Cracked FRN on new Golden Models? Old news or something new.

[ZrowsN1s]

I've never cracked or broken any FRN. Had some hard drops on concrete that only dented it. I tell everyone it's practically bullet proof.

So this month I have seen a few posts on FB with people getting cracked or broken FRN. Some of them cracked out of the box. Some broken after a drop. One said it cracked while loosening a pivot. What's going on here?

Is FRN cracking something that's always happened and I've just never seen it before? Or is there a QC issue with the latest batch of FRN?

I saw it on the 15V LW para3 and the Magnacut Manix LW.

[JFR1]

Never cracked FRN, but I had a handle insert pull out on a Magnacut Salt Native 5 that I bought last year. The FRN around the insert broke when tightening the handle screws. Now I'm really careful about not over-torquing, even though I only use the little Wiha drivers with the red spinning end cap.

By comparison, I never managed to strip the aluminum threads on the AWT scales that I got to replace the damaged Spyderco FRN scales.

[Enactive]

I am curious about this too. I saw the pic of a Manix Salt that was claimed to have been delivered with a cracked scale. Of my 20+ FRN and FRCP handled Spyderco knives I have had no issues over several years of daily carry, including full time work as a carpenter.

Is there a higher frequency of issues, or just higher visibility of these few examples through social media reverberations?

[James Y]

Were all the examples of cracked or broken FRN scales Golden-made models? I've felt that Golden's FRN seems "harder" than Seki's FRN, which seems a bit softer. Could that be a factor?

Jim

[cabfrank]

Remember, the Manix LW is FRCP, not FRN.

[Danke]

Were these legit knives from well recognized folks or were they drive by posters.

Just because this feels like Temu knives.

[Sharp Guy]

Were these legit knives from well recognized folks or were they drive by posters.

Just because this feels like Temu knives.

[sal]

I'd need more information. We've built and sold millions of plastic handled knives. We've driven over them with trucks. We've thrown them off of 40 story buildings on to concrete. I imagine it's possible, but I'd need to see the broken part and know the how to study the why.

sal

[zhyla]

Just because this feels like Temu knives.

Could very well be fakes. Who knows.

[James Y]

Yeah, where did they purchase those knives from?

Jim

[ZrowsN1s]

I'd need more information. We've built and sold millions of plastic handled knives. We've driven over them with trucks. We've thrown them off of 40 story buildings on to concrete. I imagine it's possible, but I'd need to see the broken part and know the how to study the why.

sal

I'm with you there, I've never had even a hint of cracking from FRN no matter how hard I've banged it. The knives and people posting seemed legit. I saw 5 or so people who mentioned that the pivots on their 15v para3 lw's knives were cranked down so much they had difficulty opening them. It was just interesting to me that I've gone 8 years with never seeing cracked FRN to seeing at least 4 people saying they had cracked frn on the Magnacut Manix LW and the 15V Para3 LW.

I did my best to go back through the millie club page and look for the posts, but it's extremely difficult to find specific posts. I found 2 of the 4 I was looking for. Gave up looking for the others. Specially I couldn't find the 2 with the magnacut manix lw one of them cracked 'in box', I did see them though. If I see them pop back up I will sceen shot for you.

This is one I found of the Para3 LW.



This one they seem to think was from over heating while rit dying. I've done a lot of rit dying myself and never had any negative effects or heard of any brittleness resulting from it.

[Manixguy@1994]

Concerns me , since I do have a knife coming in mentioned . I did ask with order to inspect before shipping and if flawed cancel order . Delivery should be tomorrow and will update after inspection . MG2

[sal]

Have any of these been sent back to the factory in Golden?

sal

[RustyIron]

Concerns me , since I do have a knife coming in mentioned . I did ask with order to inspect before shipping and if flawed cancel order . Delivery should be tomorrow and will update after inspection .

