In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

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Skidoosh
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In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#1

Post by Skidoosh »

I recently got a Mantra two ti with M4 steel and have been blown away by the refinement of the design and what it offers. The first thing that strikes me is the handle to blade ratio, it packs a lot of blade into a small handle length. The blade shape and splinter picking tip are fantastic. It is incredibly slim in the pocket and carries well. The flipping action has smoothed out for me but the lack of mass at the blade tip can make it flip inconsistently, I don't have a major issue with it.

I did not like the lines of this model when it was first released and I think the bearing fiasco made people lose sight of the refined fit and finish and design on it. I'm impressed by how the rounded blade section is flush with the handles when closed, I know of no other Spyderco that offers this. The Ti scales are a beautiful color.

What I notice is that when I place the Mantra II over a Para 3 is how much slimmer it is. If you took the thumb hole off a P-3 and straightened out the blade you would have the mantra 2 blade shape. I like the P3 but would also welcome a slimmer blade and handle package with a compression flipper.

The mantra II is very well executed and in my opinion an unsung beauty of the Spyderco design, well done!
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The Deacon
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#2

Post by The Deacon »

Glad you like them.

For me, the Spyderhole opener is the easiest and most reliable means of opening a folding knife. It works 100% of the time regardless of whether I need to open my knife slowly and discretely, or deploy the blade as quickly as my thumb can rotate it. It works whether I choose to carry my knife clipped to my pocket or loose at the bottom of it. Unlike thumb bobs and discs, it can't snag on anything and, unlike a flipper, it can't accidentally open the blade part way if something bumps against it while the knife is in my pocket. In addition, it combines well with hand neutral locks. Yes, it dictates the width and, to a lesser extent, the shape of the blade but I find those trade offs well worth the benefit it provides.
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Evil D
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#3

Post by Evil D »

I generally prefer larger thumb holes but on some models if the hole is SHARP I can get by with small holes. I've never had any issue opening my Nilakka but that knife is also not used for work or anything serious, so if I fail to get it open it's not a big deal. I absolutely wouldn't carry a knife with a small thumb hole for work, I'd even go so far as to call it a safety concern for me.
Last edited by Evil D on Mon Mar 02, 2020 4:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#4

Post by SG89 »

Every time I buy a spyderco folder with a non functional spyderhole i regret it
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#5

Post by TomAiello »

I have a strong preference for the opening hole.

However, I do like the Mantra 2. Especially after tuning in the detent, it's pretty much the only Spyderco flipper I carry. It's almost the only non-assisted flipper I carry as well, because ZT's (my favorite flipper brand) non-assisted flippers have such a strong detent that my finger gets sore from opening them.

But honestly, for me, flippers are more in the category of pocket jewelry (which is totally fine--I really enjoy nice pocket jewelry) and less in the category of tools (which is where Spyderco Knives generally land for me).
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Wartstein
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#6

Post by Wartstein »

Though the Mantra is a very intriguing design, I am also a big fan if the opening hole... for one of course as the for me best "opening device".

But I also have a habit of putting my thumb rather than on the ramp sideways on the blade when cutting, and the hole works kind of like "jimping" that prevents the thumb from slipping in that position.
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bgcameron
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#7

Post by bgcameron »

It sounds like a few of you folks would like the Mantra 1 or 3 over the Mantra 2!

I chose the 2 because of the unique shape, wherein it sacrifices the opening hole to create an incredibly slim pocket profile. It is probably my favourite spydie to carry.

I am also a fan of the Mantra lineup because Spyderco donates a portion of their proceeds to the Parkinson's Foundation. This really hit home for me, as my father suffers from Parkinson's.
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Evil D
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#8

Post by Evil D »

bgcameron wrote:
Mon Mar 02, 2020 7:16 pm
It sounds like a few of you folks would like the Mantra 1 or 3 over the Mantra 2!

I chose the 2 because of the unique shape, wherein it sacrifices the opening hole to create an incredibly slim pocket profile. It is probably my favourite spydie to carry.

I am also a fan of the Mantra lineup because Spyderco donates a portion of their proceeds to the Parkinson's Foundation. This really hit home for me, as my father suffers from Parkinson's.


For the record the Mantra 2 is also my favorite version, it just only fits certain uses for me. For the design of the knife I think the small hole and flipper combo is just fine.
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aaronkb
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Re: In praise of the Mantra II and thumb holeless designs

#9

Post by aaronkb »

I’d personally vote for Mantra 2.2 2020
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