Looking to mod my Manix 2....

Samwise · #1

While I love this knife to pieces, there's a few things I can't help but be annoyed by...mainly the black G10 and how plain it looks. So I figured I'd try my hand at modding it.

List of ideas:

~I found this utterly awesome looking black and red micarta...would probably make really cool scales or even inserts.

~Coloring the liners and hardware. Since it's stainless steel, I'm pretty sure anodizing won't work, but I could be wrong.

~New backspacer. Most likely I'd have it fit around the lanyard tube and mate with the existing steel one. No idea on materials...probably black or red G10 or something.

~Forcing a patina on the blade, either the ground or unground portion. Since it's 154CM, I was told it'd be kinda hard.

Does anybody have any tips before I embark on this journey?

GohawnFG · #2

I know close to nothing about modding(though I have plans to do so soon), but that red and black micarta would look awesome on the M2! The one thing that intimidates me about modding the M2 is the lanyard tube. Seems like it's difficult to replace perfectly. I'm a big fan of filework on liners and such, but seeing as the M2 has so much jimped liners already, it might not look good. This goes without saying, but do show us the finished product :D

jzmtl · #3

Yeah the pressed/flared lanyard tube is a pain, I tried to take apart a paramilitary to make a tip up clip, but unable to take the lanyard tube apart in a way that doesn't damage anything and fit together afterwards.

VashHash · #4

I don't think you can patina 154cm. Maybe you can buy some gun blueing solution and try that. You can always send the knife off and have the liners and blade cerakoted or something to that extent. I think they could even coat the g10. This would pretty much cover all your bases in one fatal swoop. Then you could sand/ file the g10 to get a two toned look. Either way just throwing it out there.

Donut · #5

Do you want my Tan Scales? :D

JNewell · #6

Samwise wrote:While I love this knife to pieces, there's a few things I can't help but be annoyed by...mainly the black G10 and how plain it looks. So I figured I'd try my hand at modding it.

List of ideas:

~I found this utterly awesome looking black and red micarta...would probably make really cool scales or even inserts.

~Coloring the liners and hardware. Since it's stainless steel, I'm pretty sure anodizing won't work, but I could be wrong.

~New backspacer. Most likely I'd have it fit around the lanyard tube and mate with the existing steel one. No idea on materials...probably black or red G10 or something.

~Forcing a patina on the blade, either the ground or unground portion. Since it's 154CM, I was told it'd be kinda hard.

Does anybody have any tips before I embark on this journey?

Not to be a wet blanket

but...

The blade is stainless, so you are limited to specialty finishes like oxides that work on stainless, spray-on finishes or perhaps Cerakote. That is probably your best bet on the hardware and liners as well.

Backspacer - do you mean adding a new piece to close up the back, or do you mean replacing the original backspacer? It is stainless steel and is a fundamental part of the lock mechanism - you can't replace that with any synthetic material and fitting a new, suitable metal piece properly would be critical for safe function and lockup.

At the end of the day, you'd probably wind up with the world's most expensive $80 knife? :)