This was designed to be a tactical knife for many uses that one might need a blade for and to be used with a single hand. It has a spring-loaded single press switch which opens it up, and good solid steel for the make. It maintains its sharpness even to the point where it can be used for shaving (though we don’t recommend it to those unused to doing such given its sharpness.), carving, hunting and anything else you might need the use of a good reliable blade for. While we won’t go into a lot of detail here, we will say this, it is a great blade designed by an awesome company for quality blades at a decent price. This one doesn’t have a huge selection of options, but like most Spyderco products, it does have a few and is customizable. This is a must-have for most collectors and could be an outstanding choice for those looking to purchase their first decent blade for use in hunting, camping, fishing, and survivalist equipment bags, and cases, or even if you just want a pocket knife you know will not let you down when it counts most. Of course, we will definitely say it now, this is a knife that has a good grip for its handle choices, which is a major plus in this particular market.

This is the aspect which deserves more attention than most, both because it is a good point on this particular model, and because as we mentioned earlier, it changed in its key component- what it is made out of.
Originally the Manix 2 differed from the first of its line, but not in a good way. Spyderco made its base blades from S30V, but in the original release of this product, they had downgraded to 154C. What does that mean exactly? Well as per usual, we want to give you an answer that doesn’t just generically say “one is a good metal, and one is not so good” so we did our research to see why this would cause issues. S30V is stainless steel which doesn’t rust easily, retains its sharpness more easily, and when it does require sharpening it does so easily. It’s also very durable and quite desirable for the metal of a blade. However, 154C has average resistance to corrosion, isn’t as durable and is on the border of being difficult to sharpen when it comes time. Basically, they went from a top of the line style steel to barely acceptable in quality. Knowing that the two metals vastly differ in quality, we have to assume that one costs more than the other. It is because of this that we are surprised and handing off praise to the fact that they didn’t hike the price up as most companies would.
The version of this we are looking at is not, however, the ‘XL’ version, which has a longer blade, we are looking at the one which has a blade length of 3.375”, and it is offered in different types of metal just as the rest of this company’s models are. The base metal or the one the blade comes in if you do not customize anything, is the S30C, so what we are looking at in the descriptions is exactly that- we’ll cover the rest in the accessories section which is more suited for ‘extra’ options.

While we could just point out cases, and maybe find out if they sell other items that could really be accessories for any blade out there, we decided to go over the options here of what exactly you can do to personalize your blade itself. Like most of its products, Spyderco does offer different metal types for the blade if you do not want one with the standard for the particular knife you are looking at. For this one, we’ll start out with the types of things you can change up without switching out the S30V stainless steel standard set blade.
For starters, if you want the appearance to be unique, you do have the option of a black finish to the blade, and you can choose whether you want the blade to be serrated or not. While the black finish won’t change much, the serrated edge might be something you prefer to have on yours. Another thing to mention that doesn’t affect the actual use of the blade is the variety of colors the handle itself comes in. For any of these though, the price will vary, and oddly, it seems Spyderco has a strange choice when it comes to which color handle is the most standard, and therefore the cheapest. So if you are looking to cut cost as much as possible, we definitely suggest looking at the prices for each color to find the cheapest.
You can choose between metals though, as we mentioned earlier, and those choices are S30V, CTS-BD1, the Carpenter CTS-BD30P, the S90V, and the CTS-XHP. We already discussed the S30V, so we’ll briefly cover the others now.
The CTS-BD1 was actually a metal done specifically at the request of Spyderco and is considered a mid-range metal. Overall it has a decent retention of its edge, has an above average resistance to corrosion and is relatively easy to sharpen back up if it dulls. This metal is vacuum heated and has a bit more chromium quality which aids to its added benefits. It comes close to having the same high quality as some of the most coveted steels, but its wear resistance holds it just behind on the scale.
CTS-XHP is considered a ‘Premium’ metal and is one of the better-quality ones when it comes to the standard line up. It has a very high score in keeping its edge, wears out a bit less easily than other blades and has an average to above average score when it comes to sharpening. The downside is that this metal seems to have an issue with chipping, which may cause you to think twice.
The Carpenter CTS-BD30P option is another Spyderco specialty metal which is a modified version of the S30V steel. The differences aren’t excessively huge at first glance, but many of those who have tried it out find that they actually do feel it is a decent enough improvement to retention and ease of sharpening to make it a challenger, and the price is cheaper than some other options of the same quality.
Finally, the S90V is an ultra-premium metal you can choose. It holds its edge almost flawlessly, has an average resistance to erosion, but is nigh impossible to sharpen easily. The fact that it will hold it’s original edge for an almost indefinite amount of time means many find this to be superior quality, though for some of us, the fact it doesn’t hold well against time and use, and it requires more than a little special work to sharpen it back up when it does wear out makes us take a step back and reconsider the above average scores as just as much a feasible and good option- especially with this ones price tag.]
One last unique choice to point out here though is that you can also swap out the material your handle is made with. For some, this is a moot point, but there are those of us who find one material nicer to hold onto than the other. So, it is worth mentioning here.

This is highly depending upon what material you decide to go with, in the end, but even if we just stick to the standard build and metal of the blade, Spyderco makes products that last and are very durable in the end. Usually the standard metal it comes with for the blade, and the standard handle, are close to, if not premium quality- but nothing really falls below upper mid-grade no matter what. This speaks for a highly durable tool compared to most others.

This is a bit on the heavier side for most everyday pocket knives, so it could end up chasing off a few on that alone. Weighing in at about 5oz, this does seem to be little on the overweight end for something so small blade wise, but the quality of the materials and its durability, it may be worthwhile. Of course, we did notice this as being too much for many people who carry pocket knives in general and is often the biggest deal breaker. Though there isn’t a complaint about the actual bulk of the blade, it did get some flack for this particular feature. So if 5oz is too much, then this is not the blade for you.

There are two options for the finish with this product, and both are beautiful to behold. With the standard steel it comes with, this blade shines but has a hatch look to its finish, meaning it won’t be reflective enough to blind you while you work with it, but it still shines gorgeously and even has a quality appearance to the design. The black finish is a carbon appearance which isn’t reflective at all but rather has a smooth appearance which often ups the ‘coolness feature. Though neither finish is a promise of better material than what you chose when you ordered, some of us simply prefer one look to another and simply having the option makes us happy. The handles also have a choice of materials, and just like the blades, they are complimented on for their appearance as well. So, it seems no matter what, you’ll have a good-looking knife to match the quality of it.

This product applies the ball lock mechanism to how it opens and closes, making it one that many have come to truly like and even prefer. This a modified version of an axis lock system and works by implementing a ball in a ramp area in the blade which sits inside the handle and is attached to a coil. You press the lock on the handle, releasing the tension on the spring to allow the knife to open. It is strong and holds up both once the knife is open, and after it is closed. It is actually considered one of the more ‘fun’ and durable knife locks and has actually made this particular knife highly popular for the ease of use in this mechanism.

As with most Spyderco knives, this one varies in price depending on what choices you made on its build, but at its standard build, it sits at around $110 to order with the black handle and S30V steel. The actual range, however, is rather vast. Depending on what options you go with it can range between $110 at standard build and materials to over $200 for a fully customized blade and handle with the highest-grade materials available.

-Several grade metals to choose from
-Variety in handles (color and material)
-2 versions (standard and XL)
-Reputable company
-High quality

If what you want is quality and a blade you can rely on, you can count on Spyderco to deliver. With the Manix 2, you have a blade that is excellent for carving, hunting, fishing, and camping. This knife will definitely be a great addition to your tools. However, if you want a lightweight everyday knife, this one might not be your cup of tea.