FRN strength testament(s)

[JARHEAD]

I recently lost my para 3 salt (SE). I thought. I dropped it in the driveway, my wife ran it over, then she found it and put it on the counter.
There’s hardly a place that’s damaged. And it flips open fine! Pretty cool!

[toml4185]

Love to hear this. Para 3 LW (SPY27) is my all time favorite model and I love FRN for how lightweight it is and apparently its strength :-)

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I love to read testimonials like this.

1 It builds my confidence in FRN.
2 It gives me data to share with anti plastics people I know who think wood and bone are the only viable long term knife handle materials.

[Scandi Grind]

Whoa. That turned out better than I would have expected. Nice!

[Jeb]

I like the frn scales. Heck the rough texture of them I am a really big fan of with how much it helps to grip the knife with a oily and or sweaty paw.

Been lucky enough not to run over any of mine lol. That one has a great story behind it now for sure.

[RustyIron]

I love a story with a happy ending.

[Spyderfreek]

I use my knives hard and have no issues with frn or frcp. Even linerless versions with no washers like the dragonfly or native 5 lw, heck someone even used the dragonfly to pry a door open. I also do prefer it over g10 or micarta, it's super grippy when my hands are covered in grease, brake fluid, or oil (which is more often than not.)

[sv4]

I recently lost my para 3 salt (SE). I thought. I dropped it in the driveway, my wife ran it over, then she found it and put it on the counter.
There’s hardly a place that’s damaged. And it flips open fine! Pretty cool!

That’s amazing. I seem to recall reading about someone accidentally dropping an FRN Spydie from height (was it a telecoms tower?) and discovered barely any damage.

[GJR74]

Are the Manix equivalents made of a lesser material? I have seen a couple of YouTube videos showing how easily they crack and break.

[sal]

Hi GJR,

Welcome to our forum.

You will more than likely get truthful responses from the bright folks that visit here.

sal

[zhyla]

Are the Manix equivalents made of a lesser material? I have seen a couple of YouTube videos showing how easily they crack and break.

The FRCP used on the Manix 2 LW is a little more brittle. Is it inferior in a way that matters? Probably not. Like lots of things in life I’m sure it has its pros and cons. It’s hard to beat Nylon for toughness and durability.

I don’t prefer FRCP as it just feels a little funny. But I wouldn’t not buy a knife because of it.

[kobold]

FRN is great, likely, a blade will break before the handle. I just wish all LW models come with PB washers (but at least they can be modded to fit them).

[JARHEAD]

Are the Manix equivalents made of a lesser material? I have seen a couple of YouTube videos showing how easily they crack and break.

I’m not a materials engineer, but Spyderco FRN, Magpul’s polymer magazines, Glock, Sig, just about everything that gets hard use has a plastic/polymer part in it. It works!
Buy the way my wife ran it over with a Subaru so glad it wasn’t my work truck!

[JARHEAD]

I recently lost my para 3 salt (SE). I thought. I dropped it in the driveway, my wife ran it over, then she found it and put it on the counter.
There’s hardly a place that’s damaged. And it flips open fine! Pretty cool!

That’s amazing. I seem to recall reading about someone accidentally dropping an FRN Spydie from height (was it a telecoms tower?) and discovered barely any damage.

I recall reading that as well

[Evil D]

Are the Manix equivalents made of a lesser material? I have seen a couple of YouTube videos showing how easily they crack and break.

The FRCP used on the Manix 2 LW is a little more brittle. Is it inferior in a way that matters? Probably not. Like lots of things in life I’m sure it has its pros and cons. It’s hard to beat Nylon for toughness and durability.

I don’t prefer FRCP as it just feels a little funny. But I wouldn’t not buy a knife because of it.

I did a blade swap back when you could only get S110V in a LW, and without a drill press it was really difficult to drill/grind out the pivot pin, and at one point once I accepted that I had ruined the factory handles I did try to rip it apart and after that I have absolute no worries about the strength of either FRN or FRCP.

[JARHEAD]

Are the Manix equivalents made of a lesser material? I have seen a couple of YouTube videos showing how easily they crack and break.

My friend, I have been using Spyderco “plastic “ knives since the late 80’s. I used to pick them up at the PX on the base in various deployments. They work great. I almost always got serrations because that’s what was left over. But that’s another story!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

What do you all think of the combination FRN handle scales with thermoplastic elastomer synthetic rubber inserts for better gripping that Spyderco and some other companies tried in the past? I enjoy those but the main downside for me is that unlike pure FRN, over time the rubber like material wears down. FRN alone does not have that same problem, except if the grip indentations are put to extremely hard wear.

[sal]

Hey Jarhead.

Thanx for your service.

sal

[JARHEAD]

Hey Jarhead.

Thanx for your service.

sal

[JARHEAD]

What do you all think of the combination FRN handle scales with thermoplastic elastomer synthetic rubber inserts for better gripping that Spyderco and some other companies tried in the past? I enjoy those but the main downside for me is that unlike pure FRN, over time the rubber like material wears down. FRN alone does not have that same problem, except if the grip indentations are put to extremely hard wear.

I feel like this….
There has to be a reason for them. Right or wrong the testing will prevail!