Mantis Knives MK1, MK2
Review by Phil Elmore
It was in early 2007 when The Martialist first took note of Mantis Knives, a brand that seemed to appear out of nowhere in dealer catalogs and knife magazine advertisements. Contacting a real, live human being through the company's website proved surprisingly easy. We are therefore happy, after a year of living and working with these knives, to present long-term reviews of this company's blades.
According to Jared West, owner of Mantis Knives, the company was
founded in late 2005 and debuted at the 2006 SHOT Show. "The
Mantis Logo came to me before the name did," Jared told me. "I
was sitting in an International Business class at the Hilton Business
School at L.M.U. in 2001. I was taking notes, and this logo just
hit me, so I scribbled it down. I revised it a couple of
times. Now it's the logo that you see on every Mantis Knives box
that ships out of our Anaheim Hills headquarters."
That headquarters is a 10,000 square foot facility in Orange County,
California. Some of the knives in the Mantis line are made in the
United States, while others are assembled in Taiwan from US-made
materials (sent by Mantis from Crucible and other sources). The
result is a line of affordable knives of decent quality for the money,
including the only brand of knives officially sanctioned by the United
States Catfish Anglers Tournament Series. "We're the only company
they endorse," Jared states. "We're [also] the only knife
company in the world to offer S30V stainless steel on a folder for less
than $100.00 [USD]."
Jared carries his own company's MK1 model when "hucking boxes and
working in the shop or warehouse." While out on the town, dressed
nicely, or in formal meetings, he carries "my MT2SC. It's slim,
lightweight, and elegant." Price, performance, and style are what
set his company apart from others, according to Jared. "Put our
knives to the test," he urges. "They endure. Every Mantis
knife has a unique, post-modern, industrial look to it. Ever
since I was young, I've been into strange angles and structures in
architecture and design. If I were to design a building, it would
look an awful lot like the Getty Center in Los Angels, or maybe even
the Walt Disny Concert Hall."
At just 27 years old, Jared is a young entrepreneur who seems eager to
take on a competitive and often politically charged industry.
Mantis' blade materials range from stainless steels like 420HC to more
rugged alloys like BG42 and 154CM. Handle materials also range
from unusual metal designs to more conventional G10 and carbon fiber
slabs.
The Mantis MK1 and MK2 are the company's initial entries in the almost prerequisite kerambit category. When the models were first introduced, it seemed everyone and his uncle was scrambling to introduce a kerambit fixed or folding knife. These curved Indonesian-influenced knives typically have a finger ring and are most often intended for use in a reverse grip.
The MK1 ("Cinq 1") and MK2 (as tested -- the design has evolved since our initial samples were received)) have blades of 420HC steel, ground on one side only. the MK1 has a fairly traditionally hawkbill blade shape, while the MK2's blade (again, as tested) is a recurved semi-modified tanto. As of this writing, a third, larger blade in the series, the MK3 ("Cinq 3") with an AUS8 blade and modified grip is also available. Blade length of the MK1 and MK2 are listed as 2-1/4 inch (overall length 5 inches) on the Mantis website, though the MK2 sample in my posession has a slightly longer recurved tanto blade.
Both knives are a great example of the affordable quality and stylized design one can expect from Mantis. They're colorful, comfortable in my hands, and feel solid, with good fit and finish throughout. The long, thin pocket clips have good tension and secure the knives in my pocket (though they are configured for right-hand, tip up carry out of the box and cannot be drawn into a reverse kerambit grip; this is as was intended by Mantis).
The liner locks on both knives engage the blade tang fully and with only very slight vertical play. I say "liner," but these are really frame locks, as the locking portion of the handle is integral to the frame itself. I find the metal, contoured handles reasonable comfortable (finger grooves will always be loved by some, hated by others) and I quite like the generous thumb groove sections at the top and bottom of the grips (which continue on in the curve of the back of the blade spine).
Both knives were reasonably sharp out of the box and cut test media easily, including hanging paper and plastic bottles. I manually reversed the knives into a kerambit reverse grip and used them that way; they were perfectly serviceable. Penetration with the pointed tips of each curved blade was quite good.
With their red accents and solid, all-metal construction executed in a highly artistic fashion, these kerambits are eye-catchers and definitely stand out among a market saturated with similar models. They'reaffordable and functional while maintaining a sense of individuality in a sometimes bland "jet black tactical" environment.
Those are all points in their favor. >>