Does the Dark Blue S110V Manix 2 open up new possibilities? What are your ideas??

[bearfacedkiller]

A lightweight Native5 in S110V seems like the next most logical option if we are to follow this trend. Putting "super steel" in affordable everyday knives made out of frn. They did it with ZDP in Seki and hopefully they are doing it with S110V in Golden.

[Cliff Stamp]

Is this knife a game changer?

No.

If anyone considers it such then Spyderco has surely fallen a long way from the company who :

-introduced the Sharpmaker
-if not invented, certainly popularized/developed the folding clipit
-designed a unique and functional serration pattern and variants
-started inhouse materials testing (CATRA,q-fog, lock break points, etc.)
-collaborations with many makers to integrate advancements in lock design, including new locks
-constantly refined designs based on real-time user feedback

These are important milestones, using a high carbide steel certainly is not.

There are makers/manufacturers who fad/jump on steels and switch to the latest popular steel, there are also makers who design knives based on use and pick steels suitable to that use. I would hope Spyderco stays with the latter and doesn't become the former.

[ABX2011]

I do find the excitement over S110V to be interesting. I reminds me of several years ago when motorcycle manufacturers were competing on top speed. A 200mph top speed is impractical for the street and offers no practical advantage over a 185mph top speed. Now that's not a perfect analogy but I would compare it to the cardboard cut tests. The cut tests are like testing a motorcycle on a track. Very few people actually cut that much stuff that they benefit from the extreme wear resistance. But I have no problem with a company giving consumers what they want.

[Cliff Stamp]

Very few people actually cut that much stuff that they benefit from the extreme wear resistance.

Except that it doesn't actually provide that benefit uniformly, as examples :

-cardboard : http://www.cliffstamp.com/knives/reviews/cardboard.html
-hemp : http://www.cliffstamp.com/knives/reviews/hemp.html

[Donut]

Having a higher wear resistant steel in an affordable model seems like an important milestone to me.

[tvenuto]

But this combination of great ergonomics, super steel, and light weight brings to mind even more possibilities. The light weight of FRN makes me think of another version with the guts of a Manix but with more hand-filling scales, shaped more like the rounded, Option 4 Halpern mule scales. The FRN would make it possible to have a knife like this that would still be relatively light to carry for back packing, camping, etc. It would be a great EDC for utility work and occasional heavy duty cutting around the house. For even more comfort in hand, my preference would be for a less aggressive surface pattern than the current bidirectional FRN. I think that could be offset by the better grip-ability of a fatter handle. It would really come in handy for medium to heavy-duty cutting when you don't want to carry a fixed blade & scabbard.

I know the BBL would have to be accommodated and it would be risky and expensive to invest in the molds for a new knife like this, but maybe the Dark Blue S10V will pave the way.

What are your thoughts about this or other possible spin-offs?

I just felt the need to point out that you're pretty much referring to the D'allara, which I would be tickled to snag a plain edge version of. I'd also be happy with a plain edge sprint. Sal, dust off those molds!

[ABX2011]

Except that it doesn't actually provide that benefit uniformly, as examples :

-cardboard : http://www.cliffstamp.com/knives/reviews/cardboard.html
-hemp : http://www.cliffstamp.com/knives/reviews/hemp.html

Is your edge bevel at 4-8dps the likely reason why you see edge instability?
You have the South Fork listed as S30V rather than S90V in the cardboard chart. That's incorrect unless you meant a custom.

[xceptnl]

Is your edge bevel at 4-8dps the likely reason why you see edge instability?
You have the South Fork listed as S30V rather than S90V in the cardboard chart. That's incorrect unless you meant a custom.

I noticed this as well and upon reading the entire review I assume it is a custom (though he doesn't mention PW or Spyderco so it's hard to tell).

[Cameron]

I want this!!!!

[Donut]

Is that a photoshop?

[DougC-3]

I just felt the need to point out that you're pretty much referring to the D'allara, which I would be tickled to snag a plain edge version of. I'd also be happy with a plain edge sprint. Sal, dust off those molds!

