Spyderco Forums

I may get mine cerakoted.

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

Very much looking forward to testing if they tamed Maxamet with the new PM2 a little more (shipped this morning :) ).

TomAiello wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:42 am

I actually have a Maxamet Para 3, and I prefer it to the Para 2. I'm just not a PM2 guy (although I have to admit I have my m390 PM2 in my pocket as I type this...so maybe my hypocrisy is showing too).

I got your back... :cool:

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:54 am

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

How is K390 treating you? I have found it to be fairly tough, while still lining up really well in edge holding.

My experience with Maxamet has been better than yours, but I also habitually carry a fixed blade so I rarely crank on my folders very hard.

I have a K390 PW fixed blade that is probably my "last, best knife". I'd never give that one up.


I still really want to know what the deal is with the snapped Maxamet blades. Counting yours, I know of 3, and I've never had an issue with mine. All the reports were from fairly minor usage too (certainly things I've done with my Maxamet Manix). It's really weird.

Just placed my order at BHQ. In stock now

@DirtBcGirt Thank you good sir! So much for the in stock reminder I setup on BHQ last night.

Out of stock @ BHQ

TomAiello wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 12:36 pm

How is K390 treating you? I have found it to be fairly tough, while still lining up really well in edge holding.

Except for corrosion sensitivity _very_ well, Tom. One of my P4s dropped from 1m on a tile floor - tip first - in the kitchen. Only lost maybe a mm of the tip, was quite easy to fix.

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:54 am

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

Very much looking forward to testing if they tamed Maxamet with the new PM2 a little more (shipped this morning :) ).

Can you elaborate on the blade breaking? I'm just curious what happened. I only have a mule in Maxamet and it's been pretty stable.

VashHash wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 2:50 pm

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:54 am

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

Very much looking forward to testing if they tamed Maxamet with the new PM2 a little more (shipped this morning :) ).

Can you elaborate on the blade breaking? I'm just curious what happened. I only have a mule in Maxamet and it's been pretty stable.

I'm curious also.....Torsional force maybe?

James

Extra330SC wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 3:23 pm

VashHash wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 2:50 pm

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:54 am

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

Very much looking forward to testing if they tamed Maxamet with the new PM2 a little more (shipped this morning :) ).

Can you elaborate on the blade breaking? I'm just curious what happened. I only have a mule in Maxamet and it's been pretty stable.

I'm curious also.....Torsional force maybe?

James

Yes. Torsional force on a 2x4. Blade broke right through the Spydie-hole. I mostly blame myself (folders are no pry-bars and all that), and have used Maxamet blades strictly for cutting since then. Note also that the broken Maxamet Manix 2 blade was mounted in steel liners, not the stock / elastic light-weight handle.

Then again, I normally carry only one knife and use it for whatever happens that day; Maxamet was off the market for a reason and yesterday came back, maybe it's a little tougher now. Not expecting Cruwear levels in any case.

Roland.

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 4:25 pm

Then again, I normally carry only one knife and use it for whatever happens that day; Maxamet was off the market for a reason and yesterday came back, maybe it's a little tougher now. Not expecting Cruwear levels in any case.

This is why I have always been surprised about Maxamet being a production model. It seems more suited to sprints and exclusives where AFIs who know the risks would be the majority of those buying it. With a production model, you have Joe knife buyer who sees a Maxamet blade on a website where it literally states "some of the best toughness" in the description, and you are inevitably going to see damage as users push the boundaries of a steel that seems to be more prone to chipping and fracturing due to super high hardness.

From GP Knives Maxamet Native description

"High speed tool steel blade ground to a very sharp cutting edge that will provide some of the best edge retention and toughness on the market."

I sold my Maxamet blades due to this. I would buy a DLC Para 3 LW just to have one, but I wouldn't EDC it. It would be reserved for home use on materials that I know aren't going to possibly chip it.

steelcity16 wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 4:41 pm

From GP Knives Maxamet Native description

"High speed tool steel blade ground to a very sharp cutting edge that will provide some of the best edge retention and toughness on the market."

