Cliff Stamp
BANNED
- Joined
- Oct 5, 1998
- Messages
- 17,562
The Manix is a large heavy duty lock back from Spyderco with a similar build to the Chinook II which I posted about awhile back. The Manix has a higher indexed handle which locks into the grip more but is slightly less versatile than the grip on the Chinook II for the same reason. I prefer grips like the Chinook II, but the index finger cutout/notch on the Manix isn't so prominent that it prevents working with reverse grips and so forth.
The Manix came Spyderco sharp, well above shaving, with an edge which is acute enough to able to be touched up on the 15 degree setting on the Sharpmaker. With the high flat grind and efficient edge profile, the Manix cuts very well, with a complete sharpening profile showing a polish able to efficiently push cut hemp, while still showing enough aggression on the draw to reduce the force by 50%.
The point is very slim and the blade has a fine taper so the tip has excellent penetration with both light force and heavy stabs. On an side note, the tip penetration on some of the stock work was about 10% lower than on the Temperance, I had actually thought the blade profiles were almost identical so I hauled out the Temperance, it actually has a slightly narrower profile through the tip, the Manix has a wider tip through a greater curvature.
I was carrying this alongside the Paramilitary for a few days and it quickly became obvious as to when the Manix stood out. Both blades have similar blade profiles and edge grinds and identical steels so they cut well and have similar durability, edge retention and ease of sharpening. The main difference is that the Manix has a much larger handle and wider blade and thus tends to work better for heavy cutting with a lot of force.
Use both knives to trim vegetables, work on small sections of meats ans similar and the Paramilitary is easier to manipulate, both in regards to the handle and turning the more narrow blade in the material. However in roughing out wood, cutting really thick ropes, or heavy cardboard where a lot of force is being used, the larger and more grip filling handle on the Manix is more comfortable.
The Manix also has a stronger blade for prying, but S30V will not flex significantly before it breaks so heavy prying with either isn't a good idea unless the force is constrained across the main body of the blade, i.e. get the blade way in the material past the point.
More details on the geometry, stock cutting tests and so on are in the review on the website, still in progress. I will be taking this one apart like the Chinook II, a little more controlled this time as last time I just wanted to know if the blade would go before the lock, and how the lock would behave when it started to get damaged. I will also run some edge retention comparisons vs VG-10 as both are high end stainless and I have a few blades in both.
One note about sharpening, one of the first S30V blade I seriously sharpened gave me a horrible perspective on the steel in regards to machinability. Problem was I had been sharpening 52100 and similar for weeks, doing a lot of comparative cutting and S30V is many times over more difficult to grind. With steels like these you really want to start out with a x-coarse hone if there is any visible damage. I use a SiC waterstone and check to make sure the grind goes right to the edge before ramping up to a higher grit stone.
Of course if you are just applying a secondary edge bevel there is no problem, it takes a crisp edge then in just a few passes, assuming of course the primary edge grind is acute enough, check that with a marker as Joe describes in the FAQ.
-Cliff
The Manix came Spyderco sharp, well above shaving, with an edge which is acute enough to able to be touched up on the 15 degree setting on the Sharpmaker. With the high flat grind and efficient edge profile, the Manix cuts very well, with a complete sharpening profile showing a polish able to efficiently push cut hemp, while still showing enough aggression on the draw to reduce the force by 50%.
The point is very slim and the blade has a fine taper so the tip has excellent penetration with both light force and heavy stabs. On an side note, the tip penetration on some of the stock work was about 10% lower than on the Temperance, I had actually thought the blade profiles were almost identical so I hauled out the Temperance, it actually has a slightly narrower profile through the tip, the Manix has a wider tip through a greater curvature.
I was carrying this alongside the Paramilitary for a few days and it quickly became obvious as to when the Manix stood out. Both blades have similar blade profiles and edge grinds and identical steels so they cut well and have similar durability, edge retention and ease of sharpening. The main difference is that the Manix has a much larger handle and wider blade and thus tends to work better for heavy cutting with a lot of force.
Use both knives to trim vegetables, work on small sections of meats ans similar and the Paramilitary is easier to manipulate, both in regards to the handle and turning the more narrow blade in the material. However in roughing out wood, cutting really thick ropes, or heavy cardboard where a lot of force is being used, the larger and more grip filling handle on the Manix is more comfortable.
The Manix also has a stronger blade for prying, but S30V will not flex significantly before it breaks so heavy prying with either isn't a good idea unless the force is constrained across the main body of the blade, i.e. get the blade way in the material past the point.
More details on the geometry, stock cutting tests and so on are in the review on the website, still in progress. I will be taking this one apart like the Chinook II, a little more controlled this time as last time I just wanted to know if the blade would go before the lock, and how the lock would behave when it started to get damaged. I will also run some edge retention comparisons vs VG-10 as both are high end stainless and I have a few blades in both.
One note about sharpening, one of the first S30V blade I seriously sharpened gave me a horrible perspective on the steel in regards to machinability. Problem was I had been sharpening 52100 and similar for weeks, doing a lot of comparative cutting and S30V is many times over more difficult to grind. With steels like these you really want to start out with a x-coarse hone if there is any visible damage. I use a SiC waterstone and check to make sure the grind goes right to the edge before ramping up to a higher grit stone.
Of course if you are just applying a secondary edge bevel there is no problem, it takes a crisp edge then in just a few passes, assuming of course the primary edge grind is acute enough, check that with a marker as Joe describes in the FAQ.
-Cliff
