Pros: Overall Quality, Lock Type, Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Blade Sharpness, Weight, Sheath, Handle Feel, Pocket Clip
Cons: None
Favorite EDC
The Manix XL is one of my favorite EDCs. The DLC finished blade and hardware (standoffs, liner, backspacer, lanyard hole tube, torx screws) makes for a nice, sexy blacked-out look; the DLC is durable, and the finish of the entire knife is top-notch. "Top-notch" is a good way to describe all aspects of fit and finish; the secondary grind, from the ricasso to the tip is even in angle and width on both sides of the blade. The lanyard tube is oversized, making it easy to fit MilSpec paracord. Likewise, the SpydieHole is oversized, making it easy to use with gloves. The clip can be swapped between left and right hand carry. The blade is 3.85" long .125" thick, and current catalog specs say it weighs 5.2ox. The blade itself is a cutter: 25% thinner than the Manix 2, combined with the full flat grind of the primary grind, make this knife a formidable cutting tool. I have done some food prep with the knife, and am always amazed at the ease and control I have in doing any cutting task. The blade is longer and wider than the standard Manix, which also contributes to positive control, and makes large cuts easier. The Manix grip features gimping on the liners, generous gimping on the spine and choil, and a great design where these two sets of gimping each meet to form one continuous ridge of gimping on the top and bottom of the knife. The texture of the G10 handle scales contribute to a tool that can be held securely in a variety of situations and grip styles. The one knock against the XL grip: while size in terms of width and length and clip placement is good, with no hot spots that I feel, the thickness of the handle is somewhat lacking. This may have been a design feature to prevent the clip from causing a hotspot; be that as it may, the knife feels just the slightest bit too thin in my hand. For reference, I think the thickness of the Szabo folder gets it right - the Szabo is about 3/32" thicker. Deployment: out of the box, deployment was, in a word, smooth. The blade pivots open with no hang-up, no roughness; the detent pops into place with a positive feel. With just a couple practice attempts, I am able to flick the blade open with just a thumb. Opting for more control and keeping my thumb in the hole for the duration of the act (that's what she said) shows good spacing of the hole in relation to the natural grip my fingers adopt on the handle. Closing the knife is easy: the XL handle is large so that the butt of the G10 liner snugs up against my palm, and my thumb and forefinger work to pull the lock tab back towards me; keeping my fingers out of the way, the blade drops down, swinging freely, and I am able to complete the closure against my leg. The XL is an attractive knife; the black blade, with a silver edge and gold engraving, are one of my favorite combos. That Spyderco went the extra mile and made sure that all visible parts are coated in black shows a good attention to detail. If there is a downside, it is that the DLC coating shows finger oil easily. This is quick remedied by wiping the blade down with an alcohol based cleaner; I prefer the paper lens cleaning products from Zeiss for this. I typically open a packet containing one wipe, and clean my reading glasses quickly, and then focus on the knife in my hand. 15 seconds of wiping, and the blade is generally clean again; it dries nearly immediately. I like using the lens cloths, as I'm introducing no moisture into the knife, and I'm likewise not introducing any more lube. If, in fact, I want to lube the knife or coat the blade with oil, I can do that separately, which means I control the amount used better. The XL's CPMS30V steel blade holds an edge well, and is easy to sharpen. My sharpening technique uses up to 4 major steps, depending on how much I have to do. If the blade requires a fairly large amount of steel be removed, I use a WorkSharp Ken Onion with the optional Blade Grinding Attachment. Next in the arsenal is a set of Arkansas Oil Stones, which I purchased in 1977. If I don't have to remove much metal, I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker; and if I just have to perform the lightest of touch-ups, I use a leather strop and green (ultra fine) compound. The XL, so far, has just required a light stropping. All in all, I