Basemetal
19-05-05, 03:53 PM
This “review” is really more of a Comparison without cutting anything. A “collector’s eye view” if you like. I do intend to buy one of these knives as a user….and Hellz and Danzo have been kind enough to send me their knives to see them side-by-side. Hopefully it might be useful to anyone else considering either of these two impressive Spydercos. The Numbers associated with both knives appear earlier in the thread so none appear here…this is just the subjective opinionated unreliable bits :D.
First up –here are some pics to get the scale sorted out. For Big Spyderco folders I’ve placed them beside a Military and a Mark1 Chinook, viewed from the left and right hand sides. (Danzo’s Manix is minus its pocket clip (which can be fitted in four positions for left/right tip-up/ tip-down carry.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LHScomp.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/RHScomp.jpg
And here are our two heroes against a Delica:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Delicacomparison.jpg
Manix and Lil’ Temperance together open…..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/openmvlt.jpg
…and closed….
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/closedMvLT.jpg .
Lil’ Temp. Thanks to Hellz for the chance to have a close look at his Lil’ Temp :cool20:
First Impressions –Aha….it’s Spineless!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/SPinemvLT.jpg
An open frame design with no spine piece (or backspring)…since it’s a compression lock design (Like a liner lock but operating from the “top” of the knife rather than the “bottom”).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTlock.jpg
The startling thing about compression lock and liner lock designs is the absence of spring tension (due largely to the absence of a spring :rolleyes: ) when opening or closing the blade. You can like this or dislike it….I tend to dislike it –mostly because it runs so contrary to my expectations and occasionally takes me by surprise. I also find them awkward to close because there isn’t a finger handy to operate the lock –I’m right handed and the lock releases by pushing to the left.
The Lil’ Temp is smaller than I expected. It isn’t a big scary knife although it looks “wide” when closed and has a lot of presence. Deep handle, deep and seriously thick blade.
It’s also lighter than it should be (in a “doesn’t drag your pocket down” sense). This is a real plus as it means it would get carried.
It has an ergonomically shaped handle that is fabulously comfortable for two particular grips:
Firstly a conventional forward grip where it fills your and presents a wide thumbstop comprising the blade and two wide G10 scales together at the upper guard position. LT is a dream to hold like this and is balanced about an inch behind the pivot (actually same as Manix in this respect);
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTfordgrip.jpg
Secondly, an edge forward “Ice Pick” grip that I don’t think I have ever used and suspect might be an MBC facility. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTIcepick.jpg
The three in-line divots in the one G10 scale correspond to three holes in the seriously engineered four screw pocket clip on the other side and lend themselves to rotating the knife and changing grip. I can imagine the Spyderco Lil’ Temperance Display Team doing justice to these in whirl of synchronised grip changes, but for the rest of us they help make a good grip better, whether you’re a lefty or a righty. The clip can be reversed for tip-up or tip-down carry.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTopenhand.jpg
I thought the integral guard design might make the blade difficult to use for detail work with a choked up grip –but here’s where the huge spyderhole really scores –it allows lots of safe grip options and use of the blade (even without using the handle –ie just holding the knife by the blade).
The handle has an integral guard shape that works well and lends confidence in early use of the knife. Just visible inside the G10 scales are two nested (recessed) steel liners that are quite easy to miss
If you listen carefully, the green G10, despite my theoretical reservations, says “Army” and not “gardening”. But it really doesn’t shout anything at all and works for me as a neutral low profile handle colour –but could be hard to find if dropped. A lanyard is a welcome sight.
The blade is a beaut! Wonderful shape –HUGE spyderhole –plenty thick and distally tapered. Flat ground with a final secondary bevel . The cutting edge extends almost to the lower handle guard where there is a tiny choil and no exposed ricasso. There is a well-defined plunge line that coincides with the handle edge when the knife is opened. One smooth curving belly of blade from handle to point. An excellent slicer, a fine point, and a very strong blade.
The compression lock is activated by pressing the upper edge of the liner to the left disengage it from the rear of the blade. I’m finding this awkward to use for now-but it might just grow on you. Do this holding the knife in you hand edge-down and the blade just drops. The absence of any spring closure means you don’t have to worry about the blade snapping closed on fingers, but it could drop and swing into them so care is still required. I suspect the better method is to hold the beastie in your hand belly up and close it pushing the blade upwards and into the handle. There is a little retentive force on the blade over the last ¼ inch and when fully closed -I expect a ball-detent, though I can’t see the ball track on the blade.
