My First Spyderco Arrived!

[Simsmac]

This past Thursday, the mailman left me a surprise: my brand new Manix 2! Yup, you guys convinced me. I fought a mental battle trying to decide whether to get a Delica/Endura FFG or a Manix 2, but the Manix won me over in the end. I'm glad I chose it. It's an awesome knife, and I love it to death already. So, I thought I'd celebrate by posting some of my first impressions, and some pictures of my newly acquired knife.

This is my first knife with G-10 scales, and actually the first time I've felt G-10. It's a very nice feeling material, especially with the texturing the Manix 2 has: it's grippy, but not super course or rough. I don't think it will do too much harm on my jean pockets, but only time will tell. I can definitely tell this is a full steel liner knife; it's pretty heavy, but that doesn't bother me much. I like the heft it has in-hand. The jimping on the Manix 2 is great, especially that on the thumb-ramp and choils. The larger jimping isn't as useful (to me), possibly because my hand is somewhat small, and doesn't come in contact with those areas of the knife as much. However, the knife still has great ergonomics. It is crazy comfortable in the hand. The CBB lock seems very sturdy. It's still pretty stiff, and difficult to actuate, but it's gotten a bit better since I first opened it. My thumb and forefinger are a bit raw from breaking it in. ;D The clip seems strong, but I would have liked it if it were less shiny. A matte or stonewashed silver clip, or maybe a black clip, would have been preferred for me. As for the blade, it came super sharp, as expected (I cut myself accidentally already :|).

Here are some pictures:

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I- ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_glz ... G_0026.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_N ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_glz ... G_0028.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/K2 ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl2 ... G_0032.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/k7 ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl2 ... G_0033.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G1 ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl3 ... G_0036.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h- ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmQ ... G_0042.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cZ ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmR ... G_0045.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Bs ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmT ... G_0048.JPG" /></a>

I also have a question regarding the knife:

When the blade is closed, there is a large amount of play in the blade, and the blade is not centered properly between the liners. It tends to list to the left (when viewed tip toward you), and I can press the blade into the center, but it always shifts back to the left. If I shake the knife, I can hear the blade clacking against the left liner. When the blade is open, the play is lessened, but still present. There is no vertical play, but there is a fair amount of horizontal play. Not enough to produce a clicking sound, but it is still noticeable. My question is, is this normal for a CBB lock knife? I'm not very familiar with this locking style, but I know that it is supposed to be "self adjusting," and I had heard good things about the lockup of the Manix 2 line, so I was surprised to find this issue. It's not exactly a deal-breaker, but it's somewhat of a disappointing aspect of this otherwise awesome knife.

Here are pictures of the blade centering:

This is the normal position it is in.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oV ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl4 ... G_0038.jpg" /></a>

This is about as far to the center I can get it without putting excessive force on the blade. However, it always shifts back to the left.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CE ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl4 ... G_0039.jpg" /></a>

Thanks,

Simsmac

[Simsmac]

PS: More pictures. :D

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WA ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl1 ... G_0030.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/R- ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmQ ... G_0043.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Yo ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmR ... G_0044.JPG" /></a>

Here's a closeup of the awesome texture on the G-10.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nw ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl1 ... G_0029.JPG" /></a>

[j3jymann]

The manix is a beast :D I'm sure you'll enjoy it tons and I doubt it will be your spyderco.

My tenacious has much the same problem of the blade being off-center BUT it's a linerlock and therefore expected. If you want to even it out a bit, try tightening/loosening the screw that controls the blade's tension.

I've never had problems with any of my non-linerlocking spydies being off center.

[flash900]

My Manix2 came this week and after seeing your post, I got out mine to compare.

It has none of the issues you describe. Blade is tight and centered, open and closed.

If it bothers you, I wouldn't hesitate to send it in for warranty service.

BTW: Despite all the descriptions about this thing being a tank, I still was taken aback by its size and heft. No question, Spyderco is giving you a lot for your money with this folder!

[tac]

The manix is a beast :D I'm sure you'll enjoy it tons and I doubt it will be your spyderco.

My tenacious has much the same problem of the blade being off-center BUT it's a linerlock and therefore expected. If you want to even it out a bit, try tightening/loosening the screw that controls the blade's tension.

I've never had problems with any of my non-linerlocking spydies being off center.

I'm confused here - why would being a liner lock mean the blade is expected to be off-center? The only Spydie I've had that wasn't nicely centered was one of my Endura's. :confused:

[j3jymann]

I'm confused here - why would being a liner lock mean the blade is expected to be off-center? The only Spydie I've had that wasn't nicely centered was one of my Endura's. :confused:

Because I have the tension loose enough that the liner lock pushes it a bit off to the side, I like it to be able to pop right open when I spyderdrop it instead of having to actually try to open it. If I actually tightened it up enough to where it was close to opening like a regular knife then it would sit in the center.

