Question on Mnandi design

Russ Kay

Russ Kay

Joined
Dec 19, 2000
Messages
186
I have a Mnandi that I really like; it's now one of two knives I carry daily. But I have a question for the folks at CRK about its design.

I'm attaching a photograph that shows the knife closed. In this position, a little piece of the back of the blade sticks up beyond the titanium handle slabs. Offhand, to my eyes, it looks just slightly wrong because of this. (I once noticed almost the exact same problem with a Benchmade Leopard Cub.) So my question for Anne or Chris is this: Why was the back end of the blade left to stick out?
 

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Mine's the same way. The part that is protruding rests on the stop pin when opened. It's not a defect.
 
I know the Mnandi was designed that way. My question is WHY? Why is a piece of the blade sticking out beyond the handle in closed position for no apparent reason. It doesn't affect the knife's function, obviously, but it does offend my sense of design -- albeit not enough to make me now want to carry it, mind you!

Lots of other knives -- good ones, including my other EDC, a William Henry Lancet -- don't show this particular trait, and to my eye they look more integrated. The Mnandi, on the other hand, gives me the impression that either

(1) Chris didn't notice this, or care about it, during the design and incubation process, or

(2) There's a technical reason why it had to be so. Maybe it has to do with the angle of the blade to the handle, or the position of the lock?

It's not a big deal, but in a knife that is clearly so carefully designed and manufactured -- I'm in awe of the oh-so-thin yet oh-so-perfect ledge above the machined out thumb section -- it just seems out of place, incongruous, unnecessary. And that's why I want to know why they made it that way.
 
You figure they could have removed that and repositioned the stop pin to compromise...I don't know why they didn't.

*shrug* :confused:
 
I believe it has to do more with strength then looks on this one. In fact... I think CR did a good job covering up what he could for such a thin small knife. Look how the knife curves and the handle widens slightly at the top to cover as much of this portion as possible.

If you take that portion down it would compromise the strength of the blade (by making it even thinner) and take away much of the thumb nick (making it less functional).

Check out this from a custom maker that shows how bad it could be and I have seen others that stick out even more.

http://store4.yimg.com/I/knifeart_1721_111942581

Be good...JT
 
all that would have to be done is to simply move the pivot more to the center of the knife... obviously the blade would have to be equally shorter. Or maybe just change the angle of the pivot end. On another note... I too am a pretty particular about knives. I can't say that this really bothers me at all. In the same way, the tang pokes out of the sebenza... more on the classic than the reg, but it IS there. Maybe someone who knows more about the physics behind folding knives could chime in here...
 
But StJames, I don't WANT to sell my Mnandi. Despite what I consider a design quirk, I really like it.
 
Originally posted by Russ Kay
But StJames, I don't WANT to sell my Mnandi. Despite what I consider a design quirk, I really like it.
Click to expand...

Then quit your whining! ;) If you need a satisfactory answer call Chris Reeve and ask him.
 
What is wrong with Russ asking this question? While this "protrusion" does not bother me; I am interested in hearing the reason for its being. A phone call by Russ would not inform the rest of us.
 
Mine's the same way. I've delt with CRK for the past couple years and own quite a nice little collection. One thing that I can say with confidence is that not one small detail of a CRK knife is overlooked by Chris. If it's there it is there because Chris wanted it there and has a good reason for doing so.
 
Originally posted by JoHnYKwSt
What is wrong with Russ asking this question? While this "protrusion" does not bother me; I am interested in hearing the reason for its being. A phone call by Russ would not inform the rest of us.
Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with him asking his question! But from the responses he has been getting the question at hand has not really been answered. If he calls CRK and gets the answer he is looking for I'm sure that he would post the response here so that the rest of us won't be left in the dark.
 
Do you know what? I had never even noticed this before! And I thought I looked closely at my CRK's!:)
 
Sometimes questions are posed to which there is no immediate answer but I'll do my best! The design of anything combines aesthetics with function. Given those criteria, the Mnandi blade has to fit to the handle - and most specifically, the stop pin - and the knife must look pleasing both open and closed. If the handle were to protrude so that the blade were entirely covered, the handle would look boxy when closed and the lines would not flow so well when the knife is open.

It would be much more specific to say that the back end of the blade was left protruding so that you could use it to open your beer bottle (or some such :)) but that is just not so!!

I hope this helps!

Anne
 
Thanks, Anne. You've successfully scratched an itch for me, and I may never think of this "problem" again. A lovely knife, the Mnandi! Mine has a Tambouti inlay -- an attractive wood I'd never heard of before buying the knife!

Best wishes for the new year.
 
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