Spyderco Forums

Thread for any and all Manix modifications. Share what you have done or what you are planning on doing. What benefits do you see from your modifications.

There are a couple of exclusives I would like to see, but I do want one modified Manix in my aresenal.

I really want to get a set of these scales. They delete the liners which I would enjoy not adding too much additional weight while eliminating the additional jimping on the handles. Keeps the same glorious footprint the Manix employs.
https://rockscaledesign.com/products/ti ... co-manix-2

I would also like to add a titanium ball cage while I have it apart and to match the titanium scales.
https://www.flytanium.com/collections/s ... -ball-cage

Maybe a ceramic ball bearing while I am at it. Reduce or minimalize the chance of galvanic corrosion.

Converted my Rex 45 LW to screwed-together construction: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/man ... t-20547888

this is my first g10 manix. it's an m390 exclusive that i purchased used from a good friend here on the forum. i replaced the cage with a ti cage from flytanium, the ss ball bearing with a ceramic bearing, and the scales with textured micarta.

ti cage:
while the plastic cage is 100% good to go, i personally don't care for the look and feel of it against the g10 or any other materials. it's fine for the frcp lw manix, but i don't really like it in any other context. the ti cage has a very solid feel and the texture on it is reminiscent of spyderco's jimping. i find that it's noticeably easier to operate because of the extra purchase. i will say that i've noticed it's harder to operate with one finger though. i'm guessing the shaft that rides inside the spring is binding more than the plastic would because trying to operate the lock with finger gives me more resistance than the plastic cage does on my m2lw. it's not a real downside, but it's a data point for consideration in case anyone else here ever disengages the lock with one finger rather than a pinch grip.

ceramic bearing:
the manix is already smooth on the stainless ball bearing, so this "upgrade" is even less necessary than the cage upgrade. i found no real benefit to switching it out, other than just the cool factor of knowing it's upgraded. i feel no discernable difference in action, but the action is great nonetheless.

micarta scales:
this upgrade really changed the feel of the knife. at first, i wasn't sure i liked it. overall, it feels more narrow in my hand and i almost feel the jimping even more than i did before. that doesn't really bother me, but i know it would for others. also, the lanyard hole fit isn't super tight, so i can pry the end of the knife apart if i want to. after using it in this configuration though, i really like it a lot. the texture of the grip is nice and i prefer the overall feel to my rec manix, which i've left stock. the lanyard tube fit isn't a problem in use or in pocket, so it's a non-issue for me. i would definitely recommend these scales if anyone is looking for an upgrade and doesn't hate the jimping on the manix handle.

overall:
the manix is a great knife the way it comes from the factory. none of these customizations were necessary to make it a better knife. however, i really enjoy this knife more now knowing that i've made it mine, and i actually like the upgrades. if you're thinking about customizing a knife that you really like, go for it. if you're thinking about any of these upgrades, i hope this information was helpful.

Nice thread start up ! Dan

LB, that is interesting about the cage riding a little tighter. Something I will consider. Not sure I would like it any stiffer and for the cost, that may be enough for me to avoid that upgrade.

Would you say the cage sticks out any further? Maybe giving the feel of a little more purchase area when gripping the cage?

I hope we can see some different scales and comments about them . I don’t see many offerings for G10 . Dan

JSumm wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:14 am

LB, that is interesting about the cage riding a little tighter. Something I will consider. Not sure I would like it any stiffer and for the cost, that may be enough for me to avoid that upgrade.

Would you say the cage sticks out any further? Maybe giving the feel of a little more purchase area when gripping the cage?

if you use a pinch grip to disengage the lock, you shouldn't notice a difference. it really only binds when i try using only one finger, which then puts the shaft at an angle and can cause a little bit of extra friction. i wouldn't say it's actually any stiffer to operate.

i wanted to mention the width of the cage as well, but i'm not 100% sure on that, so i left it out of my write-up. i think it does stick out a little bit more on each side than the stock plastic cage, making it easier to grab, but since my scales are not the same thickness as stock scales, it's hard to say for sure.

I might have the most heavily modded Manix 2? Custom skeletonized liners, blade swap, regrind, handle reshape.

viewtopic.php?t=70091


This is the current state.

Manixguy@1994 wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:19 am

I hope we can see some different scales and comments about them . I don’t see many offerings for G10 . Dan

i've heard nothing but good things about the bladescales micarta scales. maybe tkok83spy can comment about his experience. i fully intend on getting a pair for my next manix, but they are currently out of stock everywhere. i am curious about the bladescales textured g10 scales too.

Evil D wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:24 am

I might have the most heavily modded Manix 2? Custom skeletonized liners, blade swap, regrind, handle reshape.

viewtopic.php?t=70091


This is the current state.

Man, when I started this thread, I looked to see if there was any general modification thread and not an individual question or individual build. I stumbled on your thread and got lost in the story and followed along. Looks great by the way!

