Want to go to the big leagues....Manix 2 XL or Military

[prsman]

Hello,

I’m not a regular poster, but I must say, I’m a serious forum reader. There’s so much great information on this site (thanks!).

I have a PM2, Spydiechef, dragonfly salt and a tenacious. After going back and forth with these knives for years, I want to go bigger. My first choice would be a leaf shaped Caribbean but there are none to be found up in Canada.

My next choice would be the Hundred Pacer but it’s a tad too pricey up here in the North.

After becoming moderately comfortable sharpening my PM 2’s s30v (sharpmaker), I’ve warmed up to getting a big folder with this type of steel. so it’s between a Manix 2 xl and a Military.

I don’t care about the extra heft from the Manix. The potential concern I have with the Manix deals with the blade play issue that I’m continually reading about. Is this really something I should be worried about?

Cheers for your input!!

[mark greenman]

I love the Military. Pretty much a perfectly executed large folder, with great ergos and a superb blade shape.

Not a fan of the Manix; I found it clunky and far too wide when folded.

[Giygas]

Ive never found blade play to be an issue in any of my manix, but if blade play is an absolute deal breaker for you then you cant go wrong with a military.

Even with both pivot screws removed, my S90V millie has zero blade play, which I dont completely understand how its possible, but its certainly something I can appreciate.

The military also has the absolute best liner lock in any folder currently on the market.

For me, your two options are really too different to definitively recommend one over the other.

You say you have a tenacious, if you like it maybe look at a resilience. Its a more affordable way to decide if you really do want a bigger knife.

[Joshua J.]

It's really tempting to say to wait for the Yojumbo, no doubt this is going to be a legendary blade: https://www.warriorsandwonders.com/Spyd ... oming_Soon
I just need to start a campaign to get Sal to make these in Maxamet (thankfully the hollow grind should help).

In some circles it might be said every fan of Spyderco should own a Military, and following the logic of the Mili being a fine tuned cutting tool above all else it's hard to recommend anything other than the Blurple Military: https://www.warriorsandwonders.com/Spyd ... o_C36GPDBL
Especially when there is such a small premium for the "upgraded" steel.
Not that everyone is cut out for S110V, and realistically catastrophic edge damage is the #1 cause of an EDC going dull so for a lot of people S110V is going to be nothing but a pain, but the steel sniffer in me just can't stand the thought of passing up the mega alloy when it's nearly the same price as the standard version.

[Joshua J.]

Edit Missfire (may as well put this to use)

Alternatively, the Resilience is one heck of a knife. In a lot of ways I like it more than the Military. The downsides are it's heavier and not as pokey.
https://www.warriorsandwonders.com/Spyd ... G-10_C142G

Let's not forget the granddaddy of large folders. The Police 4 is in a lot of ways basically a backlock variant of the Military, not totally, but at this point the blade profile is pretty much there. I do appreciate the handle of the Military but if you're mostly after the blade profile and saving money sounds nice then it would be extremely hard to recommend anything else.
https://www.warriorsandwonders.com/Spyd ... RN_C07PBK4

[Joshua J.]

Edit Missfire#2 Don't Post When You Should Be Sleeping.
(Mods go ahead and combine these if you feel like it)

Last one.
If you've never had a full SE Spyderco then the Wharncliffe Endura in Full SE would be quite an adventure.
https://www.warriorsandwonders.com/Spyd ... _C10FSWCBK

[Theldraskien]

If SE is an option you are interested in, the SE leaf Caribbean is in stock at Blades Canada.

[VooDooChild]

This is the second comparison in the last day where I want to say both.
I will have to read up on any sort of blade play issue on the manix but I wouldnt worry about it.

I think this comes down to the tip. Ignoring all the other stuff about ergos or pocket space or whatever, how likely are you to damage the tip on a knife for the type of stuff you use a knife for?

[Cambertree]

Yeah the Military is a superb knife - light and nimble to use, with exceptional ergonomics and carries like a much smaller knife.

I have a couple of regular size Manixes and while I like the design a lot, they are relatively wide and bulky in the pocket due to the extra handle and blade height required for the ball bearing lock to work.

I also find the Millie to present the cutting arc of the blade edge in a more natural and effective way, where the Manix edge arc curves up to the point in such a way that I find I have to tilt my wrist forward or choke up on the choil to get a similar belly angle when cutting.

Regarding blade play, occasionally I’ll notice a tiny bit of side to side play on the Manixes, after a few months of use, but it’s easily adjusted out.

I haven’t handled an XL so take those comments with a grain of salt. Those CPM M4 XLs do look mighty tempting.

[prsman]

Cheers for the recommends!

I do prefer PE blades, so I think I’ll be staying out of the SE territory.

I must say, I have thought about the Resilience, as I love my tenacious. I actually prefer the ergos of the tenacious over the PM2 and i chalk that up to the marginally taller body. I find when I cut heavy cardboard, the PM2 gets hotter in my hand. This is why I am so interested in the Manix xl.

Is the Military taller in the hand than the PM2?

[Sumdumguy]

I would agree with the Caribbean, but you don't have access to one... bummer!