Thanks for the tip--it looks a lot like what I had in mind, except for the 5.75oz wt--maybe it has full liners--but it would certainly do. I meant to say caged BBL, but the plain ball bearing lock would be fine. Since I'm a Spyderco late comer, the D'allara was disco'ed before I got on board. I'll keep an eye out for one of these, or any other good deal on a ball bearing lock model.

[Evil D]

I want this!!!!

That didn't take long.

[Donut]

That didn't take long.

Judging by him saying that he wants one makes me think that it isn't something he has possession of.

[Chris_H]

No.

If anyone considers it such then Spyderco has surely fallen a long way from the company who :

-introduced the Sharpmaker
-if not invented, certainly popularized/developed the folding clipit
-designed a unique and functional serration pattern and variants
-started inhouse materials testing (CATRA,q-fog, lock break points, etc.)
-collaborations with many makers to integrate advancements in lock design, including new locks
-constantly refined designs based on real-time user feedback

These are important milestones, using a high carbide steel certainly is not.

There are makers/manufacturers who fad/jump on steels and switch to the latest popular steel, there are also makers who design knives based on use and pick steels suitable to that use. I would hope Spyderco stays with the latter and doesn't become the former.

Cliff,

Do you have examples for your statement that I emphasized above? Is or isn't Spyderco already doing this?

I like playing with all of the steel choices but I really don't need them, except that I like to sharpen less (even just for touch ups). I'm really not as savvy as I'd like to think that I am with the metallurgy; it's still fun to play and experiment in my limited way. I can't deny the wow factor I get from having a knife with a boutique steel. Since I've been collecting Spyderco (only since about 2003 -- much shorter than a great many of you around here) , there has always been an advancement of steel. GIN-1, AUS-8, VG-10, etc. or ATS-34, CPM-(pick a nomenclature), M390, K390, etc. Non-stainless steels were never publicly considered for production until a lot of discussion and interaction happened via forums; I think some of the hesitation was for the viability of the product with the expected ELU base rather than if Spyderco wanted to give it a go.

There doesn't seem to be much interest in exploring low carbide or simple carbon steels, including developing new (anything left there?) or improving production of existing "recipes." Is it because the foundries can't make money there, cutlery manufacturers don't want them, ELUs don't want them, or some combination of these?

What I'm getting at is that higher and higher carbide steels has been the progression and those steel selections usually propagate to other models. Again, usually because of the request for it rather than that steel is better in that model and for the expected use. Spyderco regularly uses stainless steels with decent carbide fraction for fixed blades and that has drawn strong criticism from you (if I recall correctly) and others in the community. There doesn't seem to be much outcry to change to non-stainless, spring steels, or something else of simpler composition for them.

Spyderco listens to the market and ELUs and makes products (usually) that sell; sometimes Sal just does what he wants because it's going to be cool for him and the company. When the product doesn't sell, it disappears from the catalog. If high-carbide steel, thick-edged, overbuilt tactical designs are just a fad, won't we eventually return to splinter-picking, toothpick-thin designs somewhere down the road? However, the knowledge gained from the previous fad is still something to be gained, right?

[WorkingEdge]

Judging by him saying that he wants one makes me think that it isn't something he has possession of.

I believe someone has done a bladeswap already. Maybe used one of those pictures?

Eitherway, does look nice!

[xceptnl]

Judging by him saying that he wants one makes me think that it isn't something he has possession of.

It isn't in his possession, but the transformation appears real! THREAD

[Evil D]

That's pretty awesome. I really don't think I'll swap mine though unless something happens to the FRN handle. I'm loving the light weight and texture, a lot more than I expected to.

[Donut]

Wow, that is pretty awesome. Did he have to throw the other one in the garbage?

He didn't show a picture of the pivot pins.

[Spydersense]

That is sweet. He did say the FRN was toast afterwards. I'm not prepared to sacrifice my LW for a swap, but it's nice that someone else took one for the team.

[FCM415]

So he basically spent +/- $190 to get a G10 S110v Manix2. Not bad in the grand scheme of things when you consider S110v folder knives are few and far in between and typically cost $300 plus.

Makes me think though... BD1 LWT is $70 - S110v LWT is $105... S30v G10 is $90... if a S110v G10 is made, with the price difference of the LWT's it could be as low as $125... Not using that as solid proof or anything, just throwing it out there.