-out and inexpensive knives
We received for evaluation two different Sencut models, the Citius with G10 blue handle, and the Scepter with Micarta handle. These are two standard-size knives, with 9Cr18MoV steel blades, 3.3"/83 mm and 2.97"/75.4 mm long respectively. Which means they are suitable for daily tasks, but with still enough edge to tackle heavier tasks. But let's start from the beginning.
The two knives come in a cardboard box with a sturdy inner drawer that safely protects the knife – inside a cellophane bag – from any shock. Besides that, we find only a silica-gel packet, but given the purchase price of both models, less than 40 euros, we did not expect anything more. The package graphics is nice and once in a while very bright.
Let's start with the Citius model, which is easily recognizable by the large oval-shaped hole in the first half of the blade. The hole has the dual function of lightening the blade and offering support for the thumb, so as to allow an easy opening with one hand. The blade can also be opened in a flash by acting on the flipper, which combined with ceramic ball bearings, allows you to deploy the blade in a fraction of a second. The locking plate works perfectly, locking the blade with a well audible click, and it is very smooth to release. It is truly remarkable how you can appreciate the effect of the ceramic ball bearings that give the knife an exceptionally smooth opening, if you consider the price range where the Citius is positioned, which is less than 40 euros.
Made from 9Cr18MoV steel, the blade of the Citius features a rather slender drop-point profile, with smooth edge and a beautiful stonewashed finish with grainy appearance, which contrasts nicely with the blue shade of the handle. The latter is G10 with a pleasant texture barely visible but effective in providing a firm grip. The handle scales hide a pair of plates with trapezoidal lightening millings, and the result can be appreciated by weighing the Citius: despite having a blade of a good size, it stops the scale needle at only 2.49 oz/70 g. The clip is stainless steel and allows "tip up" carry; it is fixed to the handle by a pair of recessed Torx screws and can be easily moved to the opposite side. My opinion on the Sencut Citius is more than positive, obviously taking into account the quality/price ratio. In addition to blue, the handle of the Citius is available in black, orange, OD green, tan and burgundy, a palette that can satisfy everyone.
The Sencut family expands with the Scepter model
We come now to the second model, the Scepter, that has a certain family reminiscent enough of its cousin the Civivi Elementum, of which it takes the general lines, but with a thinner handle. I is well usable even by those who, like me, have hands larger than average, anyway. In this case too we have a light and handy EDC knife, again featuring ceramic ball bearings, with G10 handle with a microscopic but well gripping texture, lightened internal plates and a 9Cr18MoV steel blade, 2.97"/75.4 mm long for a thickness of 0.12"/3 mm, with stonewashed finish showing a very fine texture, which looks almost like a satin finish. Unlike the Citius, which is available only with G10 grip, some variants of the Scepter also have Micarta grips in brown, like the one photographed, gray, or olive green. The Scepter can be deployed acting on the flipper or on the ambidextrous peg on the back. Also in this model the opening is super smooth and it almost feels like using an assisted-opening knife. The handle is quite thin, with some touch of finesse as the step in the liner-lock mechanism area, where, however, there are some machining marks. Not too bad – I've seen worse on knives that cost six or seven times as much.
The Sencut Scepter is also fitted with a stainless steel clip in the tip-up carry position, that can be swapped to the opposite side. The weight of the Scepter is 2.45 oz/70 g, with some minimal difference between models with G10 and Micarta grips. Also in this case, we are dealing with a knife with a light price but which lacks nothing.
Even at the risk of being too xenophilic, I have to admit that today an increasing number of made in China knives have nothing to do with the shoddy products that we saw even just ten years ago. Time flies, and those willing to do and learn get flattering results.
Thanks to the beautiful packaging, while not as rich as that of their Civivi cousins, both knives are perfect as gift items. In this regard it is worth keeping an eye on the website of the manufacturer Sencut and also its Amazon page because during special events, such as Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas, etc., there are promotions for online purchases with interesting discounts.
