Cold Steel 4 Max or Spyderco Manix 2 XL ?

[sharp_edge]

Lolwut? I'm a big Cold Steel fan, but I have to call BS.

I regularly carry a ZT 0770, a great knife that has a 3mm thick blade that is also very thin behind the edge, at least for a ZT. Fact-checking your statement above that the 4max with it's 50% thicker blade will out-cut any ZT, we find your claim to be:

FALSE. Untrue. Like true, except the opposite.

I think he meant cutting bricks

 

[shinyedges]

Have owned both, I agree completely with evilgreg

 

[DocJD]

So have any objective measures been made of 4 Max edge geometry and thickness behind the edge ? I don't think spine thickness is the whole story .

 

[BadgerBlade1]

My vote would be the Manix 2 XL. You get a large knife in a thin and relatively light package. It's heavy duty enough for any needs you should be using a knife for. Any heavy duty tasks that the m2xl can't handle probably shouldn't be done with a knife anyway. Just my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth.

 

[BladeScout]

Cold Steel 4 Max or Spyderco Manix 2 XL ?

I own way more Spyderco knives than I do CS (waaay more) and lean towards the Spyderco. Its not that I loathe the CS but the Manix is just not quite so obnoxious.

That being said, both are nice strong knives and you really cant go wrong.

Your OP was in jest (the bullet part) but it really depends on your purpose.
Good luck with which ever knife you choose.

 

[Yonose]

My manix2XL hasn’t any side to side play, yet, but I haven’t used it to pry yet either. It’s thin profile makes up for its size.

 

[BladeScout]

I've tried a few bigger folders to fit a niche need. I wear a battle belt under my body armor and a fixed blade just doesn't work; a large folder would. As already mentioned, they are vastly different folders. That said the Manix XL is still a very stout and capable folder; very normal-sized for what I consider a "pocket folder". The blade profile is more EDC-oriented for me; a very good slicer and good tip. The 4Max will carry in my pocket (I even added a deep pocket clip), but it's a bulky folder. As pointed out, it is actually a very good slicer and excellent edge-profile...surprisingly so. It's massive compared to the Manix XL which many people already think is too big for pocket carry. While I typically don't get rid of knives, of the two, the 4Max wouldn't be going anywhere...it fits my niche-role perfectly.





ROCK6

In which line of work do you wear body armor and those tan belt rigs?

Is that a HDS (or NOVATAC)?

 

[BladeScout]

I own both, two very different knives, plus people that havent owned or handled one don't understand how slicey the 4max actually is. It cuts better than any ZT and can easily be used to cut cardboard and food etc. It just looks like it wouldn't because of it's looks. The Manix is a good knife, big in pocket also, but very prone to side to side play and just nowhere near the same strength league as the 4max, they are worlds apart. The 4max is like a custom AD-10 from Demko but a production version. For a tough backup knife the Cold Steel Recon 1 will beat just about anything out there and is much more comparable to the manix in footprint. I'd carry the Recon over the Manix easily.

That does sound like some strange claims …

 

[marrenmiller]

Lolwut? I'm a big Cold Steel fan, but I have to call BS.

I regularly carry a ZT 0770, a great knife that has a 3mm thick blade that is also very thin behind the edge, at least for a ZT. Fact-checking your statement above that the 4max with it's 50% thicker blade will out-cut any ZT, we find your claim to be:

FALSE. Untrue. Like true, except the opposite.

I think people often forget that the ZT0770 exists, and that it isn't the same 4mm thick blade as is standard among ZT.

I wouldn't doubt that the 4 Max has slimmer geometry than a lot of the common ZTs, though. It's about 17% thicker but looks to have higher grinds than something like a 0452, 0562, or 0620.

 

[jbmonkey]

Have owned both, I agree completely with evilgreg

own both as well agree with evilgreg and shiny.

 

[evilgreg]

I think people often forget that the ZT0770 exists, and that it isn't the same 4mm thick blade as is standard among ZT.

I wouldn't doubt that the 4 Max has slimmer geometry than a lot of the common ZTs, though. It's about 17% thicker but looks to have higher grinds than something like a 0452, 0562, or 0620.

No arguments here, a lot of the ZT knives I own have a wider triangle than you'd expect because the grind starts so far down from the spine. I don't have a 4-Max, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a skinnier triangle in cross section than one of my ZT splitting wedges (e.g. the 0801--a knife that makes me appreciate my slicey-by-comparison Medford 187).

The 0770 not only has a thinner blade than the ZT norm, but it also has a tallish blade with a grind that starts way up by the spine. I like my 0770cf so much I added a second one in M4.

It's one of my few pet peeves with my beloved Southards, the tacticool-thick blade probably upped sales to mall ninjas at the price of reduced utility.

