Trans blue Manix 2 - first impressions

T

testosterone325

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Jul 4, 2013
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My local outdoor shop seldom gets the manix 2 lightweight in stock but they were nice enough to put the only one they got in on hold for me.

So far my first impressions of the knife are great. Wow is it ever light! Feels weird but good. It feels solid and the blade lockup is perfect. No play at all up, down or side to side. I got the newer one with the torx pivot screw but so far there is no need for adjustment. The ball bearing lock is pretty strong although I feel the spring is kind of stiff. Im hoping it gets easier to disengage the lock as I use the knife more. The blade is razor sharp out the box and has been pretty impressive so far. I'm not too familiar with BD1 steel but I've read that it is Carpenters version of GIN-1 with a few tweaks to it, so I guess it's pretty decent. Ive only had the knife a few says so only time will tell how it performs in terms of edge retention, sharpen-ability etc.

My biggest reason for posting this thread is because I know some people have been concerned of the handle material feeling cheap. But I can safely say it has pretty tough feeling to it. It sort of feels like the delica FRN handle material. A bit more of a plastic feel but it's got that same quality feeling. I feel confident that it will not break with moderately hard use. Everyone's milage may vary but the biggest issue for some the potentially cheap feeling of the handle. YES, it does feel like plastic! But you can tell right away its not normal plastic. The polymer has a slightly different feel. Rest assured, you will learn to love it. It feels strong and resilient and definitely not cheap.

Hope this helps anyone who might be concerned about the cheap feeling or the potential to break it under normal use. You definitely won't break it as long as you aren't super hard on it like batoning or something. Don't know why anyone would do that with a blade under 3.5 inches but you get the idea.
 
just ordered the same knife today.
As far as the black vs blue. I think the blue is cool looking and I am usually not a huge fan of blue handles.
 
I like the FRCP handles. I'd be willing to buy some other "lightweight" models if they were produced. Great EDC potential.
 
The blue is pretty sweet. It's a nice change from black. You'll definitely like it. If you do get the black, you'd probably not notice much of a difference between black FRN and black FRCP handles as far the feeling goes. The trans blue colour kinda throws people off and gives the illusion of a cheaper looking/feeling material. Really the biggest difference is the weight. It's so darn light that I forget I have it on me. For its size, it's hard to believe it can be so light. Great for EDC.
 
It is light, i will give it that. Is wide in the pocket. The grind on mine is so bad i figure it will take years of sharpening to get it right. My 10 yr old son loves it, so it probably will go to him.
 
warlord260 said:
Is wide in the pocket.
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That's true, and it keeps me from carrying it a lot. But I otherwise love the knife - its crazy lightweight, well constructed and I have always had good luck with Spyderco's riveted knives. Love the blue and the wire clip. Even the blade finish is great.
 
I have one, but honestly can't say it's my favorite Manix 2. Here's my take on the knife:

There are some things I really like about it. A FFG blade on a regular production Manix 2 is awesome. The bi-directional texture is at least as grippy as the FRN handles on say, an Endura 4, and is also comfortable in a regular grip. And I LOVE Spyderco's wire clips. I know there are those who don't, but I think thay give just the right amount of grip, and the wire doesn't show scratches and wear like a regular clip.

There are a couple things that don't bother me either way.... The weight is something that I'm not concerned with. I've never had a pocket knife pull my pants down, and I've never felt that a couple extra ounces made a knife hard to use. CTS BD1 steel doesn't bother me. I know that it's probably not the performer that 154-CM or CPM S30V is, but I really don't hard use any of my knives, and BD1 will be fine for an EDC.

But there ARE a couple things that I really DON't like about this version compared to others. I don't like the pinned construction at all. Spyderco could have at least given us an adjustable pivot screw. Once this knife develops any side to side play it will be there forever. I know that Spyderco was going for a more value oriented version, but an adjustable pivot screw wouldn't have made THAT much difference in the construction costs. I also don't care for the solid back spacer compared to the open pillar design of the regular Manix 2. It makes maintaining the knife more difficult, and just doesn't look as good in my opinion.

All in all it's a good solid knife, but I wonder how many of these will develop side to side play down the road. Even the Tenacious line and most of the Byrd knives have adjustable pivots.
 
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Really? I must have an early model then. LOL That removes my biggest issue with the knife!
 
I have the manix 2 LW. I like it but don't love it. Handle actually looks nicer than I thought it would, but it does feel a bit cheap. I think it's plenty sturdy, I just don't like the feel of it. I also don't love the way the knife fits in my hand but that would go for all the manix knives I guess...this just happens to be the only one I have used. I can tell you this...since I got my pm2, the manix has not left the drawer. It's a good knife, but for my uses and my grip, it's just no contest between the two!
 
Surfingringo said:
I have the manix 2 LW. I like it but don't love it. Handle actually looks nicer than I thought it would, but it does feel a bit cheap. I think it's plenty sturdy, I just don't like the feel of it. I also don't love the way the knife fits in my hand but that would go for all the manix knives I guess...this just happens to be the only one I have used. I can tell you this...since I got my pm2, the manix has not left the drawer. It's a good knife, but for my uses and my grip, it's just no contest between the two!
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There would be no contest between the 2. I only got the manix lw because i couldnt get the pm2. Do like the clip though.
 
Here's a little update so far.

I really wanted to see how this knife steel performed and I used it for all my basic cutting tasks. So far, after a couple days with the knife doing regular EDC stuff like opening packages and boxes, cutting wrappers, and even a little food prep, the blade lost that super razor edge much faster than I expected. However, it still cuts amazing and has a fantastic working edge. Its by no means dull, but it couldn't shave hair off your arm like it did out of the box. I guess Im just used to the S30V steel of my PM2. My PM2 could go a few weeks and keep that scary sharp edge. So I did about 5 strokes on each side using my sharpmaker with the fine stones and it now has an even sharper edge than when I got it. So for anyone curious about BD1 steel, you can use this to help form your own opinion.
 
testosterone325 said:
Here's a little update so far.

I really wanted to see how this knife steel performed and I used it for all my basic cutting tasks. So far, after a couple days with the knife doing regular EDC stuff like opening packages and boxes, cutting wrappers, and even a little food prep, the blade lost that super razor edge much faster than I expected. However, it still cuts amazing and has a fantastic working edge. Its by no means dull, but it couldn't shave hair off your arm like it did out of the box. I guess Im just used to the S30V steel of my PM2. My PM2 could go a few weeks and keep that scary sharp edge. So I did about 5 strokes on each side using my sharpmaker with the fine stones and it now has an even sharper edge than when I got it. So for anyone curious about BD1 steel, you can use this to help form your own opinion.
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Good info! Actually, the steel is one of the things I like best about the knife. Super easy to sharpen, takes a razor edge, and holds a working edge pretty well. It's also a very corrosion resistant steel. Like i said, the manix ergos didnt fit my hand perfectly, but I would have no issues buying another knife made with bd-1.
 
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