Mantis utlitlity tools

Reeek

Reeek

Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
5,911
I've been perusing some of the Mantis utility knife tools they sell and some of them look useful for the car or BOB or whatever. I know they are Taiwanese manufactured and such but many of them can be had for a little more than 50% of MSRP.

I was looking at the Churchkey and some of the Necessikeys thingies to keep on my truck console or fly fishing vest, etc . . .

They are just 420HC but I'm not considering one or more of them for my EDC, I'm too hoighty toighty for that sort of steel in my EDC :jerkit:

They even sell a low cost folding fillet knife with AUS-6.

Anyone know first hand if these things are worth $16 to $20 bucks street?

http://www.mantisknives.com/products.html
 
I reviewed several Mantis knives before the owner's marketing caused a big stir here. The workmanship of the tools was fine for the price.
 
I bought a Buzzard about a year ago, to find it a very useful design with flawless fit and finish at any price. My only criticism is that the tiny hawkbill blade is chisel ground with a fairly thick edge bevel. Those things can be dealt with, so I'd say it was a very decent keychain tool.
 
Their products could be worse, but Jared West is worse than Lynn Thompson.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Their products could be worse, but Jared West is worse than Lynn Thompson.
Click to expand...

+1 Jared West is far too busy recruiting a worldwide army of Mall rats to concentrate on his marketing & product.
I remember seeing the evidence from his last marketing campaign....wow.


Its because of that I havent paid much attention to his product, but it would appear that the idea is somewhat solid.
 
I've seen these "Mantis Militia" guys post some on forums and at first, I thought it was some knid of joke. Then, I was like WTF!!! Are you kidding me?
I think their founder could've went about marketing a better way though. According to an article I read in a knife rag, he was going after a niche market which, in my mind, still exists. And the way I see it, that niche is still about 99% vacant. He has managed to get his nose in with Snap-On and others though. I have no experience with the products so I can't comment there.

Gibby
 
comment on the knives not the marketing..both of those steels work well for me(not a steel snob)but have no experiance with the make.
 
I read this title and I thought you were talking about something else...
IMO, there's only one true Mantis...
bestbuy1.jpg

woman-pushing-tiller.jpg

woman-holding-tiller.jpg


;)
 
I would rather spend my money with a company with higher standards but to each their own.
For me it is not just the tool or the knife: That is just part of the equation, since there are so many alternatives at the price.
 
He wasn't talking about the craftsmanship. With a couple of exceptions I've not seen anyone say the knives are built poorly. The issue is whether you wish to spend your money buying products from a company whose owner behaves in a specific way.
 
Wrong standards.

My point is that I would rather support a company with like production standards and like price that in addition has sound ethical practices that are important to the industry and predominate in the industry, but that is my right and opinion.

I do not want to support a company who's CEO has been caught dead to rights in lies and mis-representation, but as I have stated "to each their own".
 
"Lies and mis-representation" is a bit hyperbole, since Mantis doesn't seem any more prone to this than any other knife company. I can think of at least one more knife company who's engaged in the same kind of "lies and mis-representation", the result of changing specs, manufacturing difficulties, etc. Of course, I wouldn't lob such an overblown charge against them for such things.

Assigning maliciousness to Mantis' motives takes some willful imagination.
 
Ignoring maliciousness in Mantis' motives takes some moral blindness. We understand hyperbole. It's another name for "advertising". But flooding the forum with spam, even after being called on it, defending their spam as their right, as if it's only an opinion, even after being told it was unwelcome, puts the company in the same category as the shoe spammers and the phone spammers we deal with regularly.
 
shecky said:
"Lies and mis-representation" is a bit hyperbole, since Mantis doesn't seem any more prone to this than any other knife company. I can think of at least one more knife company who's engaged in the same kind of "lies and mis-representation", the result of changing specs, manufacturing difficulties, etc. Of course, I wouldn't lob such an overblown charge against them for such things.

Assigning maliciousness to Mantis' motives takes some willful imagination.
Click to expand...

Since when does hyperbole or willful imagination equate to actual facts?

To disregard the actions that were taken fits willful imagination in my view.


I am not "lobing" anything but the truth that I have witnessed as well as many others rather than an agenda. My "lob" as you call it is a statement of fact. Hyperbole is more along the lines of calling the facts hyperbole.

Like I said, I chose not to patronize makers or companies that do not conduct themselves in a manner that I have seen that is un common in the knife industry.

Reality is a good thing to face. There are too many knife companies and knife makers that have never put them selves in the position where they were acting the way the owner of Mantis did or where their ethics have been called into question.

I see plenty of reasons to send my business to those companies and makers rather than support makers or companies that act in a way that I do not feel is responsible to the industry and community.

That's my choice and it is based on my experience. Everyone is free to make their own choice based on their own experience and in some cases ignorance or a lack of facts or a lack of experience or willful discounting that ethics do matter.
 
Last edited:
Well I feel like a virgin becasue I wasn't up to speed on the ethical elements of Mantis. Let's just put this to bed by my proclamation that I won't purchase a Mantis product since I respect the opinions of everyone here more than I need a Mantis keychain tool.

I did order a BU JD Smith this morning though from Tom Berry. And I'm carrying one as I type :D

:)
 
Last edited:
Ooooh yeeeeah, JD Smith:cool:

How's that workin out for ya Reeek?

Gibby

p.s. Isn't this place just full of surprises???
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Ignoring maliciousness in Mantis' motives takes some moral blindness. We understand hyperbole. It's another name for "advertising". But flooding the forum with spam, even after being called on it, defending their spam as their right, as if it's only an opinion, even after being told it was unwelcome, puts the company in the same category as the shoe spammers and the phone spammers we deal with regularly.
Click to expand...

This isn't a matter of ignoring maliciousness, but imagining it. Spamming is evil to the owners of the forum, unless Mantis pays for the privilege. Either way, it's not Mantis' hangup, but that of Bladeforums. That Mantis may be unrepentant is neither here nor there, since the spamming has pretty much stopped since the initial outrage. Which actually does not put it in the same category with shoe and phone spammers. Not to mention shoes and phones generally have nothing to do with knives. To equate the two is more proof that more hyperbole is being exhibited by forum members than ever by Mantis. In addition to this whole silly song and dance being performed whenever Mantis is mentioned, having nothing to do with the products or even the ethics of the company, despite the claims to the contrary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top