Recent Manix 2 Salt CQI / internal changes

[Wallach]

Just figured I'd let folks know about this - I contacted KnivesPlus about them doing a build for me with AWT LW scales, and I got a response that the latest batch they received of the Manix 2 LW Salt has had some kind of internal changes that make them incompatible with AWT's LW scales. They now sit slightly higher in the scales when closed, and are no longer safe (the blade can cut you at the tip as it no longer sits deep enough when closed).

Worth knowing if you were going to pick up one of the recent batch of Manix 2 LWs with the intent of upgrading to AWT scales. Sounds like it will be a couple months before AWT can redesign the LW scales to account for whatever has changed.

[SteveMidwest]

Thank you for that info, Wallach.

So be clear. The blade 'stop' when closing, is hitting a little earlier than before, and therefore the tip of the blade stands slightly higher when closed, thus resulting in an exposed tip, when the blade is 'shut', correct?

[Wallach]

It's not technically fully exposed, but the blade is basically high enough that running your finger on the edge can catch the tip.

I've been talking with them a bit more today and it sounds like even in the default scales most of their recent batch is sitting high in the scales too, but apparently not every one of them is like this? So currently they are sifting through the last batch they received to see how many are like this.

[tbdoc4kids]

This sounds like the first run of the Ikuchi.

[Manixguy@1994]

It's not technically fully exposed, but the blade is basically high enough that running your finger on the edge can catch the tip.

I've been talking with them a bit more today and it sounds like even in the default scales most of their recent batch is sitting high in the scales too, but apparently not every one of them is like this? So currently they are sifting through the last batch they received to see how many are like this.

Thanks for the info! I have a plan to do a Manix Salt makeover and will put on hold until resolved. MG2

[capt.carl]

That doesn’t make sense. I dont see how the blade sitting higher is a cqi

[abbazaba]

Hmm.. I have a Manix Salt in the mail and GOAT scales already in hand... Well, it's been "in the mail" for weeks so we'll see lol

[TazKristi]

Just figured I'd let folks know about this - I contacted KnivesPlus about them doing a build for me with AWT LW scales, and I got a response that the latest batch they received of the Manix 2 LW Salt has had some kind of internal changes that make them incompatible with AWT's LW scales. They now sit slightly higher in the scales when closed, and are no longer safe (the blade can cut you at the tip as it no longer sits deep enough when closed).

Worth knowing if you were going to pick up one of the recent batch of Manix 2 LWs with the intent of upgrading to AWT scales. Sounds like it will be a couple months before AWT can redesign the LW scales to account for whatever has changed.

Hey, everyone:
Before this gets too far along, I'd like to correct this information. I just reviewed it with one of our engineers and confirmed that we have NOT made any internal CQI changes to the Manix 2 Lightweight (Salt or others).

@abbazaba @capt.carl @tbdoc4kids @Manixguy@1994 @SteveMidwest

Kristi

[Wartstein]

Hey, everyone:
Before this gets too far along, I'd like to correct this information. I just reviewed it with one of our engineers and confirmed that we have NOT made any internal CQI changes to the Manix 2 Lightweight (Salt or others).

@abbazaba @capt.carl @tbdoc4kids @Manixguy@1994 @SteveMidwest

Kristi

Thanks, good to know!

Would not have liked a tip that is more likely to get exposed after multiple sharpenings.

[Manixguy@1994]

Thank you for updating us Taz . MG2

[RazorSharp86]

That’s too bad.
I kinda liked the self dulling feature.

[abbazaba]

Thank you for confirming!

[capt.carl]

Thanks kristi, I assumed so but it’s nice to hear from the source!

[Wallach]

Yeah, talking with them more after my last post, it sounds like they just got a questionable batch of Manix 2 Salts where many of them seem to have this issue. They've not gotten back to me after starting to sift through their entire stock of recent ones, but they sent me a couple images where they definitely aren't safe even in the stock scales.

[Wallach]

Alright, I want to follow up on this with all the latest things that have occurred since I made this post:

I purchased a Manix 2 Salt from Freedom Knife Shop, as well as a set of the Midnight Blue AWT scales from KnivesPlus. They both arrived the other day, and I immediately swapped the knife from the stock scales into the new ones.

I found that my knife was exactly as KnivesPlus described, with the tip being far too shallow when closed and was very unsafe to carry:




Afterwards, I decided to restore the knife to its default configuration, and found that the knife was still unsafe:




It was very slightly better than when in the AWT scales, but still required very little pressure for a finger to reach and catch on the blade tip. Certainly less force than one might wind up using when just reaching into the pocket to grab your knife when it is needed.

I've talked to AWT and KnivesPlus a bit more since all this, and all I can say is that there is clearly an issue with at least the MagnaCut / Salt model recent production. AWT directly told me that they are currently redesigning their Manix 2 LW scales due to this new amount of variance to try and ensure the scales work with a wider set of tolerances because of these latest knives.

I know @TazKristi mentioned that she confirmed nothing has changed intentionally on this model, but something is definitely wrong with this recent batch. AWT has been selling these Manix 2 LW scales for quite a while, and this issue is clearly recent speaking with them and KnivesPlus' mod team. AWT definitely wouldn't be going through the trouble of updating what are clearly popular scales if it was a fluke.

Maybe @sal could look into the matter further to see what has actually happened.

[Manixguy@1994]

I’m not going into a show and tell , my Manix Salt which just recently received does not look like the example in the pictures posted . There is no way I could cut myself even after resharpening . I have no answer to this problem except if I was concerned it would go to Golden for evaluation. MG2

[TazKristi]

@Wallach, I can assure you the information I provided is accurate. Do you have a picture of the knife before it was disassembled and reassembled? I recommend sending the knife to our Warranty & Repair Department for evaluation. All the necessary information can be found here: https://www.spyderco.com/service-suppor ... ty-repair/.

Kristi

[Wallach]

I don't doubt whatever's happened with this last shipment was not intentional. But there are now two vendors with Manix 2 Salts with this exact problem from their most recent stock, and AWT has already confirmed they are making changes to their LW scales to try and account for this exact issue. So something is obviously amiss.

[D-Wade]

I would say either the lock faces are out of spec by just a little bit or the ceramic ball is a little too large. That will make the blade sit proud and/or have early lockup that can fail. I ran into that problem putting a LW BDN1 blade in a S30V G10 model. Are you sure you’re using the original LW ceramic ball in the AWT scales?

[Wallach]

I would say either the lock faces are out of spec by just a little bit or the ceramic ball is a little too large. That will make the blade sit proud and/or have early lockup that can fail. I ran into that problem putting a LW BDN1 blade in a S30V G10 model. Are you sure you’re using the original LW ceramic ball in the AWT scales?

Yeah, I didn't have an aftermarket ball bearing or anything, just the stock one. I feel like the Salts were shipping with ceramic bearings for the lockup from the start, but maybe it has to do with them putting the ceramic bearings in other Manix 2 models recently or something? KP said it wasn't a huge number of their most recent ones that had this issue in the stock scales, which makes me think it isn't something like the bearing or it would be even more common. It's just a bigger issue with the AWT scales because their clearance is even lower than the stock scales at the tip.