Don't be afraid of the SE Leaf, it is a monster also.

Atleast your heads on straight, friend

[Mike Slayer]

I carried a Titanium framelock Military for year’s and I still love it. After getting my Spydiechef I stopped carrying my Military because I am obsessed with my Spydiechef. If Spyderco were to make a Titanium Military in LC200N I would buy 2 or 3. I would have to carry two knives if that happened since the Spydiechef will never leave my pocket for the rest of eternity. If you want a bigger knife I would check out the Military for sure.

[TomAiello]

After becoming moderately comfortable sharpening my PM 2’s s30v (sharpmaker), I’ve warmed up to getting a big folder with this type of steel. so it’s between a Manix 2 xl and a Military.

I don’t care about the extra heft from the Manix. The potential concern I have with the Manix deals with the blade play issue that I’m continually reading about. Is this really something I should be worried about?

I have only owned three XLs but I've had zero blade play. Personally, I wouldn't worry about that.

The advantage of the Military is that it's lighter. For me, the CBBL is a major selling point of the Manix XL. The Manix XL has better ergonomics for me, but the military is actually really good.

Do you like the blade shape of the PM2? Or do you want to try something different? The Military blade shape is very similar to the PM2 that you're already familiar with, where the Manix XL is more of a leaf shape. For me, that means the military has a more precise tip, which might be a little more fragile but is also more agile for fine work. The Manix XL is tougher. Honestly, the XL is pretty much a beast. I'd say it's a better "hard use folder" (which I realize is a bit of a contradiction in terms) than anything else in the current Spyderco line up (even the Police 4, which would be my second choice for that role).

[Wartstein]

.......

I don’t care about the extra heft from the Manix. The potential concern I have with the Manix deals with the blade play issue that I’m continually reading about. Is this really something I should be worried about?

Blade play issue on the Manix platform?! Almost can´t believe that this is a thing... The two I owned/own, and the few I´ve handled (among them a XL) were/are rock solid. And I figure the CBBL is really not prone to blade play.

But there are many here who have a lot more experience than I do. Maybe some of those will chime in.

/ As much as I liked my Millie (just not the tip down only carry): If you really don´t mind the bigger closed size and higher weight of the Manix XL, I´d choose it over the Military.

[kennethsime]

Have you tried a regularly-sized Manix 2?

Personally, the Military ergonomics work a lot better for me. You also get a bit longer blade in a slimmer, lighter weight package.

I'll echo the sentiment that the Manix 2 XL is unlikely to develop blade play. The CBBL lock is quite secure. Either way, you can't go wrong.

[Snacktime]

Amalgam if you want to step outside the box. It doesn’t spec as big as the other recommended knives but it’s not small.

[Pancake]

I would say Caribbean. Sharpened blade length of Military in PM2 size package. Caribbean, along with Military is very high on my list. (Un) fortunately, I gave a word that I will not buy any other knife this year, so next year it will be Caribbean or Millie.
Like, Manix XL is nice, but the blade is kinda funky, compared to normal Manix, and I can't stand the pocket clip placement.
Edit: I would say it is a trade-off. Slimmer knife is going to carry better in pocket, but taller knife is going to be better in hand during use. I really fell in love with Manix, because how tall the handle is, and it really fill your hand. I don't think that Manix is bulky in pocket. I carry a knife and phone in the same pocket and have no problems with Manix.

[Evil D]

Military.


Or Caribbean if you want the same amount of edge in a Para 2 sized package.

[Mattysc42]

I defininely like the Manix XL more than the Military. It cuts better due to the thinner stock and wider blade, and is more durable all around (unless you pry with the middle of the blade, in which case you probably shouldn’t be using a knife for the task). I don’t use pocket clips, so I can’t comment on that, but the most common complaint I’ve seen for the XL is the clip placement, followed by the size in pocket. It’s only slightly larger than the standard manix 2, however, so if you’re fine with the Manix, or similar sized leafblades, the XL probably won’t be a problem.

I’ve never seen any blade play in any of my CBBL knives.

All that said, SE Caribbean would be my recommendation of the three if you’re fine with SE.

[Joshua J.]

I do prefer PE blades...

So you think...

...I find when I cut heavy cardboard...

I dare you to get the SE Wharncliffe Endura.
You will start searching for more things to cut.

It's easier to get excited for a full SE blade when you understand what's going on. Because of the chisel grind profile the stock edge is actually very acute, closer to 15 degrees inclusive instead of 30 degrees, out of the box it's a significantly better cutting profile than most knives.
I actually wish Spyderco would start making Chisel Ground PE blades just because the edge is much more thin, for whatever reason getting that profile in a "V" edge isn't something any factories are willing to do.

The Wharncliffe SE Endura is specifically good because I find it's best to sharpen SE blades on a flat stone, basically opposite the way you see most people recommend it. Do your heavy grinding with the primary bevel (the bevel that actually forms the edge) flat on a bench stone (go ahead and use any cheap garden tool sharpening stone as long as it's flat), then use a Sharpmaker rod to knock the burr off inside each scallop.

With the right blade shape it's super easy to get your SE blades back to hair popping sharp.