Why not have smooth liners?

[Netherend]

Why do so many knives have grooves and nooks on the inside of their handles? Is it just a machining hassle to smooth them out or is there a practical reason ? I have been looking at many of my knives from spyderco as well as other companies and most of them do not have flat liners or flat inner handles. As a result, it is easy for lint and dust to build up inside of them. It is not just FRN handles either , I see it with the skeletonized liners like the pm2 and para3 have because lint just gets stuck in the center of the liners. To clean them I usually take a wipe and try to pass it through the knife rather than take it apart. While it is not a big deal to clean; why not just have flat liners like the Manix g10 has or have the FRN be flat on the inside? Does anyone know if there is a functional reason for it?

[JRinFL]

The skeletonized liners are skeletonized to reduce weight, no other reason.

[Accutron]

Only the base model Manix has unskeletonized liners. All of the upgrade steel versions are skeletonized, which reduces their weight by more than half an ounce. Skeletonization is a premium feature, and the only reason they don't mill them out on the base Manix is to reduce production costs.

[Evil D]

Steel liners are skeletonized to reduce weight. FRN have "ribs" that add structural rigidity to the scale in place of the steel liners.


I think it would be cool if they did steel liners like the Caribbean has...the liners are skeletonized but the scales are machined to fill in the spaces. I wonder how much of the weight savings that negates but it does accomplish a smooth surface inside that's much easier to clean.







Just one of several reasons the Caribbean is the best knife Spyderco makes.

[SG89]

I thought the manix was moving to skeletonized liners as a rolling CQI change?

[Sharp Guy]

I thought the manix was moving to skeletonized liners as a rolling CQI change?

I thought that already happened. Maybe the OP is referring to the previous version?

[Airlsee]

The last premium Manix with full liners I know of was the Burl G10 S90V.

[Netherend]

Are the grooves on the inside of the FRN knives also for weight reduction?

[Airlsee]

To add rigidity. Think of them as spines or arches...

[phaust]

To add rigidity. Think of them as spines or arches...

Maybe I misunderstand you, but removing metal does not add rigidity compared to not removing it.

[Airlsee]

I was answering the comment about FRN, literally the post before mine.

FRN is molded not milled.

[GJR74]

I thought the manix was moving to skeletonized liners as a rolling CQI change?

Can anyone please confirm this change has happened? Wondering if I buy an S30V version Manix today (assuming new stock) if it would be equipped with the skeletonized liners?

[Michael Janich]

Dear GJR74:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum.

Stay safe,

Mike