Manix 83: NOT A SCREWDRIVER!

uhiforgot · #1

For about a month-and-a-half before Christmas, I started researching blade steel and different handles to get a new knife for my brother. His then current CRKT was thoroughly mangled beyond salvage (wish I had pics), and was confiscated at the airport when he forgot to check it as baggage. The search began, of course, with Spyderco. And after searching many brands and designs, the search concluded where it began. Let's lay forth the criteria for the knife overall:

1) MUST keep a great edge - my brother will cut things that are not supposed to be cut with your average EDC such as roof shingles, sand paper, drywall (when it becomes an obstacle), etc. You get the idea...

2) MUST have G10 - Stainless can get pretty slippery in sweaty/greasy hands, and FRN would be destroyed inside a month.

3) MUST have liners - G10 by itself is great, but when being used occasionally in place of a small hammer, even G10 is gonna get chewed-up pretty bad.

4) MUST be able to handle occasional prying - this should never be done to any knife EVER, but it is done anyway, and there is no stopping it. Blade geometry and thickness were major factor here.

5) Handle MUST be able to open a beer bottle when used as a lever against a human hand - See #2 and #3.

6) MUST be able to handle the "dumbs**t factor" - this area includes all necessary criteria not necessarily listed above, including minor catastrophes, acts of God, or pure undeniable stupidity.

To make a long story short: The Manix 83 CE fit the bill, and at the time I was able to order it through my job at a sporting goods store.

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Today I mentioned that I had my sharpmaker with me and in the middle of asking me to sharpen it he says "Look what I did!" Flicks it open to show me that he's broken about 1.5 mm of the tip off by using it as a phillips screwdriver. (Have pics, will post later)

I was able to file it back to a nice point (forgot to take pics, will get some later) and make it scary sharp again...

...Then I gave him a lecture about not being a dumbs**t.

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The tip breaking was NOT the knife's fault, so overall it seems like this knife has lived up to every expectation I had in handing it to my brother: The edge keeps VERY well, the blade is still straight and has no play, it fills up the hand and always offers a positive grip, and you can barely see the bottle opener scars at all on the G10. Who among us has a knife that is used harder than this on a regular basis? And can it hang as well as this Mini-Manix has?

-Jeff

vampyrewolf · #2

You *have* heard what I put my ss dragonfly though haven't you? :p

Lets just say that when I kill it, it's not going back to warrenty unless I was to have them start laughing hysterically(or cowering in a corner). It's on me 24/7, and has been used HARD since august 2001.

I'll have to take new pics, last ones are a year old but they're in the forum a few places. I use my 'fly to cut stuff I wouldn't even try with a cheaper vnox. Drywall, wires(stripping & cutting), cable ties, OSB, 2x4 trimming, light prying, screwdriver duty, hammer duty, whittling... you name it, I use it.

skcusloa · #3

I don't think he could destroy any frn handled knife unless he twisted it really bad.

I think a delica 4 would be better for him. It won't be long enough to get enough leverage to break it, unless he's trying to break it.

ghostrider · #4

For future reference, you might think about getting him a Atwood Prybaby. They are not very big and would accompany his 83mm Manix nicely.

CopilotATS-55 · #5

ghostrider wrote:For future reference, you might think about getting him a Atwood Prybaby. They are not very big and would accompany his 83mm Manix nicely.

that would be good to have :)

Michael Cook · #6

:spyder: a strider with their no question warantee may work well for this chap. Why would one use a knife as a hammer? :spyder:

uhiforgot · #7

Michael Cook wrote: :spyder: a strider with their no question warantee may work well for this chap. Why would one use a knife as a hammer? :spyder:

When slithering under houses through generally unpleasant stuff, one is typically not willing to spend extra time slithering back and forth to ensure use of the proper tools. And other stuff like that...

-Jeff

CopilotATS-55 · #8

uhiforgot wrote:When slithering under houses through generally unpleasant stuff, one is typically not willing to spend extra time slithering back and forth to ensure use of the proper tools. And other stuff like that...

-Jeff

very true :D

rcbalt2 · #9

uhiforgot wrote:When slithering under houses through generally unpleasant stuff, one is typically not willing to spend extra time slithering back and forth to ensure use of the proper tools. And other stuff like that...

-Jeff

Maybe a good tool belt would be a good investment. Mine was invaluable when I worked construction.

GarageBoy · #10

Get him a SAK or a multi tool..

uhiforgot · #11

rcbalt2 wrote:Maybe a good tool belt would be a good investment. Mine was invaluable when I worked construction.

Tool belt has lots of things to snag on pipes and other obstacles when house slithering, as well as lots of things to fall out and lose. There's the essential tools in-hand (and clipped in-pocket :p ), and everything else is just in the way. Believe me, there's a time and place for a tool belt, and in a space barely as wide as I am thick is not one of them. Let's not leave out the occasional mid-summer attic crawling sessions either...

-Jeff

rcbalt2 · #12

uhiforgot wrote:Tool belt has lots of things to snag on pipes and other obstacles when house slithering, as well as lots of things to fall out and lose. There's the essential tools in-hand (and clipped in-pocket :p ), and everything else is just in the way. Believe me, there's a time and place for a tool belt, and in a space barely as wide as I am thick is not one of them. Let's not leave out the occasional mid-summer attic crawling sessions either...

-Jeff

True didn't think about that