First off, I just got a Mantra 2. I had avoided it for a long time, especially since flippers are my least favorite opening system and in light of the contentious "bearing issue". But now that they're $120 on closeout and I had some loyalty points to redeem it seemed like time to grab one!
Next, I *really* like the design, everything about it except that to get that great blade shape it had to be a dedicated flipper. The bearings in mine seem fair, but not amazing and as I'd expect from a brand-new bearing race they're just a hint tight, the flipping action is a bit stiff now, but I'm expecting it to wear in and be super smooth in a few weeks.
The musing part comes now... why did Spyderco decide to go with bearings in this design? It's slim enough that a shaped race system (like most good bearing flippers have) would have been pretty crowded in the pivot as designed, so why not go with PB washers? Is the market really so attached to the tech weenie appeal of bearings, that the knife wouldn't have sold with washers? And why is it that undistinguished Chinese makers can crank out $50 retail D2 bladed flippers all day long that have smooth, bomb-proof flipping action right out of the box? ...not that any of those knives is in the Mantra's league in any sense aside from the flipping action and bearing durability.
Also Sal, Eric and Co. are known to carry prototypes and use them extensively before going to market with a design, wouldn't you think that somone in the testing phase would have messed with the Mantra in an abusive way to see how well the knife held up as a system under the conditions that some users might put it through? Spyderco may not be a flipper one-trick like some makers, but this series certainly wasn't their first try at it.
Which brings me back around to the knife its self... I really like this design and I'm already plotting its eventual conversion to washers, though I'm glad to stick with the bearings if they never give me any trouble! I'm also looking forward to the factory edge getting dull enough for me to justify a full reprofile and polished edge sharpening, it already cuts well, but a few degree lower bevel is just going to make it that much better

I hope that this knife gets a re-issue with washers, or a sorted out bearing system some day, it really is a fantastic design. It dissapears in pocket even more so than a regular Delica LW, which is impresive when you take into account the longer edge and solid Ti scales. I think I can see a Mantra 3 in my future eventually... Thanks Eric!