Received my Manix 2 LW - I'm Impressed

retzius

retzius

Joined
Sep 17, 2009
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This weekend USPS delivered my Manix 2 LW in CTS-BD1. I have to say, I am impressed.

Fit and finish on mine is just about perfect. Great lockup, perfectly centered blade, and the best production edge I have ever received. On top of that, the ergos on this knife are amazing. It just "fits" my hand perfectly and is very comfortable in use. I used the knife all afternoon for some yard work and to break down some boxes for the trash and I was able to strop the edge back to perfect in about 10 minutes.

The finish on the blade is very nice. Its almost like a light stonewash finish and TBH I wish the rest of the LW lineup including the Delicas and Enduras had this finish. It was very easy to clean and didn't scratch up at all. In contrast, I find the satin finish on the VG-10 blades picks up scratches very easily and the blade goes from looking "new" to "user" after only a few uses.

I can't recommend this knife highly enough and Spyderco is really on their game. A knife with this level of thoughtful design, fit and finish, and materials would have been unheard of at this price point 10 years ago; especially if it was made in the USA.

Have a good week!
 
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Try the Maxamet version out. It takes the fit & finish up a notch.
 
Good to hear. Manix 2 or Native 5 will probably be my next Spyderco. I've been hesitant on the CTS-BD1 the standard Manix has but not so much anymore.
 
It is a fine knife. I used mine quite a bit, although I was not much impressed by the steel. The blade got dull relatively quickly from cardboard cutting. Other than that, it is all good: light weight, wire clip, ergo, and fit & finish.
 
sharp_edge said:
It is a fine knife. I used mine quite a bit, although I was not much impressed by the steel. The blade got dull relatively quickly from cardboard cutting. Other than that, it is all good: light weight, wire clip, ergo, and fit & finish.
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I like BD1, but it's definitely no better than 154CM. That makes it a great user for me, I can sharpen it up so easily.

Have you checked out the S110V Manix LW or Maxamet Manix LW? IMHO they're the perfect upgrade for this awesome design.
 
carrot said:
I like BD1, but it's definitely no better than 154CM. That makes it a great user for me, I can sharpen it up so easily.

Have you checked out the S110V Manix LW or Maxamet Manix LW? IMHO they're the perfect upgrade for this awesome design.
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Indeed I have a s110v Manix 2 (but with blurple g10 scales). I still have a cts-bd1 lw Manix 2 as part of a package deal.
 
I bought one when they first came out...nice size and weight but I just never really used it...kept grabbing a PM2 instead :D. Enjoy your new blade!
 
The ball bearing lock on mine is still pretty stiff. I can flick the knife open with some force but the blade won't drop free when I pull the lock back. I have been working it quite a bit over the last day and I think it has eased up a bit but I might have to loosen the pivot to get it where I want it. I did notice that on mine the ramp for the ball bearing angles up at a decent angle. This gives it very solid lock up but I don't know if it will ever drop free due to the ramp geometry unless the spring loses some compression.
 
This knife knife has been on my list but I've yet to own one. Had a couple of regular Manix and while I really liked them, they just never stayed in my rotation.

Thanks for the review.
 
I have one in translucent blue. It stays in the pocket of my shorts and never leaves it. I love how light it is for a larger knife. The fit and finish are superb and I greatly prefer this knife to the PM2.
 
I am actually disappointed. it feels cheap in the hand, the blade action is not smooth and of course the blade is off center. I love the ergos and the blue color I chose, but fit and finish and overall feel is cheap for this price. I should have gone with the delica or go with another brand for the price point.
 
I'd love to get the Maxamet Manix, but passed because it is the lightweight version. I couldn't truly tell you why, but I really dislike Spyderco's FRN. It just doesn't feel too great to me, though I love my Griptilian's Valox handle so it's not like I'm biased against "plastic" handles. I'm starting to think it's the Bi-Directional texturing Spyderco does.

Nonetheless I'm glad you found a knife you can enjoy!
 
TNVOL1969 said:
I am actually disappointed. it feels cheap in the hand, the blade action is not smooth and of course the blade is off center. I love the ergos and the blue color I chose, but fit and finish and overall feel is cheap for this price. I should have gone with the delica or go with another brand for the price point.
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I usually don't recommend FRN or FRCP handles to new Spyderco initiates. Often they feel it feels cheap and like a toy. It is usually only once someone learns what a great company Spyderco is that they take a better look at that "toy" feeling knife and come to understand why it is built that way. In truth these knives are not toys at all.

Those plastics that make up the handle are actually quite durable. Part of what makes the Manix 2 LW so nice is that you get such a functional blade housed in lightweight plastic. To you that lightweight plastic feels like it is cheap and will break. It can be hard to reprogram your brain to no longer think lightweight and plasticy is necessarily a bad thing.
 
The FRN and FRCP scales with bidirectional texturing is my favorite. You simply cannot get a better grip, anywhere, unless it is also something that will tear up your hands and your clothes in use. I hope to see more.
 
Okay guys, you convinced me to give a LW Manix a shot. Haven't been able to get one out of my mind since I read this thread so I figured what the hell, might as well pick one up.

Can also sell it or trade on the exchange if I don't like it so what do I have to lose?

I'll update when I grab one. Now it's just trying to figure out what steel to grab.
 
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