Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight Maxamet - Overview and Review 

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I carried an FRN Spyderco Endura through most of my military time. It was not treated gently, but I still have it 20+ years later, still in great shape. FRN indeed feels cheap, but it’s super durable and functional.

This knife just works. I decided after two months that it's been too useful to be a collector's item. So I went ahead and made the two improvements Spyderco should get around to: I cut some jimping at the end of the knife behind the lanyard hole so it doesn't slip in a sweaty palm when disengaging the lock. I drilled out the pins and replaced them with binding barrels and screws so I can take it apart.

Manix LW is an awesome carry knife. An orange/S90V version was my main EDC knife for over a year before I recently got bit by the customizing bug. Part of the reason for the Spyderco logo being there on the FRN scales is to have an untextured spot for the clip to rest. This makes it easier to get it in and out of the pocket without it getting hung up.

I carry an S110V manix 2 LW as my work knife. I love that knife. The manix 2 might be my favorite knife at the moment. I am disappointed that it's pinned but it's very easy to clean and oil anyway so it's not a big deal. it also broke in incredibly well and has an amazing action. My favorite thing about the wire clip is that it doesn't cut and scratch things that it touches or rubs against.

Just got this knife today never tried the Maxamet but have been using the police 4 in K390 and it's excellent steal. Cut plenty of cardboard and the edge just won"t quit.

Love the Manix, great performer ! Quality steel on this one ! Very nice. Thanks for sharing 👍😊

Great review. Thanks for providing us with so much content.

Man your videos are entertaining! I've been watching them all morning (wait, it's 2pm...). We'll be requiring more knife sound imitations, that was hilarious

Woohoo! Got mine today. Freaky light. But super tight. Needs a good break in. This knife is scary sharp!

Excellent practical review., Flowed like we were having a conversation. 👍🏻

I agree on how bad it would suck to take that one apart and put back together. I bought a friend of mine copper scales for his Manix 2 and holy hell was it a pain. No way on getting rid of the blurple s110v! I love those models and blade steel! I want the Shaman in s110v blurple and Maxamet gray.

I have this knife with the CTS-BD1N blade and translucent blue handles. It’s about all I carry now, lightweight, large blade, and thin.

Worth every penny. Cuts like a laser @ 15 dps. Maintain edge with 1 um diamond spray, and you are good to go!

there is deep carry wire clip to buy, aftermatket, wires bend on the other side (like giant mouse ace biblio)

The FRCP handles on the Manix2 lightweight may feel cheap to some but they are very rigid and seem indestructible. It's nice to have such a large knife weigh so little too.

Got the FRN S110V version, the lightness feels unreal. The lock spring is a bit stiff compared to the axis lock but at least it won't fail like the omega springs. Ugly as hell? Yes. Great hard use edc piece? Yes. Best cutting tool ever.

Love the Manix 2. Along with the Shaman, it’s my favorite Spyderco 🤙

Just order a manix 2 in maxamet. I have never held a spyderco before so this will be my first!

I’m in the camp of not liking FRN handles. That being said. I don’t mind the handle on my dragonfly at all. But for a larger knife at this price I feel like G10 would be more fitting. I’m very tempted to get one of these and swap the blade with my S110v blurple version.

Just made it to my must have knife list!

I'm starting to get a spyder infestation. It started with a basic blue delica then a satin M4 junglewear fat carbon PM2 followed shortly after. Now I have a basic Shaman and Spy27 Manix 2 LW on the way.

I have the Para 3 and PM2 in Maxamat and love them. 8 blame you. LOL. I was going to get the Manix 2 LW in Maxamat, but pinned not getting it. I think I will get the XL in CPM S30V.

Great video! I love mine in S90V, but it's a love hate thing. You and I know why it's awesome but when you show it off it's a plastic knife... And then they ask how much was that...? It's hard to explain steel to average people. Keep up the good work!

