My dad and I have a tradition of shopping for each others Christmas presents. It’s easier to just say “you have x amount of money, what do you want?” than trying to guess. This year, I decided that my gift from him would be a Spyderco Manix 2.
I’ve been interested in Benchmade’s Axis lock for a while, and carried either a Spyderco Endura or Delica for years. For whatever reason, Benchmade’s Griptilian just hasn’t grabbed me. The Manix 2 basically has Spyderco’s take on the Axis lock, but has Spyderco’s signature look and feel. I’ve handled one in the past, but wasn’t able to purchase it at the time.
So, I had my dad order me one. And this guy showed up on my door a few days later.
I played with it for a little while, and something just didn’t feel right. I finally figured out that I had accidentally had him order the “lightweight” version of the knife. They made it lightweight primarily by removing all the metal that they could. They’ve managed to cut the knife down from 5oz to 3oz. This savings is almost entirely in the handle (the metal of the blade is also different, which I assume is done for weight reasons), which means the balance feels off. The all plastic handle also just feels cheap. I’m sure it’s up to abuse, but it just doesn’t feel like it.
Fortunately, the order was through Amazon, so, after calling my dad, we set up a return and ordered the right one. and this guy showed up today.
This one feels a lot better. I don’t think it’s purely the weight, since my standard EDC Endura weighs in at less than 4oz. I handed the two knives to my wife (very much not a knife person), and she told me that the lightweight one felt like crap and I should get rid of it.
I will say that I like the “Volcano” grip pattern on the lightweight knife over the generic rough texture on the heavier knife. That said, the lightweight one is definitely going back.
One comes in, one goes out. Note the different grip patterns and different pocket clips.
Interestingly, the lightweight actually has more material on the spine. I’m guessing it’s needed to provided extra structural support.
