I love the Manix 2 LW. I have multiples and carry one pretty much every day. I also love back locks. I would say that the CBBL and mid-back lock are tied for my all time favorites so it would stand to reason that on the surface, I would be an ideal customer for the Manix 2 BL. But I didn't buy one. Why? I was so excited when they were announced, but when they released, I didn't get one. Then when I got a new-knife itch, I'd sit and stare at pictures of the BL, but still, I didn't buy one. I can't tell you how many times I pondered it, but, well, you know...
A minor consideration was not wanting the same knife design in two different lock styles to avoid confusion. Again, minor as I still carry other lock types but they are in different styles. But it did float around in my melon.
Then there was the notion that I already have examples of the knife, albeit in LW dress, so maybe I should keep trying out designs I don't have. Enter the Sage 5, Chaparral LW, etc.
But a bigger concern for me is the handle jimping. I sand it off of my LW's and I was concerned about the feel on the steel liners. A concern not limited to the BL model obviously.
And then there is the stamped clip. I know to many that will seem weak but after two different incidents over the years of that stamped clip causing some serious scratches on things I didn't want scratched, I'm almost exclusively a wire clip guy now. There has to be a lot I want in a knife for me to overcome my clip bias these days.
I feel like they made this knife largely in response to online requests but yet it didn't make the cut. I plead guilty on this one. Maybe I've become picky.
Anyway, as always, thank you Sal and Spyderco for trying out new things and tossing bait into our knife-nut infested waters to see what we'll bite on!