The other factor to consider when closing this knife is the absence of a ricasso –if you leave your finger in place when closing this one the cutting edge will bite your finger. Compare the pics of a half closed LT v a half closed Manix…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/closingLT.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/closingManix.jpg
The deep ricasso and choil on the Manix blade permit easy one-handed closing as you can release the centre lock with your thumb and the blade will flop into the position in the picture –your forefinger safe under the blade’s choil. Try this with Lil’Temp and you lose…
It is possible to get the LT open from fully closed with a flick of the wrist (again because there is no spring to overcome once the blade is out of the handle and the blade is on the heavy side).
There are a couple of things I thought I didn’t like (but these are red herrings) -
1.The blade of Hellz’s knife has some perceptible lateral play. The distal taper of the blade does seems to run truly the whole length of the blade from point to locking end, so the pivot has to cope with a non-parallel wedge of steel. To be fair it looks like it has an adjustable pivot so this wouldn’t be a decisive issue against it for me.
2. I was going to write that there are blank holes in the RHS G10 handle scale that really look like they should have screws in them. Then I realised they really should have screws in them and that two screws are missing from Hellz’s knife! This might well account for the blade play I just mentioned.
Manix
Farewell objectivity…I’m sold on this one!
Centre Lock, full steel liners, lanyard hole, great handle ergonomics, balanced handle heavy at about an inch behind the pivot pin . As you’ll have seen it’s a lot bigger than the Lil Temp…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/openmvlt.jpg
The handle provides a marked Finger choil and blade has a deep ricasso and a second finger choil
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Manixinhand.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Manixinopenhand.jpg
The biggest similarity between the two knives is the shape and length of the cutting edge of the blade…here’s a picture of them near superimposed on each other:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Bladeshapes.jpg
The Manix blade is distally tapered to the plunge line then parallel through the ricasso and joint (which seems a better design). Like the LT it is flat ground with a final secondary bevel. (Of the “Big” Spydies shown the Chinook is the odd one out with a hollow grind.)
Two things sell me on the Manix….the beauty of the design with nary a line out of place and an integrated flowing feel that delivers the sort of comfort and security that the looks promise. Secondly a large purposeful blade with both my favourite characteristics : it’s a flat grind drop point. (So is the LT!) OK then…it’s the finger choil and spine lock that let me close the knife more easily.
Both knives are strongly appealing. The LT delivers almost the same cutting edge in a lighter shorter and equally strong package. Both knifes seem near indestructable. IT comes down to design aesthetics at the end of the day and for me the LT is French with character, external plumbing and useful bits and bobs all over the place while the Manix is German and all integrated deceptive simplicity. Citroen v Audi.
Which would you go for?
http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/verkleidung/costumed-smiley-064.gif
First up –here are some pics to get the scale sorted out. For Big Spyderco folders I’ve placed them beside a Military and a Mark1 Chinook, viewed from the left and right hand sides. (Danzo’s Manix is minus its pocket clip (which can be fitted in four positions for left/right tip-up/ tip-down carry.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LHScomp.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/RHScomp.jpg
And here are our two heroes against a Delica:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Delicacomparison.jpg
Manix and Lil’ Temperance together open…..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/openmvlt.jpg
…and closed….
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/closedMvLT.jpg .
Lil’ Temp. Thanks to Hellz for the chance to have a close look at his Lil’ Temp :cool20:
First Impressions –Aha….it’s Spineless!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/SPinemvLT.jpg
An open frame design with no spine piece (or backspring)…since it’s a compression lock design (Like a liner lock but operating from the “top” of the knife rather than the “bottom”).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTlock.jpg
The startling thing about compression lock and liner lock designs is the absence of spring tension (due largely to the absence of a spring :rolleyes: ) when opening or closing the blade. You can like this or dislike it….I tend to dislike it –mostly because it runs so contrary to my expectations and occasionally takes me by surprise. I also find them awkward to close because there isn’t a finger handy to operate the lock –I’m right handed and the lock releases by pushing to the left.
The Lil’ Temp is smaller than I expected. It isn’t a big scary knife although it looks “wide” when closed and has a lot of presence. Deep handle, deep and seriously thick blade.
It’s also lighter than it should be (in a “doesn’t drag your pocket down” sense). This is a real plus as it means it would get carried.
It has an ergonomically shaped handle that is fabulously comfortable for two particular grips:
Firstly a conventional forward grip where it fills your and presents a wide thumbstop comprising the blade and two wide G10 scales together at the upper guard position. LT is a dream to hold like this and is balanced about an inch behind the pivot (actually same as Manix in this respect);
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTfordgrip.jpg
Secondly, an edge forward “Ice Pick” grip that I don’t think I have ever used and suspect might be an MBC facility. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTIcepick.jpg
The three in-line divots in the one G10 scale correspond to three holes in the seriously engineered four screw pocket clip on the other side and lend themselves to rotating the knife and changing grip. I can imagine the Spyderco Lil’ Temperance Display Team doing justice to these in whirl of synchronised grip changes, but for the rest of us they help make a good grip better, whether you’re a lefty or a righty. The clip can be reversed for tip-up or tip-down carry.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/LTopenhand.jpg
I thought the integral guard design might make the blade difficult to use for detail work with a choked up grip –but here’s where the huge spyderhole really scores –it allows lots of safe grip options and use of the blade (even without using the handle –ie just holding the knife by the blade).
