A crossbar lock on the spine is not new. A crossbar lock that sits on the top edge of the handle, with the bar sliding along the spine rather than across the width of the scales, is unusual enough to be the reason to look at the CIVIVI Zygon.
Spec: C25035C-1, 7.47 inches overall, 3.24-inch Nitro-V drop point at 0.12 inch stock, 59-61 HRC, flat grind, satin finish, 4.24-inch G10 handle in white and black, stainless liners, Top Crossbar Lock, caged ceramic ball bearings, tip-up clip mountable left or right, 3.37 ounces, 0.51 inches thick.
The top-mounted crossbar changes how the knife feels in use. Because the bar runs along the spine, your thumb can actuate it from above while your fingers stay wrapped around the handle, which is a more natural motion than reaching across the flat of the scale. It also means the lock does not occupy the middle of the handle, so the grip can be fuller where your palm sits. The penalty is that the bar is exposed on the spine, where it can collect debris, and where a hard impact could conceivably bind it.
Nitro-V is CIVIVI's house stainless for this tier and it is a good one: nitrogen-alloyed, tough, very corrosion resistant, and easy to bring back on a rod. It will not out-cut 14C28N by much and it will not come close to S35VN, but it will survive being left wet in a tackle box, which is more than you can say for D2.
Compared with the Zelthara C25076-1 at $82, the Zygon is two dollars cheaper, slightly longer in the blade, slightly heavier, and gives you the more interesting lock in G10 instead of aluminum. Compared with a Vosteed Marten 330 at $69.99, you pay ten dollars for the crossbar and lose 0.06 inches of edge. Compared with the Kizer Original at $50.40, you pay thirty dollars for a longer blade and a bigger handle while both offer ambidextrous locks.
Verdict: buy it if you want a crossbar knife with better ergonomics than the standard layout and you like the two-tone G10. Skip it if you already have a Bugout-pattern crossbar folder, because the mechanism is a refinement rather than a revelation.
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