I have this same knife. This manix 2 lw carries so well for knife this size. I prefer the manix 2 blade over the para blades but that’s preference. I also like the ball bearing lock but it takes a very long time for that lock to loosen. I really want to try a sage 5 but waiting for a sprint before I pick one up.

I blade-swapped a Maxamet LW with a standard black G10 manix. Now I have an s30v LW and a G10 Maxamet manix. The Maxamet blade is a simple insert into G10 handles; however, it is not so straight forward to salvage the LW handles for reuse. I had to drill out the top rivet and flex the handles to get the maxamet blade out. I bought some tiny stainless steel hardware from McMaster Carr to replace the rivet. To complicate things, i was too clumsy drilling out the rivet, so i slightly melted/deformed the frn around the rivet hole, so i repaired it with some epoxy. Let's say that a bladeswap in the LW handles is an irreversible modification.

Is it frn or frcp? I've had both g10 and the translucent blue one and that just felt God awful while the g10 feels amazing in hand. Do the non translucent frcp feel more quality than the translucent?

I have one in CTS BD1. The knife is great for cutting, ergo and weight. Problem, what where they thinking when they riveted these knife shut? If it's riveted I can't use it on any material they may get trapped in the lock or swivel. Roofing shingles, anything with tar or glue, any food especially meat cannot be cleaned properly unless I do major surgery, drill out the rivets and replace with real h/w.

I cut the lid of a tin can, and maxamet is still shavings sharp! Crazy hardness!

I will have to try Maxamet.

I had purchased a manix 2 lw with the translucent blue scales. It looked great but the action was so bad that I returned it. Maybe I just got a bad one. My user manix is the all black, s30v, g10 without any milling in the liners. I have a sprint run in carbon fiber and cruwear with milling and it's a perfect weight. But since it's a sprint, I don't use it. Also have the manix 2xl that I find carries great for its size with an mxg gear clip. I've had pm 2's but sold them because I think the manix is better overall. For heavier tasks, the Shaman is my baby though.

i really wanted to like this knife and i got the maxamet version right when it came out. it is so aggravating because i love the blade steel but i hate everything else about it. the spring is too strong and you have to pull it all the way down in order to disengage the lock. they make aftermarket parts but not for the frn versions because they are not made to come apart. you can take the pivot screws out but you cannot take the blade out without destroying the handle which is a problem because i have some pitting in my maxamet so it doesn’t have great action and i cannot get in there to do any maintenance or upgrade parts and there’s not even an aftermarket handle solution so you are stuck with this plastic handle and wire clip. would it have cost spyderco anything extra at all to injection mold contoured handles or is there a good reason why they are flat? i see a lot of people who are really proud of their manix knives but this version is a disappointment

I must say I've had this exact model same color the wonderful maximet blade for about a month or so now and I am so over that lightweight cheap feeling handle the Maximet blade is a wonder of modern metallurgy but that handle.... anyway I would like to know if I can swap it over to my S30V model manix2 with G10 scales?

Man, I wish Spyderco would treat us to a LC200N Salt Manix2LW!!! Also, to sharpen Maxamet: an intrinsic journey of terror and rage.

I hate my regular S30V and G10 Manix2 weight such that I rarely carry it. I'd gladly get this one and ditch the old one, and I don't mind FRN. :)

This knife currently has a price tag of $203. Wow that's steep. I can't justify that kind of price for a knife having FRN handle material. I don't care how awesome the steel is.

This is my edc beater litterally nothing i will not do to it but i have the BD1N blade

Hey bro, help me decide on my next spyderco purchase for next week, I'm torn between the S110V manix 2 in G-10 and the Manix 2 LWT in Maxamet. I'm kind of like you and I don't like the volcano FRN handles. I really want some maxamet in my collection, but those handle scales are making me not want to drop the hammer. These things cost like over £220 here in London, and I don't want to have buyers remorse. Do you think I will regret getting the maxamet manix and regret not getting the S110v in G10? I could go for the PM3 in G10 and maxamet, but I don't really like the PM3. What should I do lol.

