The CIVIVI Nugz has a unique but useful shape; (photo/Sean McCoy)
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The CIVIVI Nugz is a funky knife with a fitting name. Something about the meaty reverse tanto designed by Matthew Wehrwein calls for the good, one syllable “Nugz” nomenclature. I dig it.
But beyond appearance and naming, is the CIVIVI Nugz any good? I tossed it in my pocket for a month of regular use to find out.
The CIVIVI Nugz is a nice average size for an EDC knife; (photo/Sean McCoy)
In short: The CIVIVI Nugz is a nice EDC knife — for the price. At around $70, it gives the user good steel, a nice micarta handle, and a deep carry pocket clip. But it has a few flaws — notably play in the detent, right-hand-only carry, and a quickly loosening pocket clip — that betray the value pricing. Shop the CIVIVI Nugz now.
Pull the Civivi Nugz out of the box, and you’re greeted with a fat-bladed flipper and thumb-hole knife with a textured micarta handle and backspacer. It has a unique look both open and closed, as the wide reverse tanto sits well outside of the thin handle when shut and overshadows the handle when open.
But appearances mean little when a knife is as genuinely functional as the Nugz. The flipper and thumb (or index finger) holes allow fast opening in three different ways. I found the knife both fidgety and fun in the hand. It locks open with a firm “thunk.” I ultimately found myself using the flipper opening method most of the time, although the thumb/finger hole also works just fine.
The Nugz has a cool look closed, displaying the Wehr Knives collab logo; (photo/Sean McCoy)
Open, the knife shines in EDC tasks. Its width and flat grind make it almost cleaver-shaped, allowing it to do things like kitchen prep better than most EDC knives. It spreads peanut butter like a charm, but still will easily open knives. Thanks to the pronounced point, it will also whittle pretty well.
So it’s a good, versatile knife. Much like its name, “Nugz,” the knife is not intimidating. It’s not very dangerous and won’t raise eyebrows if you flip it open in the office breakroom to open a bag of jerky.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Over the last month, I used the Nugz as my daily carry knife. And mostly, I enjoyed using it. It’s a nice EDC blade and holds an edge remarkably well, even when cutting a lot of packaging during my work days. I also carried it as my pocket knife while elk hunting (although I also carried hunting knives for meat processing duty).
It performed well overall, particularly for the price. However, it falls short of the top pocket knives.
The good: It has a very versatile shape. I like the grind and multiple opening mechanisms. The fit and finish are excellent, especially given the $70 price.
While I haven’t used many knives with 14C28N steel, it impressed me with its edge-holding ability and stain resistance. After a month of use, the knife is still quite sharp, although it needs a quick stropping.
The pocket clip of the CIVIVI Nugz; (photo/Sean McCoy)
The blade shape, as mentioned, is useful and versatile, provided you don’t need a very fine point. It has a nice large belly and decent tip but isn’t designed to stab through material as much as slice. I love the aggressive jimping on the spine and liner lock. These provide a very firm grip, particularly for righties.
Now, the downsides. First, I noticed a couple of significant signs of use pretty early. Both the pocket clip and blade have noticeable play after a month of use. Neither of these affect the performance of the knife, and the pocket clip is easy to tighten.
But the blade play seems to be with the detent, meaning there is slight wiggle when the blade is closed. I haven’t tried to fix this just yet, but it could require a reseating of the detent ball. It’s doable, but will require time and attention. But the reality is that at $70, I’m not surprised to see a couple of minor issues like this.
A bigger problem — at least for lefties — is the fact that the knife is not ambidextrous. It’s right-pocket, tip-up carry only. If you carry it in your left pocket, you’ll have to flip it in your hand before using it.
Should You Buy the CIVIVI Nugz?
Overall, the CIVIVI Nugz is a heck of a nice knife for $70. It uses good steel, has a very nice handle, and will serve the user well as an EDC tool. If you’re right-handed and want a wider-blade knife, this one is really a no-brainer for the money.
The liner lock is good and functional on the Nugz, well suited to EDC use; (photo/Sean McCoy)
But the knife is not for everyone. If you’re a leftie, it’s a pass. If you’re looking for a hard-use blade, look elsewhere. And if you plan to carry your knife every day for several years, I think spending a little more will bring more value down the road.
But as a value-oriented, uniquely shaped knife, the Nugz delivers. It fills a fun niche with a fun name and design, so I wouldn’t hesitate to add it to a collection.
Sean McCoy is the Editorial Director of GearJunkie, and 5+ other AllGear websites.
He has been writing about hunting, fishing, trail running, camping, skiing, and more for 15+ years.
Prior to GearJunkie, he was the chief photographer for the Virgin Islands Daily News and former editor-in-chief for GearJunkie. Based in Denver, Colo., McCoy is an avid trail runner, camper, hunter, angler, mountain biker, skier, and beer tester.
