CPM 15v Manix 2

[R100]

I'm late to the discussion, but I would have expected 15V to appear in a "gents knife" package, perhaps a Chaparral or similar. I don't associate extreme edge holding and low toughness with a burly knife like the Manix. Am I wrong to think that? Perhaps you can enlighten me.

Just the same, kudos to Spyderco for bringing the latest supersteels to market, and for their willingness to collaborate, which appears to be written into Spyderco's DNA. And thanks also to BBB for facilitating a Spyderco dream knife.

It seems like 15V is a steel that can really do some work so the Manix 2 platform makes sense to me. Plenty of steel and well supported by the blade shape. I hope I can get one and I intend to use it as a field knife. In the past I have favoured softer tougher steels that make it easy to repair edge damage far from home. Shawn has pointed out the value of hard, high edge stability steels that keep their sharpness and I have been trying this lately. K390 is a revelation and even ZDP189 has been way better than I thought it would be. I have gone from easily repaired edge rolling with tough soft steels to no damage at all! I must not be as rough on edges as I thought and 15V might be my ideal steel. I can't wait to find out.

Dan

[Deadboxhero]

People are making it sound like the Manix 2 is like an ESEE 6. I think folks should remember that Maxamet is also in a Manix 2 LW and Maxamet is less tough than 15V.


Comparing to a PM2 you'll notice the geometries are comparable although empirically you could see there are subtle differences.

While the Manix 2 is not a laser, it's certainly not a knife where hard use means abuse.

I know that people are obsessed with locks and different strengths of the locks. In my opinion, just because a knife has a strong lock doesn't mean you should repel off of it as an anchor point, nor does the super strong lock turn your knife into a paint scraper, pry bar or screwdriver for obvious reasons.

[Deadboxhero]

Joe, I might be mistaken but I believe you are talking about a bead blast which technically is the worst finish for corrosion resistance since it creates a rougher surface with small pockets for corrosion to take its bite .


An advantage of a stone wash is that it does polish out the rougher machining marks, this is an improvement from a coarse belt finish and a bead blast in my experience.

If I am not mistaken the stonewash helps against corrosion or is it the others way around?

I've been hearing this a lot lately. In my experience stone wash is one of the worst with mirror polish being the best at delaying the oxidation. Look at it under a microscope and it's easy to see why.

[Deadboxhero]

The CPM 15v Manix 2 will have a stone wash finish.

Just a passing observation, but the images of the knife don’t really look like it’s satin to me. Or maybe it’s just different from the typical satin.

Good observation, it is a stonewash.

the spyderco website specifies satin for this one. is that a mistake, or will they be satin when the rest are released? not a big deal, obviously. i'm just curious.

[Deadboxhero]

Thank you Bolster, if folks like K390 and Maxamet, they will certainly like CPM 15V as a nice balance in between.

I'm late to the discussion, but I would have expected 15V to appear in a "gents knife" package, perhaps a Chaparral or similar. I don't associate extreme edge holding and low toughness with a burly knife like the Manix. Am I wrong to think that? Perhaps you can enlighten me.

Just the same, kudos to Spyderco for bringing the latest supersteels to market, and for their willingness to collaborate, which appears to be written into Spyderco's DNA. And thanks also to BBB for facilitating a Spyderco dream knife.

[ladybug93]

i think it's because the manix is seen as a workhorse. and maybe since the knives you make in 15v have a thinner blade, they are just surprised to see the manix as the platform for your collaboration with spyderco. after watching you stab a police into a brick and call it a thick geometry (i forget your actual words), i would think you'd consider the manix a hard use knife too.

i agree, the esee 6 it is not, but it's a great balance of beefy and agile for me. i can do anything i need to for edc and have the peace of mind knowing i can count on it if i have to oust it farther. seems to me like that's a good platform for the kind of properties 15v has to offer.

[ladybug93]

The CPM 15v Manix 2 will have a stone wash finish.

Just a passing observation, but the images of the knife don’t really look like it’s satin to me. Or maybe it’s just different from the typical satin.

Good observation, it is a stonewash.

the spyderco website specifies satin for this one. is that a mistake, or will they be satin when the rest are released? not a big deal, obviously. i'm just curious.

dang... how do i get my cfo to approve another manix.

[Deadboxhero]

Honestly I was surprised, I found most Facebook groups to be rather toxic. Thomas and Jason have built an excellent environment for discussing spyderco knives that has a nice balance between collectors, sharpeners and users with low drama.

Well, I talked to the guys on the Facebook group.
...
If you haven't gotten a chance to check out the Spyderco Millie, PM2, Para 3 group I highly recommend it, there's a lot of cool pictures and video content from people that like to share their favorite Spydercos and discuss them.
It's a very friendly place and they would love to have you come visit and hang out.