I almost got a manix 2 LW, but the pins and cost killed it. It's just above $100 now and for $20 more, you can get s30v in g10 so that's what I ended up buying from your link. If the LW were closer to $80, I probably would've just got that version to save a few bucks.

Should always put objects on the centre of the scale

Man watching this with today's Spyderco prices hurts lolzzz.

Bought this knife, when it first came out - I think I paid $167.00. All the time, I think about selling it. But, you make some compelling reasons to keep it. Oh well, it just sits, BNIB, in my knife drawer. Just the way it is, but, the Manix 2 never found a way into my heart, as did the PM2.

I think you misunderstand what toughness actually is. you're likely thinking of strength which is directly correlated to the high marix hardness. maxamet is by no means a tough steel, it's a very brittle steel, but what folks who read these words often dont grasp is that it's still steel. yes it's brittle steel, but it's still steel. steel is not brittle relative to other materials. Anyhow. imo steels like this cross over the line in terms of what (no longer) makes sense, but you can for sure use it as a blade steel on the kind of uses most of these guys have which is basically hanging out in the pocket, fidget toy, and maybe opening some mail now and again, gingerly I might add. No issues there. Just try not to drop the blade onto tile or concrete, the results might not be nice. just logically though a steel like k390, a 10v analog, has a much better balance of properties for use as an actual general use blade steel. The extra abrasion resistance you gain in maxamet is basically of no use, but you have to give up critically vital toughness to get it, which makes no sense at all. As long as the steels are run at similar hardness and not processed poorly, the kind of edge properties you love will be virtually the same. ie taking those super fine edges and holding that fine edge for longer than most steels hold any kind of edge what so ever. k390 has markedly better edge stability in that its much less prone to failure by the chipping of any kind and it already has more than enough headroom in terms of abrasion resistance for basically any kind of use case or cycle. Go ahead and laminate it with something tough as nails and stainless and a brand I can't stomach like SC would actually have my attention. But doing something like that be actual innovation rather than gimmicks, and that's just not their brand.

Has anyone ever swapped a lightweight and just put regular scales on one?

Carbon fiber, G10, and micarta are all plastic. Carbon fiber is a composite material combining carbon fibers and resin (plastic). G10 is glass fibers set in resin (plastic). Micarta is layers of materials set in resin (plastic). I now these are considered more premium compared to FRN, but all of them are plastic based composites. Is there a reason other than the cheap feeing that makes you dislike FRN?

I ordered this one and am going to switch the blade out with my normal manix 2 :)

I wanted this but everyone was sol out so I got a para3 maxamet. Ehh it's OK lol

We need a shaman in maxamet

FRN on all Spyderco knifes feel cheap, especially for the price you pay.

Now it’s $230!

I just got a rex 45 lightweight manix 2 and it is so stiff (the action not lock) I lubed it and tried loosening the pivot screws and it still feels pinched. Any ideas on something I can do to get a little smoother? I understand it's not going to be drop shut but I have to really whip it to get it to close!

its 320 canadian

Willing to sell mine bnib 170 shipped :)

Definitely agree that with $200 price tag you should be able to swap the liners. Absolutely overpriced I do luv the Manix 2 so I would rather the original G10 version or until I can get the G10 version with Maxamet I’ll pass on this one.

Fantastic knife. So lightweight and a great slicer. If you want to beat on your knife, spyderco is not for you.

omg.......your blades are dirty!!! what were you thinking.....lolol

MAXAMET IS NOT A TOUGH STEEL AT ALL!!! it is extremely brittle, it's actually quite a bit weaker than every other steel mentioned on this video. Heads up

Scales are disgusting. Rivets are a deal-breaker. Can we swap the blade in the G10 Manix 2???

Cut some food with it, it will patina.

oooooo my................................................. I AM SO GLAD I NEVER BOUGHT THAT CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!

Buy the knife to swap the blade into a g10. Lightweights are trash