The handle has an integral guard shape that works well and lends confidence in early use of the knife. Just visible inside the G10 scales are two nested (recessed) steel liners that are quite easy to miss
If you listen carefully, the green G10, despite my theoretical reservations, says “Army” and not “gardening”. But it really doesn’t shout anything at all and works for me as a neutral low profile handle colour –but could be hard to find if dropped. A lanyard is a welcome sight.
The blade is a beaut! Wonderful shape –HUGE spyderhole –plenty thick and distally tapered. Flat ground with a final secondary bevel . The cutting edge extends almost to the lower handle guard where there is a tiny choil and no exposed ricasso. There is a well-defined plunge line that coincides with the handle edge when the knife is opened. One smooth curving belly of blade from handle to point. An excellent slicer, a fine point, and a very strong blade.
The compression lock is activated by pressing the upper edge of the liner to the left disengage it from the rear of the blade. I’m finding this awkward to use for now-but it might just grow on you. Do this holding the knife in you hand edge-down and the blade just drops. The absence of any spring closure means you don’t have to worry about the blade snapping closed on fingers, but it could drop and swing into them so care is still required. I suspect the better method is to hold the beastie in your hand belly up and close it pushing the blade upwards and into the handle. There is a little retentive force on the blade over the last ¼ inch and when fully closed -I expect a ball-detent, though I can’t see the ball track on the blade.
The other factor to consider when closing this knife is the absence of a ricasso –if you leave your finger in place when closing this one the cutting edge will bite your finger. Compare the pics of a half closed LT v a half closed Manix…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/closingLT.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/closingManix.jpg
The deep ricasso and choil on the Manix blade permit easy one-handed closing as you can release the centre lock with your thumb and the blade will flop into the position in the picture –your forefinger safe under the blade’s choil. Try this with Lil’Temp and you lose…
It is possible to get the LT open from fully closed with a flick of the wrist (again because there is no spring to overcome once the blade is out of the handle and the blade is on the heavy side).
There are a couple of things I thought I didn’t like (but these are red herrings) -
1.The blade of Hellz’s knife has some perceptible lateral play. The distal taper of the blade does seems to run truly the whole length of the blade from point to locking end, so the pivot has to cope with a non-parallel wedge of steel. To be fair it looks like it has an adjustable pivot so this wouldn’t be a decisive issue against it for me.
2. I was going to write that there are blank holes in the RHS G10 handle scale that really look like they should have screws in them. Then I realised they really should have screws in them and that two screws are missing from Hellz’s knife! This might well account for the blade play I just mentioned.
Manix
Farewell objectivity…I’m sold on this one!
Centre Lock, full steel liners, lanyard hole, great handle ergonomics, balanced handle heavy at about an inch behind the pivot pin . As you’ll have seen it’s a lot bigger than the Lil Temp…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/openmvlt.jpg
The handle provides a marked Finger choil and blade has a deep ricasso and a second finger choil
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Manixinhand.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Manixinopenhand.jpg
The biggest similarity between the two knives is the shape and length of the cutting edge of the blade…here’s a picture of them near superimposed on each other:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Basemetal/Bladeshapes.jpg
The Manix blade is distally tapered to the plunge line then parallel through the ricasso and joint (which seems a better design). Like the LT it is flat ground with a final secondary bevel. (Of the “Big” Spydies shown the Chinook is the odd one out with a hollow grind.)
Two things sell me on the Manix….the beauty of the design with nary a line out of place and an integrated flowing feel that delivers the sort of comfort and security that the looks promise. Secondly a large purposeful blade with both my favourite characteristics : it’s a flat grind drop point. (So is the LT!) OK then…it’s the finger choil and spine lock that let me close the knife more easily.
Both knives are strongly appealing. The LT delivers almost the same cutting edge in a lighter shorter and equally strong package. Both knifes seem near indestructable. IT comes down to design aesthetics at the end of the day and for me the LT is French with character, external plumbing and useful bits and bobs all over the place while the Manix is German and all integrated deceptive simplicity. Citroen v Audi.
Which would you go for?
http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/verkleidung/costumed-smiley-064.gif