Hey, MG.
I wouldn't give it a second thought. My first Spyderco was a lightweight Manix in S110V. It must have been 8-10 years ago. I used the knife lightly for a couple weeks, and then one day I noticed a crack at the pivot. I could barely see it, and had to get out a magnifier to be sure. My assumption was that it was cracked when I got it, but there's no way to be 100% certain. Regardless, Spyderco sent out a replacement. Since then, I've used plenty more Spyderco knives in FRN and FRCP. And I'm not shy about using them as I see fit. My philosophy is that if a tool doesn't perform as needed, then it's junk and I need something better. None of the subsequent Spyderco knives have broken.

[WilliamMunny]

That Manix REX looks like it caught on something or was damaged on purpose. User abuse or error I would guess. The point at the choil looks to have been pried back causing that 45° break but transitioning into a 90° break once the front part gave away.

The Para 3 does look like a non user error crack. No signs of impact and I don’t think you could torque that little screw down hard enough to cause that.

Like everyone else, in 30 years I have had no issues with a Spyderco FRN knife.

[Manixguy@1994]

Concerns me , since I do have a knife coming in mentioned . I did ask with order to inspect before shipping and if flawed cancel order . Delivery should be tomorrow and will update after inspection .

Hey, MG.
I wouldn't give it a second thought. My first Spyderco was a lightweight Manix in S110V. It must have been 8-10 years ago. I used the knife lightly for a couple weeks, and then one day I noticed a crack at the pivot. I could barely see it, and had to get out a magnifier to be sure. My assumption was that it was cracked when I got it, but there's no way to be 100% certain. Regardless, Spyderco sent out a replacement. Since then, I've used plenty more Spyderco knives in FRN and FRCP. And I'm not shy about using them as I see fit. My philosophy is that if a tool doesn't perform as needed, then it's junk and I need something better. None of the subsequent Spyderco knives have broken.

Hi Rusty , I only have two Manix 2 lightweight variants and they are perfect . One is the very first release so it does have some miles and keeps on ticking . I completely trust Spyderco warranty if there is an issue . it’s just a model I have been looking forward to have to add to Salts . Thank you ! Dan

[mikey177]

... Specially I couldn't find the 2 with the magnacut manix lw one of them cracked 'in box', I did see them though. If I see them pop back up I will sceen shot for you.

Saw this one on the Spyderco Official FB page.

[zhyla]

Wasn’t that the same model knife that someone got alcohol on it and the screw black finish dissolved? I wonder if there’s some really good fakes going around. But you can’t really fake Magnacut…

[sv4]

I'd need more information. We've built and sold millions of plastic handled knives. We've driven over them with trucks. We've thrown them off of 40 story buildings on to concrete. I imagine it's possible, but I'd need to see the broken part and know the how to study the why.

sal

I'm with you there, I've never had even a hint of cracking from FRN no matter how hard I've banged it. The knives and people posting seemed legit. I saw 5 or so people who mentioned that the pivots on their 15v para3 lw's knives were cranked down so much they had difficulty opening them. It was just interesting to me that I've gone 8 years with never seeing cracked FRN to seeing at least 4 people saying they had cracked frn on the Magnacut Manix LW and the 15V Para3 LW.

I did my best to go back through the millie club page and look for the posts, but it's extremely difficult to find specific posts. I found 2 of the 4 I was looking for. Gave up looking for the others. Specially I couldn't find the 2 with the magnacut manix lw one of them cracked 'in box', I did see them though. If I see them pop back up I will sceen shot for you.

This is one I found of the Para3 LW.



This one they seem to think was from over heating while rit dying. I've done a lot of rit dying myself and never had any negative effects or heard of any brittleness resulting from it.

That Para 3 looks like a fake. The FRN handle looks suspicious (poorly finished edges/flashing) and the jimping is not “sharply cut” like those on my Para 3 frn ones.

I’ve never ever seen a cracked frn or frcp Spydie fresh out of the box in my decades of ownership. Dropped my fair share of them too, and never ever had one crack on me.

[Scandi Grind]

Wasn’t that the same model knife that someone got alcohol on it and the screw black finish dissolved? I wonder if there’s some really good fakes going around. But you can’t really fake Magnacut…

You can just put the words "Magnacut" on the blade though.