 

[marrenmiller]

No arguments here, a lot of the ZT knives I own have a wider triangle than you'd expect because the grind starts so far down from the spine. I don't have a 4-Max, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a skinnier triangle in cross section than one of my ZT splitting wedges (e.g. the 0801--a knife that makes me appreciate my slicey-by-comparison Medford 187).

The 0770 not only has a thinner blade than the ZT norm, but it also has a tallish blade with a grind that starts way up by the spine. I like my 0770cf so much I added a second one in M4.

It's one of my few pet peeves with my beloved Southards, the tacticool-thick blade probably upped sales to mall ninjas at the price of reduced utility.

I'd buy one if it was larger and unassisted. Still interested in the bare knuckle, as it seems to be nearly that.

 

[ROCK6]

In which line of work do you wear body armor and those tan belt rigs?

Is that a HDS (or NOVATAC)?

BladeScout , contracting work in Afghanistan. Yes, it's an older NOVATAC and still going strong!

ROCK6

 

[Makael]

Lolwut? I'm a big Cold Steel fan, but I have to call BS.

I regularly carry a ZT 0770, a great knife that has a 3mm thick blade that is also very thin behind the edge, at least for a ZT. Fact-checking your statement above that the 4max with it's 50% thicker blade will out-cut any ZT, we find your claim to be:

FALSE. Untrue. Like true, except the opposite.

Lol, nice

 

[BladeScout]

BladeScout , contracting work in Afghanistan. Yes, it's an older NOVATAC and still going strong!

ROCK6

Been there done that.....well, not contracting but soldiering.

Those rigs are WAAAAY to clean and new to have ever been to Astan. At least if in the field.

I have a decades old beaten up Novatac. Its been dropped countless times and once even went in the washing machine with some clothes. When I went to empty the machine, the flashlight lay there shining defiantly. Still works.

 

[Mick_1KRR]

Lolwut? I'm a big Cold Steel fan, but I have to call BS.

I regularly carry a ZT 0770, a great knife that has a 3mm thick blade that is also very thin behind the edge, at least for a ZT. Fact-checking your statement above that the 4max with it's 50% thicker blade will out-cut any ZT, we find your claim to be:

FALSE. Untrue. Like true, except the opposite.

You seriously think because one ZT out of almost their entire lineup is thin behind the edge it makes my statement completely void? ok, congrats mate, you found one ZT that has good blade geometry. And the 50% thicker blade on the 4max is the spine genius, not how thick it is behind the cutting edge. Don't worry tho, you'll get plenty of likes from shinyedges, he's a little bitter still cos not everyone takes his opinions as facts

 

[BladeScout]

You seriously think because one ZT out of pretty much every single other is thin behind the edge it makes my statement completely void? ok, congrats mate, you found one ZT that has good blade geometry. And the 50% thicker blade on the 4max is the spine genius, not how thick it is behind the cutting edge. Don't worry tho, you'll get plenty of likes from shinyedges, he's a little bitter still cos not everyone takes his opinions as facts.

Maybe just make it about the knives ....

Thatll make the outcome better for all involved including the outcome of this thread.

 

[ROCK6]

Been there done that.....well, not contracting but soldiering.

Those rigs are WAAAAY to clean and new to have ever been to Astan. At least if in the field.

I have a decades old beaten up Novatac. Its been dropped countless times and once even went in the washing machine with some clothes. When I went to empty the machine, the flashlight lay there shining defiantly. Still works.

BladeScout Hahaha...yeah, my dirt days are long over. This contracting gig is much cleaner, but I still get to look cool When Novatac first stood up, they sent me a few to T&E when I was in Iraq. I had some cable-dogs running new underground fiber (and frequent repairs) where the a couple lights go used...and subsequently "lost". I kept one and it's been chugging right along.

 

[The Whip]

Looking for a big back up folder knife bilt like a tank for if all else fails. (run out of bullets) Which would you Choose , and why ?

If you're looking for "built like a tank," the 4-MAX is the best choice of the two options you've offered (as well as just about any other options out there--that knife is remarkably robust). If you think that you might be unwilling to carry a nine-ounce folder on a recurring basis, then you'll want the Manix 2 XL. They both cut very well.

By the way, don't let anyone dissuade you from thinking a folder can be a decent back-up weapon. Plenty of people carry folders for both utility and defense.

I'll see if I can dig out my Manix tomorrow to take some side-by-side comparison photos for you. (Can you tell which model I carry regularly?)

-Steve

 

[craytab]

You seriously think because one ZT out of almost their entire lineup is thin behind the edge it makes my statement completely void? ok, congrats mate, you found one ZT that has good blade geometry. And the 50% thicker blade on the 4max is the spine genius, not how thick it is behind the cutting edge. Don't worry tho, you'll get plenty of likes from shinyedges, he's a little bitter still cos not everyone takes his opinions as facts

You said something that was false and were corrected on it. No need to get so defensive and insulting because you were wrong. It helps the discussion in no way.