spyderco manix 2. why is the lock so hard? and why is it made out of plastic?

sogflash

sogflash

Joined
Aug 28, 2011
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I've used my manix 2 for about a month. I like it a lot but why is it so hard to use the lock? why such a strong spring? why isn't it softer like axis and arc lock? is there any special reason for this?

and one other thing, why is it made out of plastic? I know there's a steel ball there. when I look closely at the stem with the spring around it, it looks like the stem is made out of plastic too!

do you know where scales for the manix 2 is sold? I want something different than the normal ones.
 
Personally, I think the Manix 2 has perfect spring tension. I agree that you need larger than baby hands to engage it but it's no problem otherwise.

I've never heard of one of the carriers for the lock-ball breaking. Polymers are magical things and they even use "plastic" valve covers on some car engines now. When you say "plastic" it implies that it's cheap or insufficient and clearly (pun) that's not the case. Polymer technology has advanced light-years in our lifetime and much of modern life and invention relies on those advancements. "Plastic" is such a generic term.
 
coop1957 said:
bladehq.com sell aftermarket scales for the manix2
Click to expand...

Whaaaaat?!? I didn't know that. Crap this forums loves to suck money out of my wallet.

Sogflash - the Axis-lock's spring is wound around the locking-bar and attached to the side of the scales (and it breaks - not often, but I had one break on me in a Griptilian). The Manix II's spring is a coil-spring, so it's a bit more break-proof, but it's subsequently stronger. One thing I've noticed is that if you lube the ball-bearing/contact-surface on the tang/back-spacer and the inside edges of the ball-cage/button, it makes it a little easier to actuate.

It's no Axis lock though - the two are completely different. Oh, and that button isn't like ABS Plastic - it's pretty high-grade stuff (its not like they don't make Glocks, Magpl PMAGS, etc. out of polymer-material).
 
I didn't know the lock was hard to use. Perhaps it varies from knife to knife, or perhaps it's more of a personal thing from user to user. Personally I don't have a problem with the lock, or the plastic it's made out of (this coming from a guy who refuses to buy any knife with a plastic handle), because it works very well for me. That's more than I can say for the axis lock and its clones, which I have not enjoyed in the past.
 
I don't think the lock is bad/hard unless I'm just using my baby thumb. Two finger is easy for me
 
I have read ... but this is hearsay and not authoritative ... that the polymer buttons are similar to the polymers used in tools (i.e. Craftsman or Stanley screwdrivers).

If this is the case, I have no concerns about them cracking or breaking for this application.

Unlocking my Manix 2 lock took a bit of trial and error, but now I find it quite easy to do with thumb and forefinger.
 
The spring was selected by Spyderco to balance considerations of reliabilty of the lock's operation and ability to unlock the knife. If a weaker spring would still have given reliable lockup in all conditions (hot/cold/wet/dry/dirty/clean), Spyderco would have done so. The cage was used to make the ball easier to release, since a naked ball bearing can be extremely slippery under various conditions. It's made from polymer, which you could call "plastic," but it's the same general stuff that does very well, in 10mm Glock 20/29 pistols, for example. :D

sogflash said:
I've used my manix 2 for about a month. I like it a lot but why is it so hard to use the lock? why such a strong spring? why isn't it softer like axis and arc lock? is there any special reason for this?

and one other thing, why is it made out of plastic? I know there's a steel ball there. when I look closely at the stem with the spring around it, it looks like the stem is made out of plastic too!

do you know where scales for the manix 2 is sold? I want something different than the normal ones.
Click to expand...
 
You can blame me for it being hard to operate. They increased the spring tension to give more closing bias on the tip-up-only knife because I was not comfortable with the combination of weak bias and tip up carry on the Dodo and D'Allara, and said so. It's all my fault.
 
sogflash said:
I've used my manix 2 for about a month. I like it a lot but why is it so hard to use the lock? why such a strong spring? why isn't it softer like axis and arc lock? is there any special reason for this?

and one other thing, why is it made out of plastic? I know there's a steel ball there. when I look closely at the stem with the spring around it, it looks like the stem is made out of plastic too!

do you know where scales for the manix 2 is sold? I want something different than the normal ones.
Click to expand...
It requires using both sides. Weak fingers/hands maybe. It takes a little getting used to, like anything else.
It's not an Axis lock, just a different design. If it had an Axis lock, it wouldn't be a Spyderco, right? ;)
If you get a minute, try rea ding the knife desciption. It explains what the material is made out of. It's not just "plastic", if that were the case, you could say that Glocks are made out of the same "plastic".
 
I think the Caged Ball Lock is a little hard to actuate as well. Not that I disagree with the stiff spring in principle, and I've never actually owned one so I can't say how I feel about it in the long term, but at a glance I agree that it seems too stiff.
 
It's a little stiff, but definitely did it's job well. Use the knife and stop worrying about how "hard" it is to close.
 
Thats why I'm not a fan of the manix 2 like everyone else, dont get me wrong ergos are great and value us awesome, but I hate that lock
 
sogflash said:
I've used my manix 2 for about a month. I like it a lot but why is it so hard to use the lock? why such a strong spring? why isn't it softer like axis and arc lock? is there any special reason for this?

and one other thing, why is it made out of plastic? I know there's a steel ball there. when I look closely at the stem with the spring around it, it looks like the stem is made out of plastic too!

do you know where scales for the manix 2 is sold? I want something different than the normal ones.
Click to expand...


i have had a manix 2 for a month and it is buttery smooth...... do you use both fungers to close it?

the ball is made out of polymer ( like a glock) and the shit is stronger than alot of metals.

the reason the axis lock feels so easy is because it has such a week cheep spring that breaks all the time.

i muc perfer the cage ball lock over any other lock that functions similar to is ( axis or arc)

i have handled a arc lock and i did not like it much. i dont carry or use any foregin made knives so i have not carried em.

i would recomend just manning up and using your thumb and index finger and pull back.

like i said it is one of the smoothest knives i have had

its in my pocket today. i have the ffg bd30p manix
 
I had no problem with the lock just the material of the button being clear,if it was black it would have been better.What I didn't like about the Manix 2 was the ergonomics the choil was just too big for me
 
man up?

anyways, yes I use two fingers. when the lock is released the blade just glides freely, and that I like.
 
imbryan715 said:
i have had a manix 2 for a month and it is buttery smooth...... do you use both fungers to close it?

the ball is made out of polymer ( like a glock) and the shit is stronger than alot of metals.

the reason the axis lock feels so easy is because it has such a week cheep spring that breaks all the time.

i muc perfer the cage ball lock over any other lock that functions similar to is ( axis or arc)

i have handled a arc lock and i did not like it much. i dont carry or use any foregin made knives so i have not carried em.

i would recomend just manning up and using your thumb and index finger and pull back.

like i said it is one of the smoothest knives i have had

its in my pocket today. i have the ffg bd30p manix
Click to expand...

No it isn't. The ball is made out of steel. The cage is made out of polymer (yes, like Glocks but a little different).
 
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I have the m4 model in addition to a few others ,but my m4 was difficult to disengage,I took the knife to the outlet store and they sent it to warr.dept. and now it works awesome ,I think maybe some of the springs they put in in some of them may have been a little stiff
 
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