Thanks for the Millie club shoutout! We have created a very unique, non toxic, supportive, extremely active, and highly knowledgeable Facebook group. The Millie club is honestly unlike any other knife group and reason enough alone to be on Facebook. We welcome you all! It’s my internet home base. Spyderco Millie,PM2, Para 3 Club join us.

I don't want to sound like a commercial.
The Spyderco Millie, PM2, Para 3 Facebook group is a really positive group.
This is honestly pretty surprising for a Facebook knife group. The moderators really do a great job.

--Christian

[R100]

Can someone explain to me, why the Manix is seen as a strong, heavy use knife? Bolster isn't the first one to mention that. I, personally, never have seen the Manix as the heavy knife, that fights you through the jungle. I mean, the blade is kind a short, if you want to use it as a chopper or as a knife to baton and the sharp part is even shorter, due to the choil. Sure, the blade is not the thinnest out there, but also far away from the thickest. It shure is sturdy and the lock is solid, but these points also apply to a lot of other Spydercos. What is so special about the Manix? Because, I personally would not call most folders, made for heavy use. Or am I missinterpreting the heavy use here?

I don't want to be mean to anyone, and I hope this does not sound provoking, I just want to know, how the Manix is so differnet to most other knives made by Spyderco, or even other brands.

As some one who has spent a fair bit of time in jungles I can tell you a pocket knife will be no use to you as a hacking tool. Good jungle hacking tools have long blades with thin stock. A cane knife is better than a machete for this reason. If you are going to baton then the lock will be the issue, not the blade, and the CBBL is about as strong as it gets. To me it is silly to compromise knife design for imaginary uses like some designers do. Have a Medford as an art piece but don't pretend it is a useful knife. Heavy use to me is about feeling confident to apply a lot of force in cuts and not about non-knife uses. Think of everything people used to do in the past with traditional folders then take a look at a Manix. The Manix is a hard use knife.

Dan

[The Mastiff]

Joe, I might be mistaken but I believe you are talking about a bead blast which technically is the worst finish for corrosion resistance since it creates a rougher surface with small pockets for corrosion to take its bite .


An advantage of a stone wash is that it does polish out the rougher machining marks, this is an improvement from a coarse belt finish and a bead blast in my experience.

I never thought of there being much difference between them but it makes sense. I wouldn't want to pay for having these high wear steels polished to a mirror finish anyways. Mirror has it's issues too.

Those are fine looking knives Shawn. Hopefully I'll be able to track one down after a payday. :)

[The Mastiff]

double tap

[Deadboxhero]

The police 4 G10 is actually thicker behind the edge than a Manix 2.

The factory edge on this Manix 2 I received is 16.5° per side (dps) with a subtle hollow to the bevel (all factory edges have this from Spyderco) which would be slightly more delicate than a convex that people naturally create from any form of freehand sharpening including the sharp maker.

When it comes to chasing durability over sharpness and cutting ability. Thicker edge geometry the King over purely just the steel itself. This is why edge angles are so personal and why you can't give people an exact number of what will work best for everybody's needs, uses and not to mention just plain old preferences.


If I wanted an edge that I did not have to worry about if I'm going freehand I'll hold the edge at 20° per side (dps) which will have some convexity increasing the angle towards the apex anywhere from ~22° to 25° dps near the very tip which is different than at the shoulder (this is convexity; multiple angles blended together seamlessly)

If I'm using a fixed angle system the bevel is flatter for the given edge angle so there is less support at the Apex compared to the same angle somebody is saying they are free-handing at.

So I would rock a 25° per side if I'm scared of edge damage and reckless with use; what the edge makes contact with or using for non slicing/cutting purposes.

It's pretty straightforward, if the edge is not cutting the way you want go acute, if the edge is getting damaged for your uses go more obtuse.

i think it's because the manix is seen as a workhorse. and maybe since the knives you make in 15v have a thinner blade, they are just surprised to see the manix as the platform for your collaboration with spyderco. after watching you stab a police into a brick and call it a thick geometry (i forget your actual words), i would think you'd consider the manix a hard use knife too.

i agree, the esee 6 it is not, but it's a great balance of beefy and agile for me. i can do anything i need to for edc and have the peace of mind knowing i can count on it if i have to oust it farther. seems to me like that's a good platform for the kind of properties 15v has to offer.

[EvilWiffles]

Love me a Manix 2. I already have two (s30v and Cruwear). Both been abused and finishes worn down and dinged.
Looks like a sweet deal to me, I don't have enough Spyders w/o the DLC finish!

[Eli Chaps]

I'm a lover of the Manix 2 LW. I'm less of a fan of the standard model only because of well, weight, and I don't like the jimping. I sand it right off the LW models.

I've hammered on my M2LW's but I also do not understand the notion of these being hard-use knives. They are outstanding utility knives and I love 'em but you start doing hard-grip work and you'll feel it before long. That is no way a knock on the M2 in any configuration. Most pocket knives are like that. We want them thin for ease of carry and that's the trade off.

