The design so nice I bought it thrice. Okay, fine I only bought it twice. I got the Mantra 2 from a Meet, purchased a Mantra 3 for my compression lock flipper collection, then finally hunted down a Mantra 1 to complete my Mantra collection. I just got the Mantra 1 in the mail today, and boy oh boy do I like it.
I kind of wish the Mantra 3 flipper tab retained a shape more similar to the Mantra 1 and 2, as my only real complaint about the Mantra 3 handle is that the flipper seems to nudge my hand back on the handle and reduce the grip area by just a smidge. Sounds nitpicky (and it is!) but for some reason that tiny difference seems to make the titanium Mantras ever so slightly more ergonomic to me than the Mantra 3. Does anyone else feel similarly or am I crazy?
Great thread! Mantra 1 is one of my favourites. I bought two backups after I found out they were discontinued
20201023_132200_copy_3024x1701.jpg
I'm also now keeping my eye out for another Mantra 1, because I expect I'll be pocketing mine quite frequently and would love a backup before they become any harder to find!
Good point about the slimness. Makes me think the Mantra 2 would be quite suitable for a front flipper configuration, especially since the stop pin is internal.
I just so happened to carry my Mantra (1) today. It's definitely still in the running for my all-time favorite Spydie. It's at the top of the list for my favorite knife of any brand
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
I carry a Mantra 2 everyday and has replace my knife I still have and carried for over 15 years. I just wish the handle was just a 1/2" longer then it would be a perfect fit for my hand...but out the 12 Spydercos I own now it goes with me everywhere even church. :-}
man I wish the 1 and 2 were still around. The 3 doesn't do it for me at all.
Half a dozen 2s on the Bay at the moment.
eh as much as I like that shape, I like thumb opening more.
Yup, that's why I'm so happy to have gotten my hands on a 1. I enjoy being able to place my thumb further up on the spine on the 2 due to the straight humpless spine, but I also missed the ability to thumb-roll the blade open. It's pretty neat being able to compare and see what's gained and what's lost with these design differences in the Mantra platform.
That Spydie hole sure is handy, but anymore I do more carrying than fiddling with a blade, but when I need a blade, the Mantra 2 is actually stout enough for most anything I'm likely to encounter. 'Taken down to 15 dps it's slicey enough to do yeoman's work. It's profile is innocuous enough to pass as a steak knife should I encounter tough meat under social dining circumstances. If I'm hunting or fishing or some other planned activity, then I may carry something more suitable, but day in and day out, as a GP EDC, it's my always reliable and dependable companion.
The original Mantra has a permanent home in my collection. I love it. The 2 didn't click with me quite as much for some reason. I've never tried the 3 because I don't love carbon fiber and I've never seen aftermarket scales for it.
- Julia
"Be excellent to each other." - Bill S. Preston, Esq.
I bought an original Mantra when they were on close-out at the SFO. (their last one) I liked it so much I found another one online and got it. I flipped the clip to the left on the second one and will carry either one depending on what's in my pocket. It's very slim and with the wire clip it sits down low and doesn't take up a lot of real estate at your pocket opening. It's just the ticket for jeans with narrow pocket openings. (i.e. Levi's 501's)
The Mantra 1 is a gold standard in my collection. Aside from removing the flipper(still on the list), I wouldn't change a single thing about it.
Grind it off! Grind it off! Grind it off!
20210102_163554_copy_3024x1701.jpg
I know a lot of you like to grind off the flipper tab but I like how it creates a guard when the blade is open. Never had an issue with it being away when the knife is folded and in my pocket. Plus I like having another way to deploy the blade. I will admit though that I use the hole as much or more as I do the flipper tab. The flipper delete is a nice option though for those who don't want it
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
The Mantra 1 is a gold standard in my collection. Aside from removing the flipper(still on the list), I wouldn't change a single thing about it.
Grind it off! Grind it off! Grind it off!
20210102_163554_copy_3024x1701.jpg
I know a lot of you like to grind off the flipper tab but I like how it creates a guard when the blade is open. Never had an issue with it being away when the knife is folded and in my pocket. Plus I like having another way to deploy the blade. I will admit though that I use the hole as much or more as I do the flipper tab. The flipper delete is a nice option though for those who don't want it
It's not an issue when closed. My problem is with the flipper tab scrunching my fingers when I grip it.
With that tab removed, my grip is free and the curvature of the grip acts somewhat like a guard.
In my mind, the Mantra 1, sans flipper tab, is the ultimate form of the Delica.
A Vanax Sprint run would be awesome, albeit unlikely.
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."