Liner locks push the blade to the side because well... that's how they work, they apply a springyness towards the center of the knife from the side so that they pop into the center and lock on the blade when it gets out of the way. When the blade is there, and they are pushing against it, the springyness is still there and it pushes it off slightly to the side.

I don't really know how else to explain this, I figured it was a well accepted fact, it's not like my blade is so loose that it pushes against the far liner but if I loosened up my tension enough it would be.

To get my tenacious to open as easy as I want it to I sacrifice my blade being off center by about .75 to 1 millimeters

[Murdoc]

Congrats to your first Spydie! And I made a similar choice back in 2006 when I bought my first bunch of them. Actually, the 2nd Spydie to hit me was the one on the bottom here:


Regarding the excessive play and the uncentered blade, I wouldn't hesitate to send it a) back to where you got it from (if that was a dealer) or b) send it to Golden for repair or replacement. Your very first Spidie should be better centered than that especially for a Golden made knife. Let them make it right, and in the meanwhile, buy yourself one of the new FFG colored FRN Delicas/Enduras :) You'll love them as well!

Welcome to the addiction and have a nice time here with us.

Dennis

EDIT: P.S.: I SWEAR I didn't realize you were in fact choosing between the Manix and one of the FFG D/E 4's when writing the original comment above, until I re-read your first post here :D Take it for a good sign and go for it. Maybe in purple? After polishing the clip, it is a real beauty! (By the way, my FIRST Spydie was a waved Delica )

P.P.S.: I apologize for the nasty fingerprint on the polished clip... didn't see it until I checked the pics on the PC!

[Simsmac]

BTW: Despite all the descriptions about this thing being a tank, I still was taken aback by its size and heft. No question, Spyderco is giving you a lot for your money with this folder!

Same. Even though I stared at pictures of it for weeks, it's different in reality than on my computer screen (imagine that :p ). It's a lot heavier than it looks. But I love it. It's heft and toughness makes me want to disassemble and reassemble my house with it. I bet it could do it. :cool:

My Manix2 came this week and after seeing your post, I got out mine to compare.

It has none of the issues you describe. Blade is tight and centered, open and closed.

If it bothers you, I wouldn't hesitate to send it in for warranty service.

BTW: Despite all the descriptions about this thing being a tank, I still was taken aback by its size and heft. No question, Spyderco is giving you a lot for your money with this folder!

Hmm, well, should I try adjusting the screws as j3jymann suggested (and which ones should I adjust)? Or should I just send it in to Spyderco? The slight play and off-center blade don't hurt it's functionality, but it does kinda bother me. :\ How long does Spyderco usually take to service a knife? I would hate to part with it for too long after having it for only three days.

Regarding the excessive play and the uncentered blade, I wouldn't hesitate to send it a) back to where you got it from (if that was a dealer) or b) send it to Golden for repair or replacement. Your very first Spidie should be better centered than that especially for a Golden made knife. Let them make it right, and in the meanwhile, buy yourself one of the new FFG colored FRN Delicas/Enduras :) You'll love them as well!

I hesitate to send it back to the dealer, as I bought it off of Ebay. Although the user I bought it from seems to actually be a store with an Ebay account (Poor Fish Outdoors), something tells me that Spyderco would have a faster turnaround time for an issue like this. Plus, I kinda want to test out the legendary Spyderco customer service I've heard so much about.

Thoughts and suggestions on moving forward would be most welcome. I need some guidance. :)

[Simsmac]

EDIT: P.S.: I SWEAR I didn't realize you were in fact choosing between the Manix and one of the FFG D/E 4's when writing the original comment above, until I re-read your first post here :D Take it for a good sign and go for it. Maybe in purple? After polishing the clip, it is a real beauty! (By the way, my FIRST Spydie was a waved Delica )

P.P.S.: I apologize for the nasty fingerprint on the polished clip... didn't see it until I checked the pics on the PC!

:D One of those colorful guys is on my list to buy next. An Endura, more specifically. Can't decide what color though. Either gray, or blue, probably. I can't decide if I want to go sophisticated or flashy looking... :)

[j3jymann]

Hmm, well, should I try adjusting the screws as j3jymann suggested (and which ones should I adjust)? Or should I just send it in to Spyderco? The slight play and off-center blade don't hurt it's functionality, but it does kinda bother me. :\
Thoughts and suggestions on moving forward would be most welcome. I need some guidance. :)

I doubt tightening it will really help because of the type of lock you have but it can't hurt, just realize that it only takes a bit either way, and open and close the blade to check that you're not making the blade difficult to open. (1/4 turn or so is probably all it needs at the absolute most)

I don't own a manix myself but from looking at it I'm sure the tension screw is...


If it doesn't work, even though it's your first spyderco... I'd deal with not having it for a week or few and get it set exactly how I expect it to be...

The customer service at spyderco is absolutely amazing.