Updated Urban Warrior ‘Truck’: 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz First Drive Review
More than a midcycle update, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz gets more tech and capability, but still no hybrid powertrain.
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With the launch of the 2022 Santa Cruz, Hyundai entered into uncharted territory. It was not only the automaker’s first pickup but also one targeting a market segment that had long been neglected by the auto industry.
Hyundai wasn’t the only brand targeting what manufacturers like to call “white space.” The compact Santa Cruz went up against the equally new Ford Maverick. But the two automakers couldn’t have taken more drastically different approaches.
Maverick was essentially a downsized take on Ford’s bigger truck lines — albeit with a few creative twists — while Hyundai delivered a distinctively styled urban warrior. Think Chevy El Camino for the Millennial era.
Santa Cruz has generated plenty of buzz, if not quite the sales of its Ford rival. But the Korean carmaker is betting that it can increase demand with the mild update on tap for the 2025 model year.
In short: The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is more than just the classic “mid-cycle refresh.” It builds on the unique design and features that have generated plenty of buzz among young buyers looking for the functionality of a compact pickup and the flexibility of an SUV combined into an affordable, fun-to-drive package.
Towing3,500 lbs. max: 2.5L na inline-4, 5,000 lbs. max: 2.5L turbo with XRT AWD
Pros
Great design
Affordable
Blends some of the best features of a pickup and an SUV
Redesigned IP with curved digital screen — and more traditional controls
Cons
Cramped rear seating
Too much interior plastic
4-foot bed limits cargo capabilities
Paul Eisenstein
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Review
It took nearly 6 years for Hyundai to translate the wildly popular Santa Cruz concept into a production model. The good news is that it’s taken just another 3 years for the automaker to launch a mid-cycle update that sharpens its distinctive design while addressing some of the original model’s flaws.
(Photo/Paul Eisenstein)
Those who’ve just discovered the Santa Cruz think of it as a “Sport Adventure Vehicle” — or so declares Jose Munoz, CEO of the Korean automaker’s North American operations. Sharing much of its underpinnings with the more familiar Hyundai Tucson — which also gets an update for 2025 — Santa Cruz blends elements of that compact SUV with a short pickup bed.
The design has some inherent compromises but offers additional flexibility that can appeal to young buyers on a budget looking for a vehicle that can maneuver city streets during the week and then head out to the countryside for weekend adventures.
What’s New for 2025: Design
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz gets more updates than you’d typically expect of a vehicle first introduced so recently.
That begins with a number of tweaks to its design. As Munoz suggested when the 2022 Santa Cruz debuted, this “is a vehicle that completely shatters conventional design.” It picks up on the “parametric pixel” design language Hyundai has been rolling out across its lineup, including the angular side panels and the stacked lighting that frames the multilevel grille. The overall look of the front end is now more vertical and muscular.
(Photo/Hyundai)
Santa Cruz’s cabin now features a curved display, including a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, as well as an optional 12.3-inch gauge cluster. The automaker has also listened to buyers and shifted to more conventional controls for climate and some other vehicle functions. Add new wheel designs and some additional upgrades to the XRT package — which we’ll get back to shortly.
What’s New for 2025: Technology
(Photo/Hyundai)
The addition of that optional 12.3-inch gauge cluster is, in itself, big news for the new model year, something you might not expect on such an affordable vehicle. But many buyers will be just as excited to see Hyundai add more conventional controls for climate and other functions so you don’t have to go swiping through various screens to adjust cabin temperature or turn off seat heaters when your butt starts to burn.
A focus on technology makes sense, considering the sort of buyers Hyundai has targeted with Santa Cruz. And the list of updates goes on to include:
Now-standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Improved smartphone-style over-the-air updates
Upgraded Digital Key 2 (smartphone as key system)
Fingerprint scanner
Add more USB-C ports, updated Bluelink+ Connected Car technology, and other digital features.
(Photo/Hyundai)
Santa Cruz XRT
Hyundai offers the little pickup in several different trim, including the upscale Limited package, as well as the Santa Cruz XRT. Those three letters are starting to show up across the Hyundai lineup and are meant to signal more off-road-ready models. There’ll even be a new version, the Ioniq 5 XRT, of the carmaker’s little EV for 2025.
With the Santa Cruz XRT you get newly relocated tow hooks for the 2025 model year, along with better protection for stones and other obstacles, especially around the rear quarter panels.
The 2025 XRT package adds new bumpers, front and rear, an exclusive grille, a slight improvement in its approach angle, and new technology that includes a Surround View Monitor and Blind Spot Monitor. Add wrench-inspired 18-inch wheels shod with 245/60R 18-inch all-terrain tires.
