Mantis Pit Boss

C

citizensoldierNY

Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
805
Anyone get one of these yet? I love the look of the stout wharncliff blade. The fact that it's a 1/4" thick blade and has open frame covered by G-10 isn't hurting my desire for it either. Looking for any opinion of it positive or negative, really want to buy one but am sort of leary of Mantis brand. On the other hand $50 isn't the end of the world but might be better spent on another folder if any of you guys or gals have a better suggestion.

683350.jpg
 
Most of us here on BF wouldn't touch a Mantis knife with an 11' Yugoslav (to say nothing of a 10' Pole). Spamming our site and getting caught lying about the blade materials has left quite a sour taste in our collective mouths.

Also, it's f'ugly. Even if it were made by a reputable manufacturer, I'd not be caught dead with one.

edited to add:
third comment: it purports to have a "CPM 440V" blade. That alloy hasn't been made in a while. I find it questionable that a small manufacturer like Mantis would be able to obtain enough to put it in a new design.
 
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Damn normally I'd say get a boker g4 but a 1/4 inch thick blade has me tempted to find one and molest it...
 
I bet the pivot pin is actually tiny.

50 dollar poop is still poop no matter how you crap it out.
 
Eh. Not for me.

The handle looks ugly, the pivot pin is just hideous and to me, the thumb ramp looks very uncomfortable.

That being said, if you like it, buy it. I do like the pocket clip though.
 
Looks like an awfully uncomfortable tactical linoleum knife. You'd really pay $50 for that?
 
Must I always be the voice of reason?;) I like it and have been tempted to purchase one. I actually was poised to hit the buy button when I remembered that fifth of Bushmills Single Malt. I decided on the Bushmills.:thumbup::)

I still might get it, but it will only be AFTER several shots of the Bushmills.

I really do like the lines though, and it seems to be a solid built knife. For some reason, I never really read up on the whole Mantis debacle, but now I think I will.

Here's a pic of the topside showing the liner thickness and lockup;

MNTMT9b.jpg
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Your money would best be spent on another folder. There are a ton of manufacturers that offer a nice Wharncliffe blade. As knarfeng stated, tht is not 440V steel, unless Manturd bought out whatever stock was available 4 years ago, and they ship it overseas to the manufacturer to be heat treated? It's financially impossible for that to be. The purported steel and come in at $50, they don't work for free and it negates profit of any sort.

Pick up a Kershaw, Spyderco, Benchmade, Buck,netc. You will then be buying a trued knife that is made from the materials as advertised.
 
The KC reviews look good, though there's always the possibility that members of the Mantis militia left those reviews. As a product of Taiwan for under $50, I sincerely doubt CPM-440V is the blade steel. I wonder if false advertisement is worthy of a lawsuit?
 
Well there is a certain amount of method to their madness. Since CPM 440V isn't available, the average "Mantis user" wouldn't know he was being ripped off by Mantis using a lesser performing alloy, because there would be nothing upon which to base a performance comparison.
 
citizensoldierny, see if a file will cut the blade in a spot where it wont be seen. i would be suprised if the blade is actually hardened.
 
So far best advice is to drink and then think about pulling the trigger on this one. And poop is poop no matter what the price. Hopefully there is at least one person here who actually own's one though and has an opinion on the knife and not just the shady manufacturer. As for the looks they definitely work for me, high tech and futuristic.
 
I actually do like the blade profile quite a bit. It would be great for all sorts of utility type stuff, but to me that alone is not worth the price of admission. Heck, for that price, you can find knives with s30v if you look hard enough.

As far as best advice is concerned, we only give our opinions. If the knife speaks to you, go for it. You might like it. It only boils down to whether you like it in the end, not us.
 
citizensoldierNY said:
So far best advice is to drink and then think about pulling the trigger on this one. And poop is poop no matter what the price. Hopefully there is at least one person here who actually own's one though and has an opinion on the knife and not just the shady manufacturer. As for the looks they definitely work for me, high tech and futuristic.
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There aren't that many people here that own a POS knife such as that one, and if they do they might be a little embarrassed to say so. Most of us know enough not to buy garbage, that is the point of the community we hae here. We tend to suggests aproducts that are proven, by reliable manufacturers with integrity.
 
I think you'd be much better off with something like this:

Folding_Lock_Back_Box_Cutter_Utility_Knife.jpg


$5.00, both ergos and steel are most likely superior, and unlike that ludicrously thick folding prybar toy from Mantis, it's thin enough to actually cut well.
 
Mantis pivots always remind me of wheel covers. Might look cool, but it's just a cover over a standard wheel.

While the spam issue was annoying, the misrepresentation of materials used concerns me more. If they are willing to outright lie about the steel used, what else might they do.

Too many other brands out there so I think I'll pass.
 
Haven't owned a Mantis, but I can tell you from owning a Strider WP-C that a 1/4" thick blade cuts like a brick. For slightly higher than $50 I'd either go with a Kershaw RAM or Cold Steel American Lawman. Or a Skyline, or packrat.

I'm pretty sure the Kershaw Needs Work knife is a good Wharncliffe IIRC.
 
I'd rather spend $25 and get a Cold Steel Mini Tuff....also a wharncliffe and likely a better made one.
 
I kinda like the design, it's has a modern geometric look. However, I don't trust Mantis enough about the CPM 440V a.k.a S60V blade steel. The steel is more wear resistant (and more expensive) than S30V, yet they are somehow able to turn a profit selling it at $50? Look at that channel on the blade, can they justify the cost of grinding it into S60V?

It could very well be a functional knife, but I'm never going to buy it simply because I don't like getting duped.
 
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