One of the reasons, I am waiting for an exclusive Manix instead of the standard version, (National Knives has an awesome deal right now if you sign in) is the heavily skelonitized liners on the exclusives. Not that the standard is bad, but the weight production feels perfect in my opinion. Doesn't feel too light and cheapens the knife. Just a great feel for that model.

JSumm wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:29 am

Evil D wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:24 am

I might have the most heavily modded Manix 2? Custom skeletonized liners, blade swap, regrind, handle reshape.

viewtopic.php?t=70091


This is the current state.

Man, when I started this thread, I looked to see if there was any general modification thread and not an individual question or individual build. I stumbled on your thread and got lost in the story and followed along. Looks great by the way!

One of the reasons, I am waiting for an exclusive Manix instead of the standard version, (National Knives has an awesome deal right now if you sign in) is the heavily skelonitized liners on the exclusives. Not that the standard is bad, but the weight production feels perfect in my opinion. Doesn't feel too light and cheapens the knife. Just a great feel for that model.

They really do change the feel of the knife, that was why I went through the effort of hogging out those scales. I actually do have a set of sprint run scales and liners (don't recall what sprint it was, gray G10 scales) but the way I wanted to reshape the handle wouldn't work with the factory skeletonized liners.

I have four Manixes.

#1 is a REX45 Sprint. When I got it, there was insufficient clearance at the ball, and the lock would bind. You'd have to apply pressure to close the blade. Since it was a Sprint and I didn't want to risk not getting one, I sent this one back to the factory. I was told that this is the way the lock is supposed to work, and I was on the hook for shipping both ways. The CS person was woefully ignorant, and I'm impatient, so I did like Atilla and took the knife apart. Easy fix once it's apart. I also shortened the spring a bit and dyed the scales red. The knife has seen enough use that the red is wearing off, leaving what I think is a cool two-tone effect. I also patinated the blade and anodized a titanium clip.

#2 is a Maxamet. I colored up that blade, as well, and it kind of matches the handle. The clip is also gray. I like the look.

#3 is going to stay bone stock.

#4 is a BHQ M4 Exclusive. That's the only knife that NEEDS a deep carry clip. And the original color wasn't appealing to me.

Love those Rusty! I like a patinaed blade. Gives it a well used look. Whether you speed that process up or let it happen naturally. I just forced a patina on my Gayle Bradley 2 after it had developed some spotting in use. Now it looks like a blade ready for battle.

It looks like the XL with a deep carry clip still offers a good pinch point to remove from the pocket. I like the balance there.

Simple heat mod to clip . Mouse option . Dan

JSumm wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 9:37 am

I really want to get a set of these scales. They delete the liners which I would enjoy not adding too much additional weight while eliminating the additional jimping on the handles. Keeps the same glorious footprint the Manix employs.
https://rockscaledesign.com/products/ti ... co-manix-2

I would also like to add a titanium ball cage while I have it apart and to match the titanium scales.
https://www.flytanium.com/collections/s ... -ball-cage

Maybe a ceramic ball bearing while I am at it. Reduce or minimalize the chance of galvanic corrosion.

with the m2lw getting screw construction and coming out with magnacut as a salt series knife, i'm hoping rockscale will come out with lw-compatible scales. if they do, i'd definitely buy two of the salts. both would get ti cages, but one would keep the frcp for iwb carry in the water and for workouts, while the other would become an upscale salt edc, possibly replacing my spydiechef.

Are there any cages you can get that give you a better grip? The lock is a bit tricky to disengage if my hands are wet.

From what I have heard the titanium cage offers a little more grip, but that is just user feedback I have read. I am curious what those who have them think. After having them, do you see it as a worthwhile upgrade considering the cost?

vandelay wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 1:14 pm

Are there any cages you can get that give you a better grip? The lock is a bit tricky to disengage if my hands are wet.

do you mean a better grip on the knife, or just the lock interface? if you're asking about the latter, the answer is absolutely yes for the ti version, but i imagine it's the same for all of them since they come from the same manufacturer.

vandelay wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 1:14 pm

The lock is a bit tricky to disengage if my hands are wet.

A zero-cost modification you can easily make is to cut a few coils off the spring. The reduced preload makes the cage much easier to pull back. The spring tension is also what holds the blade closed, so you'll be affecting that, as well. Different rate springs are also available from the usual sources, but I've never used any of those.

vandelay wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 29, 2022 1:14 pm

Are there any cages you can get that give you a better grip? The lock is a bit tricky to disengage if my hands are wet.

I'm guessing what you're referring to is how you need to "palm" the handle in order to get enough leverage to pull the lock back? This is something I'm not a fan of either, and even though I can muscle my way into unlocking it with just my thumb, it's not a fluid enough operation to choose that over using two fingers. I would say if you cut some jimping into the spine just above the lanyard hole, that would aid in palm traction during unlocking. Otherwise you could add one of the dinosaur spike gear looking back spacers to it and that will probably help.