Shaving/Rounding 'Horn' on Manix 2 XL Handle

[MikeWolverine]

Hi All,
My Manix 2 XL arrived today and it's awesome! Smooth, razor sharp, and feels so well built.
That said, I have discovered an unfortunate comfort issue...my pinkie finger is pinched in by the so-called 'Horn' at the base of handle. Has anyone shaved or rounded this 'Horn' down to make the butt slightly more similar to the regular sized Manix? I love this knife and I need to find a way to do this mod! My hands are very large and my pinkie is sore! Lol I do not need a lot more room maybe 2mm and a more rounded profile. In order to do this both the skeletonized liners and G10 scales will need to be shaved, but I do not want to compromise the handle's strength.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks & Cheers,
- Mike Wolverine

[Evil D]

Shouldn't be hard at all to do, I've done this on many knives as my fingers are usually too wide to fit within the given finger space. I would use a Dremel with a sandpaper barrel.

[MikeWolverine]

Excellent, I thought a dremel would work for this, like I said I only intend to trim maybe 1mm - 2mm max. I assume to maintain handle integrity I just have to be careful not to grind into a skeletonized opening, correct?

I apologize if this is rookie-type stuff, but modding anything on a knife is totally new ground for me...

Just to be clear, I've attached an image of the 'Horn' I wish to grind off.

Thanks again!
- Mike Wolverine

[Bill1170]

You have that right, Mike. So long as you stay away from the liner recess you'll be fine. The G-10 dust is an irritant, so wear a particle mask and consider grinding outside if weather permits.

[MikeWolverine]

Thanks Bill, definitely good yo know!

[Evil D]

I haven't seen the liners on this knife but you could likely cut off 1/2 inch of the back of that knife and it wouldn't effect structural strength one bit. You're working on an area of the knife that doesn't really see much stress. That's how they can get away with not putting any screws back there, and rely only on the lanyard tube to hold the back end together.

[WireEdge Roger]

I Dremel'd the pinky hook horns off my original Manix back when they first came out. It made a world of difference!

[sdedalus83]

Tape over the blade(also to help keep from cutting yourself) and lock area and a keep a vacuum handy to help keep any shavings from getting into the pivot or lock.

[MikeWolverine]

Thanks for all the solid advice guys, really looking forward to my DIY project, I just hope I can get it smooth and do my best to keep the original look!

Cheers,
- Mike Wolverine

[GoldenSpydie]

Congrats on your new Manix XL! The M2XL is my favorite large spyder.

I just grabbed mine to check, and it looks like you could grind off at least 4mm and be fine. You could theoretically grind off much more, but the liner would not come all of the way to the edge of the scale anymore, which might look odd.

As others mentioned, wear a good respirator whenever grinding G10/Micarta/CF. A Dremel with a sandpaper drum should work well, but if you want to get serious about knife modding, you may want a $35 1x30 belt sander. No matter what method you use, go slowly, as G10 has a tendency to scorch.

Enjoy! :)

[MikeWolverine]

Thanks yet again! Love how active and helpful this forum is! Frankly, it's refreshing to join a community like this!

[Jazz]

And show us when you're done. :)

[SpyderNut]

Thanks for all the solid advice guys, really looking forward to my DIY project, I just hope I can get it smooth and do my best to keep the original look!

Cheers,
- Mike Wolverine

The other guys have given good advice. The only thing I'd add is to definitely try the 1x30" belt sander (Harbour Freight has a very inexpensive model). I prefer to use 3M's Gator Trizact belts on my 2x42" when finish sanding G-10, Micarta, or CF. It leaves a near factory finish on the materials and doesn't seem to scorch the material as easily as standard belts. Trugrit.com has a vast selection of belts in various sizes and grits. Definitely wear a mask! You can get a good quality respirator at the big box lumber companies for around 30 bucks. Good luck and be sure to post some pics of the finished product!

[Knutty]

This is the first thing that has ever made me glad to have tiny hands like a 7-year-old girl. :)