This is normally true for high speed tool steels with lower carbide content, like cpm-m4, rex45 and others. Maxamet is in another ballpark (to put it mildly) compared to those when it comes to wear resistance.

I've torqued the mule and native edge in hardwood with no damage, but never the whole blade.

I cut open some cans with 30 degree inclusive edge and chipped it, partly due to the tall blade, which causes higher sideways force to the edge cutting a curve. ~35 degrees doing the same thing, no damage.

The broken blade reports make me wary of getting too rough with it.

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 4:25 pm

Extra330SC wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 3:23 pm

VashHash wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 2:50 pm

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:54 am

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

Very much looking forward to testing if they tamed Maxamet with the new PM2 a little more (shipped this morning :) ).

Can you elaborate on the blade breaking? I'm just curious what happened. I only have a mule in Maxamet and it's been pretty stable.

I'm curious also.....Torsional force maybe?

James

Yes. Torsional force on a 2x4. Blade broke right through the Spydie-hole. I mostly blame myself (folders are no pry-bars and all that), and have used Maxamet blades strictly for cutting since then. Note also that the broken Maxamet Manix 2 blade was mounted in steel liners, not the stock / elastic light-weight handle.

Then again, I normally carry only one knife and use it for whatever happens that day; Maxamet was off the market for a reason and yesterday came back, maybe it's a little tougher now. Not expecting Cruwear levels in any case.

Roland.

Yeah as much as I love spyderco and ffg blades a hole in the blade doesn't make it stronger. Ffg is probably the weakest for prying too. I bent an original S30V para prying 2x4s apart myself. Luckily it was just the tip and it didn't snap. Just took a slight set. I didn't want to trying bending it back past the set for fear of snapping it. Do you think cruwear would have held up better in that situation with the same model and stock thickness? I know toughness is relative just wonder if the blade steel would have made a big difference. I remember when the ZDP mules were too hard and cracked just from people trying to put scales on them. Then there was one mule that had to be sent back because it was too soft and was bending. I just don't remember what steel and when they came out again I never repurchased.

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 4:25 pm

Extra330SC wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 3:23 pm

VashHash wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 2:50 pm

ferider wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 11:54 am

My Maxamet PM3 developed lock stick (liners too soft?), one of my Maxamet Manix 2 blades broke, and I've had plenty of chips on both Maxamet PM2 and PM3.

Very much looking forward to testing if they tamed Maxamet with the new PM2 a little more (shipped this morning :) ).

Can you elaborate on the blade breaking? I'm just curious what happened. I only have a mule in Maxamet and it's been pretty stable.

I'm curious also.....Torsional force maybe?

James

Yes. Torsional force on a 2x4. Blade broke right through the Spydie-hole. I mostly blame myself (folders are no pry-bars and all that), and have used Maxamet blades strictly for cutting since then. Note also that the broken Maxamet Manix 2 blade was mounted in steel liners, not the stock / elastic light-weight handle.

Then again, I normally carry only one knife and use it for whatever happens that day; Maxamet was off the market for a reason and yesterday came back, maybe it's a little tougher now. Not expecting Cruwear levels in any case.

Roland.

Thank you for detailed explanation! Your thinking more force was applied to the blade with the steel liners then would have through the lightweight scales ....which would have absorbed some lateral movement?

James

Hmmm. Maybe what we need is a K390 Manix 2?

Better yet, a k390 sage or native.

Na... make it a para3!

TomAiello wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2019 8:55 pm

Hmmm. Maybe what we need is a K390 Manix 2?

That would be great! Or even a Para 2.

I may pass on the PM2 in Maxamet. I am glad to have Maxamet in the Native, but all this talk about snapping has me worried about a bigger blade. But I don't do prying on things all that often (but it only takes once).

On the other hand, these are going out of stock so fast, that the choice is pretty much out of my hands. A great knife no doubt, especially when you respect its limitations and restrict yourself to endless cutting rather than prying! And hats off to Spyderco for persevering with getting these made. If more come along, I will certainly be tempted. The Para 2 is still my favorite. If I could choose between K390 and Maxamet, I just might choose the K390 though.