Got my Mnandi today! WOW!

The General

The General

Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Messages
3,625
THanks Jeff for sourcing this for me, I will e-mail you when I can get access to my home computer.

First impressions is how light this knife is! Blew me away! This is the perfect gents pocket knife. Place it in your top shirt pocket and it looks and feels like a Parker pen or similar. Its great how Chris Reeve designed the clip to emulate a pen clip and how it is placed so the knife rides as low as is humanly possible.

A word on quality and fit. The red burl wood is perfect with undersurface detail bursting out! Simply stunning. The way the inside of the Ti handle has been darkened, the perfect grind of the blade, the razor edge, the way the blade is centered perfectly, the smooth opening...the...the...the!;)

Trust me, its flipping GREAT!

The lock up is very positive with a very solid click as the bar falls into place. I can even open this knife one handed with little trouble. This is not something I was expecting from such a small and light knife without a thumbstud. The smooth opening and clip however allow just enough hold to flip the knife open with the thumb in the 'nail nick'. You just need to practice a few times and learn to rotate your hand slightly to help facilitate the opening.

I am so glad I was able to get this knife (KnifeArt 24-25). The Mnandi is so well made and designed I simply can't think of a nicer small knife with the Ti framelock wood inlay and BG-42 blade (or being backed up by such a great company).

What am I to do? I now own three CRK and with me about to buy a fourth (a flat ground large from Taulpaul) I find few knives other than those from CRK interest me any more. I must be ill or something. I can't wait for a Proj 1 in stainless 3V...

Are the large triple ground Kats still around? Now that is a knife!

My final words are get one while you can! These baby's are gona sell!:cool:
 
Oh, when I say 'flip' it open, I don't mean FLICK it open! Rather you can open it one handed with the nail nick being used as a sort of opening hole. I don't flick my knives... You place your other fingertips against the clip for leaverage.
 
I've got one on the way to me this week, and your post is making me quite anxious to handle it. Seems like a well though-out, precision gentlemen's folder.

Professor.
 
Thought you'd have it by today Prof. Kind of cool; General has 24-25 and you to have 25-25. Small world. These are really well thought out and well made gentlemens folders. And the California Redwood burl on these ones make it that much more desireable. I have the bug bad too General. Even though I sold my Mnandi I have a small classic with silver contrast, polished blade, double thumb stud, and pearl inlay coming; should be here by the Dec. 14th. The excitment's killing me. Along with my large California buckeye burl Sebbie, it should mate up great!:D
 
General... you got it right in this regard. How smooth does this baby feel? It seems to me it gets smoother everytime I open it. The glide of the blade is amazing.

JT
 
So I guess this means you won't be sending this one back to me, Wayne? Too bad, I really loved the lighter redwood burl on your piece with all of the knotty wood figure - I was hoping you would hate it and send it packing back to me! :D The General's piece does have an absolutely stunning piece of wood inlay; the redwood is much lighter than normal. Most of the Mnandis I have seen up to now have had the darker wood inlays; after seeing this one I think the ligher shades work better on this design. I read somewhere that Chris thinks so, too. For the money, the Mnandi is a "bargain" for sure - capable of holding its own among a rather elite class of gentlemen's folders.
 
Sorry Jeff! This baby is a keeper! :cool:

All I can say is I am starting to feel at last that I have some slight understanding about what all the fuss is about with CR Knives.

Heck, if there is hope for me, there is hope for us all!:)
 
Any thoughts you would care to share on a comparison of the Mmandi with the Umfaan for everyday carry? I don't have a Mmandi, but I do have an Umfaan that I now carry when I am at work since it is small, light and doesn't draw too much attention from others. When I read your description of the Mmandi, I was struck by your enthusiasm for it. Sort of made me curious. Thanks, Jim.
 
Congrats, General.:) Enjoy your new Mnandi. I had the pleasure of talking with Chris Reeve at last month's NY Custom Knife Show. As you might expect, he is an absolute gentleman. I bought a replacement clip for my large Sebbie and he took the time to explain the proper method of installing it and making sure it was seated correctly. My purchase was a big $10. It didn't matter to him. He gave me all the time I needed.
 
Thanks knifenerd! I sure am enjoying my Mnandi!

JimM, sorry I don't have the Umfaan nore have I seen one close up for comparison. I don't really like a pocket folder without a pocket clip, so that makes the Umfaan an unlikely model for me to buy! Sorry.
 
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