Manix 2 Breakdown

[Seanski]

I always like threads like this. Thanks for posting those great pic's and having the
guts to take your new knife apart.
If someone was wanting a bit of a custom appearance you could almost sand down
that jimping at the back of the liners and smooth it off for a different look couldn't
you?

[defenestrate]

Wow the post on the Ball Lock is plastic.

I wonder what long term durablity issues this lock may or may not have.

I would interested for someone from Spyderco to give us some background on the material used and expected user life.

I am all for plastic, however this is a part I would expect to be, well "metal."

Has always been a nagging question about the Caged Ball Lock for me.

To offer another analysis, the post is not a load bearing structure. The post serves to keep the spring in line and in shape so that it is exerting linear force just where we want it-toward the ball into the locking mechanism providing both the force of detent as well as locking that blade up tight once it is opened. The polymer could be replaced with any durable enough material, as its hardness is not crucial to its purpose.

In other words, while I see your viewpoint - the all-steel BBL looks stronger, after all, it's steel, right? - the force borne by the lock mechanism is identical either way - you still have the same ball, pushed by the same force, into the same kind of mechanism in which the position of the ball engages the lock the same way (at least in principle - all of these load bearing metal parts are hardened and matched so as to offer a reliable action, time after time), the only difference is that the (guiding, not load-bearing) post is steel in one instance and polymer in the other. In fact, I would assume that having one cast plastic piece would have greater integrity than a kludge of steel and plastic combined to form the cage for the lock. :)

[Fred Sanford]

PureSeventyNine,

Thanks for doing that. That's a very nice thing for you to do for all of us. I really wish my Manix 2 had skeletonized liners like that sprint. I am gonna have to get a Sprint of that just because. 'Course, right now cash is a bit tight but I'll wait and something else will come up.

[JNewell]

Those are a great look inside the Manix.

Sal has commented about their manufacturing process for the Manix 2, and the use of the bushing. I don't recall off the top of my head other Spyderco folders using a bushing system - but I doubt this is the first. Which others had a bushing?

[The Deacon]

Those are a great look inside the Manix.

Sal has commented about their manufacturing process for the Manix 2, and the use of the bushing. I don't recall off the top of my head other Spyderco folders using a bushing system - but I doubt this is the first. Which others had a bushing?

I could be wrong, but I believe the Leafstorm has a similar stepped bushing and may have been the first Spyderco to use it.

[JNewell]

I just did a breakdown of my Manix 2 sprint run. I wanted to see just how it all went together and re-lube it. First off let me say that the torx screws on this knife are just robust and they are deep enough to get a real good purchase on. Also, the screws were locktite'd on mine and I assume most are so be very careful to use the right size and not strip the heads. Sooooo here we go.......

>>big snip<<


The ball bearing only drops in one way, from the top. And that's the same way it goes in the knife.

Great thread...wanted to post a follow-up on the ball and cage arrangement with the backspacer in case anyone refers to this thread in the future - when you reassemble the Manix 2, the ball should be captured between the backspacer and the cage. In other words, the open part of the cage faces (is open towards) the backspacer.

As a very minor FWIW data point, my blue Manix's blade is dated 12-09, so production apparently took place in both November and December (but I have no idea how many days or weeks in either month).

Love these Manix 2s! :spyder:

[The Farm]

I just registered to thank the members in this post. The information here is awesome, it undoubtedly helped me put my Manix 2 back together correctly (had the polymer cage facing the wrong direction). Thanks again.

Also, anyone ever break a clip screw off in the handle? If so, has You found a good way to remove it? Should I force the lanyard apart to separate the skin from the liner to expose more threads or should I take it to a machine shop to drill out the remaining bolt threads?

Thanks

[On Edge]

Very cool. Thank you for the breakdown - great future resource.

~ Edge

[MountainManJim]

First I'm not an engineer. Second I too took my Manix apart last night. Third the part you say is plastic is not plastic but polymer not unlike for example what Glock uses to make their hand guns which I'm very familiar with and have no concerns about durability and longevity. Fourth this "plastic" component rides in a channel and only moves in one plane (for and aft) that's inline with the shaft and has no up or down or side to side play.

To mince words a bit. Polymer is the family of materials where plastics live. The term polymer is often used as a generic term for a plastic for manufactured goods. Marketing people like to think that polymer sounds better than plastic; remember the term "space age polymers"? Your Glock is made of a plastic which is a polymer. It is a good thing it’s made of plastic because rubber is also a polymer and that wouldn’t a very good gun :)

In the case of the ball lock cage, it looks to be plastic. Since it's clear it's probably polycarbonate which is pretty strong.

Jim

P.S. I should add ... Nice breakdown of the knife. I think it goes together pretty easily, but maybe we could use some assembly pics :)

[v8r]

Just a thought about the Polymer cage.... if you made it and the post from some sort of metal you would probably have to put a stiffer spring in the mechanism to get it to (react) and lock the knife. The polymer is light weight not to mention it has lubricating properties, and takes less spring pressure to move the assembly and in turn takes less effort to unlock........at least that's my theory and I'm sticking to it! :D

[The Deacon]

Just a thought about the Polymer cage.... if you made it and the post from some sort of metal you would probably have to put a stiffer spring in the mechanism to get it to (react) and lock the knife. The polymer is light weight not to mention it has lubricating properties, and takes less spring pressure to move the assembly and in turn takes less effort to unlock........at least that's my theory and I'm sticking to it! :D

Another benefit may be that the lower mass makes it harder to defeat the lock by causing the caged ball to rebound when the knife is struck against something.