Evolution of the Spyderco Manix

Spyderco Manix 2
For me, “fall” symbolizes “change” more than any other season. For a couple of months, the weather starts getting colder and leaves are changing colors left and right, creating a real-life palette of colors within arm’s reach.
Like leaves on trees, some knives go through many changes, too.The Manix is a really stellar blade, so I wanted to focus on the changes it has experienced over the years along with some of its sprint runs. I’m also posting this today rather than Friday because I thought hey, why not post on Manix Monday? It’s fitting, don’t you think?
Take a look:
 

Manix
C95_M
Overall Length: 8.812”
Closed Length:  5.063”
Blade Thickness: 0.156”
Blade Length: 3.75”
Cutting Edge: 3.25”
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CPM S30V
Weight: 6.1 oz.
This is it—the first in the amazing Manix series. The Manix is discontinued now, but it was released in 2005 (I got this date directly from Spyderco, which is why it’s not linked to anything). There is one difference from the Manix 2 you should notice right off the bat; the Manix initially had a backlock “positioned mid-spine.” Some other features include skeletonized dual steel liners and stellar ergonomics.
There was one sprint run of the original Manix; in 2008, Spyderco released a Foliage Green Manix with CPM S30V steel.
 
Manix 83 mm
83mm
Overall Length: 7.875”
Closed Length: 4.625”
Blade Thickness: 0.156”
Blade Length: 3.25”
Cutting Edge: 2.75
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CPM S30V
Wdight: 5.5 oz.
Also released in 2005 (I also got this date from Spyderco), the 83 mm is mostly the same as the original Manix with the exception of the shorter blade length (3.25/83 mm) and therefore the weight, etc.
 
Manix 2
manix2
Overall Length: 8”
Closed Length: 4.625”
Blade Thickness: 0.125
Blade Length: 3.375”
Cutting Edge: 2.875”
Handle Material: G-10
Weight: 5 oz.
The Manix 2 was released in 2010 with the addition of Spyderco’s Ball Bearing Lock. The system is rock solid, and it is a top-notch addition to the Manix series. In Spyderco’s words, the Ball Bearing Lock is “a hardened free-floating ball bearing contained in a custom hi-tech polymer cage. The round ball bearing allows the lock to self-adjust across a large surface, smoothly and consistently locking-up with solid confidence.”
The Manix 2 has been produced with different blade steels including 154 CM, CPM S30V, DLC-coated 154 CM, and others in various sprint runs and exclusives.
 Manix 2 Sprint Runs
The first Manix 2 sprint run in 2009 was a black carbon fiber Manix 2. (I couldn’t find a picture of it).
Manix 2 Blue Sprint (2010)
C101GBL2_M
Overall Length: 8”
Closed Length: 4.625”
Blade Thickness: 0.125”
Blade Length: 3.375”
Cutting Edge: 2.875”
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CPM S30V
Weight: 4.25 oz.
Manix 2 Foliage Green (2010)
foliage
Overall Length: 8″
Closed Length: 4.625″
Blade Thickness: 0.125
Blade Length: 3.375″
Cutting Edge: 2.875″
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CTS XHP
Weight: 4.25 oz.
The foliage green sprint run has CTS XHP steel, which contains “air hardened, high carbon and high chromium with corrosion resistance similar to 440C-type steels and with hardness qualities found in tool steel. Its edge retention, ability to be machined to a fine edge, and consistent heat-treatability make it perfect for everything from knives to surgical and hand tools, even ice skate blades.”
Manix 2 Sprint (2011)
2spring
Overall Length: 8”
Closed Length: 4.625”
Blade Thickness: 0.125”
Blade Length: 3.375”
Cutting Edge: 2.875”
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CTS BD30P
Weight: 4.25 oz.
The big change in this sprint run, from what I gathered, is the blade steel, which is BD30P. Spyderco says that CTS BD30P “is equivalent in performance and components to the knife industry’s Gold Standard in powdered-technology created steel, Crucible’s CPM S30V.  The blade is flat ground with aggressive thumb serrations (jimping) and an oversized 14mm Spyderco Round Hole.”
 
Manix 2 XL
xl black
Overall Length: 8.94″
Closed Length: 5.09″
Blade Thickness: 0.125
Blade Length: 3.85″
Cutting Edge: 3.36″
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CPM S30V
Weight: 5.2 oz.
The original Manix 2 XL came out in 2011 (the knife pictured is not the original XL). The blade length is almost half an inch longer than the Manix 2, but it is only slightly longer than the original Manix’s blade.
 
Manix 2 Lightweight
manix lightweight
Overall Length: 8.03”
Closed Length: 4.66”
Blade Thickness: 0.125”
Blade Length: 3.37”
Cutting Edge: 2.88”
Handle Material: FRCP
Blade Steel: CTS BD1
Weight: 3 oz.
The Manix 2 Lightweight was released in 2012. Obviously, the lightweight version of the Manix is considerably lighter than its predecessors. In fact, it’s almost half the weight, thanks to the FRCP (fiberglass reinforced co-polymer) handle. The lightweight Manix also has CTS BD1 steel.
 
There were some exclusives of the Manix 2, which I didn’t include, but you should still know that they exist.
What’s your favorite version of the Manix?
 

One thought on “Evolution of the Spyderco Manix

  1. As of now it’s the Manix 2 Carbon Fiber S90V steel full flat ground. The steel is great and it’s significantly lighter than a normal manix. Been curious of the CPM M4 manix, like the steel a lot, but I wasn’t able to get my hands on one.

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