[tac]

Because I have the tension loose enough that the liner lock pushes it a bit off to the side, I like it to be able to pop right open when I spyderdrop it instead of having to actually try to open it. If I actually tightened it up enough to where it was close to opening like a regular knife then it would sit in the center.

Liner locks push the blade to the side because well... that's how they work, they apply a springyness towards the center of the knife from the side so that they pop into the center and lock on the blade when it gets out of the way. When the blade is there, and they are pushing against it, the springyness is still there and it pushes it off slightly to the side.

I don't really know how else to explain this, I figured it was a well accepted fact, it's not like my blade is so loose that it pushes against the far liner but if I loosened up my tension enough it would be.

To get my tenacious to open as easy as I want it to I sacrifice my blade being off center by about .75 to 1 millimeters

Gotcha - you expect the blade to be off-center because you loosen up the tension. I don't loosen up the tension on my linerlocks, and I don't expect them to be off-center. And they're not. :) Your prior post sounded like the blade should be expected to be off-center simply because it's a linerlock. That was the source of my confusion.

[Murdoc]

On these new Manixes, they use a new system where the pivot is made of ONE central piece where TWO pivot screws go in from either side (if I remember correctly here... I think there are some pics of that central piece somewhere) [EDIT: ...and and here it is. And maybe that one will be of some help, too.]

Even IF tightening the 2 pivot screws would lessen or eliminate the blade play, it is quite possible that the blade still would be uncentered since it is impossible to push it further than to the middle right now, and due to the mentioned construction of the pivot.

It would never hurt to try tightening it first though... unless you don't own a fitting torx driver of course. It would be great to solve a small problem just by yourself that way :)

It sucks to be without your beloved Spydie for a few weeks, but a) you can look forward to a perfect one (hopefully) to come back to you and b) it is a perfect reason to in the meantime buy that blue FFG Endura you were lurking around anyway :D

Dennis

[Simsmac]

I tried to fiddle with the pivot screws, but they were in pretty tight to begin with. Tightening and loosening them didn't seem to have much of an effect on the play (open or closed). I guess it'll need to be repaired/replaced. Is this something Spyderco can fix, or do I need to get a replacement from the dealer I purchased it from?

[merthyrmafia]

PS: More pictures. :D

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WA ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl1 ... G_0030.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/R- ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmQ ... G_0043.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Yo ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gmR ... G_0044.JPG" /></a>

Here's a closeup of the awesome texture on the G-10.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nw ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O9q8X121WxA/S_gl1 ... G_0029.JPG" /></a>

Very good set of Photogrphs, nicely put together.

[Simsmac]

Very good set of Photogrphs, nicely put together.

Thanks. :D They could've used a bit more lighting, but they turned out pretty good, considering I was using a point and shoot. I was surprised at how good the macro shot of the G-10 turned out. :)

[Simsmac]

I tried to fiddle with the pivot screws, but they were in pretty tight to begin with. Tightening and loosening them didn't seem to have much of an effect on the play (open or closed). I guess it'll need to be repaired/replaced. Is this something Spyderco can fix, or do I need to get a replacement from the dealer I purchased it from?

Hmm, upon further research, looks like the dealer I got it from doesn't do exchanges or repairs.

If you would like a repair or replacement instead of a return, please contact the manufacturer. Items are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

:| Well, guess that answers that question.

Thoughts on whether or not this can be repaired by Spyderco would be greatly appreciated. :)

[Pneumothorax]

Simsac, this issue has come up in other threads on Manix 2. I think this closed blade play is due to the special pivot. Mine is just like yours, but its not to worry about. If you start opening the blade, you can get play all the way until its almost open. When open, there is zero blade play. That's all that really counts - I've only seen this on my Manix 2 with this pivot. With the info I read in other threads, Im good with it. So, I would bet that its really not out of spec, but Im sure Spydie Customer Care would take a good look at it for you.

[monsterdog]

I don't own a manix myself but from looking at it I'm sure the tension screw is...

THIS WILL NOT WORK because of the way this knife is built.

I just read the whole thread, post #12 has all the necessary information. Sorry for posting without reading it all.

[Simsmac]

Simsac, this issue has come up in other threads on Manix 2. I think this closed blade play is due to the special pivot. Mine is just like yours, but its not to worry about. If you start opening the blade, you can get play all the way until its almost open. When open, there is zero blade play. That's all that really counts - I've only seen this on my Manix 2 with this pivot. With the info I read in other threads, Im good with it. So, I would bet that its really not out of spec, but Im sure Spydie Customer Care would take a good look at it for you.

I don't mind the play when it's closed, but mine has horizontal play when it's open, which bothers me.

THIS WILL NOT WORK because of the way this knife is built.

I just read the whole thread, post #12 has all the necessary information. Sorry for posting without reading it all.

Not a problem. Adjusting the screws didn't work, so it looks like I'll have to send this in to Spyderco. I'll email them first to make sure this is something that can be remedied.

[ChapmanPreferred]

I bet they would like to take a look at it for R&D purposes.