Hence the Shaman but then people initially complained it was too fat in the pocket.

Shawn carved African black wood with the factory edge. I mean, what more do you need out of your pocket knife???!!!

[aaronkb]

Just one guy’s opinion, but here are some of the reasons I consider the Manix 2 to be one of the more abusable knives I’ve used (emphasis on “more abusable” because hard use is for fixed blades):

-Larger pivot
-THICC liners
-Hefty backspacer, screwed to the liners in two places, serves as stop pin
-Ball bearing lock is considered extremely strong
-Thicker tip than PM2

It can’t compare to a Shaman, but I still think the Manix 2 is a tank of a folder (as far as folders go).

As for pairing that with a “low toughness” steel that emphasizes edge retention, the Manix has good ergos for lots of cutting and the stronger tip probably reduces the likelihood of it breaking because accidents happen.

For the same reasons, I’d love to see a Shaman or PM2 tanto (bonus points for combination of slicey hollow grind but beefy tip) in 15v.

[awa54]

...

In the test I'm cutting into hard african blackwood with a side load and scraping cuts, this is clear misuse of a knife edge and not what it's intended for. The 15V it's not the toughest steel but it does have enough strength to hold up to some misuse within reason.
...

I trimmed a small cutoff tail from the base of a blackwood shaving brush handle I had turned, using my Elmax Urban and despite the cuts being made with no twisting motion (paring slices made toward the thumb with good control) the edge had massive chipping from that one task...

Well done!

by the way, saying that African blackwood is "hard" is a fairly serious understatement

[Bolster]

People are making it sound like the Manix 2 is like an ESEE 6. I think folks should remember that Maxamet is also in a Manix 2 LW and Maxamet is less tough than 15V.

Geez. I said the Manix was 'burly,' which it is, I didn't say it was as stout as an ESEE fixed blade, or a spear, or a chisel. No need to put words in my mouth to make a point. Yes I'm aware of other high ER steels in the Manix. That's not what my question was about though...it was about the (IMO) practicality of high ER steels in knives that are more likely to be given slicing duties rather exclusively. My Chap gets slicing duties only. I don't submit it to the rigors that I do a Manix.

Bottom line: I'm more inclined to buy high ER low T steels in smaller, thinner bladed, "slicey" knives. Given the blowback for what I thought was a benign comment, perhaps I'm the only one.

[Deadboxhero]

People are making it sound like the Manix 2 is like an ESEE 6. I think folks should remember that Maxamet is also in a Manix 2 LW and Maxamet is less tough than 15V.

Geez. I said the Manix was 'burly,' which it is, I didn't say it was as stout as an ESEE fixed blade, or a spear, or a chisel. No need to put words in my mouth to make a point. Yes I'm aware of other high ER steels in the Manix. That's not what my question was about though...it was about the (IMO) practicality of high ER steels in knives that are more likely to be given slicing duties rather exclusively. My Chap gets slicing duties only. I don't submit it to the rigors that I do a Manix.

Bottom line: I'm more inclined to buy high ER low T steels in smaller, thinner bladed, "slicey" knives. Given the blowback for what I thought was a benign comment, perhaps I'm the only one.

Take a deep breath, if I would have directed that at you specifically I would have quoted you.

So I did not "put words in your mouth."

You are not the only one that likes really thin slicing knives. Your opinions are appreciated.

I happen to like laser thin knives so much, I make them.

Thank you for jumping into the 15V thread and sharing your thoughts, it's nothing personal if opinions don't match.

[Deadboxhero]

...

In the test I'm cutting into hard african blackwood with a side load and scraping cuts, this is clear misuse of a knife edge and not what it's intended for. The 15V it's not the toughest steel but it does have enough strength to hold up to some misuse within reason.
...

I trimmed a small cutoff tail from the base of a blackwood shaving brush handle I had turned, using my Elmax Urban and despite the cuts being made with no twisting motion (paring slices made toward the thumb with good control) the edge had massive chipping from that one task...

Well done!

by the way, saying that African blackwood is "hard" is a fairly serious understatement

Thanks man, I'll get a longer video up discussing things in more detail.

[Deadboxhero]

Joe, I might be mistaken but I believe you are talking about a bead blast which technically is the worst finish for corrosion resistance since it creates a rougher surface with small pockets for corrosion to take its bite .


An advantage of a stone wash is that it does polish out the rougher machining marks, this is an improvement from a coarse belt finish and a bead blast in my experience.

I never thought of there being much difference between them but it makes sense. I wouldn't want to pay for having these high wear steels polished to a mirror finish anyways. Mirror has it's issues too.

Those are fine looking knives Shawn. Hopefully I'll be able to track one down after a payday. :)

Yeah could you imagine the cost and abrasives to polish all the way up to a mirror? That would be pretty wild, not worth having a "fingerprint magnet" either imho.