The Spyderco Mantra 1 is a titanium frame lock flipper designed by Eric Glesser. This variant retains a full size round hole on the blade and weighs 3.0 oz. The knife’s blade is 3.2 inches long and 3 mm wide at the spine. It is made of Crucible’s CPM M4 high speed tool steel, which has excellent edge retention. That steel is not considered a stainless steel, which means that it requires more effort to prevent corrosion and can also develop a patina over time.
The handle of the Mantra is made out of titanium with a stonewashed finish. Like the Spyderco Techno, this finish keeps visible wear minimal and looks great. The titanium provides a surprising amount of traction for a smooth surface. The overall shape of the handle is reminiscent of the Delica and that definitely is a positive thing. It is very comfortable and the flipper tab acts to prevent the hand from slipping up towards the edge. The only hotspots present are very minor and are the touch of jimping on the lock bar and the wire clip. In normal use, they do not pose any problem at all, but in extended use they could start to wear on the hand.
Spyderco Mantra (Left) & Spyderco Techno (Right)
Unlike the Techno, the wire clip seems to excel here on the Mantra. Retention is excellent and the knife carries deep in the pocket. Despite the polished appearance, the wire clip tends to draw less attention than a standard hourglass clip like the one found on a Para Military 2. In addition, the Mantra is easily retrieved and put away, while also keeping wear on the pocket to the minimum. The clip can be moved to either the left or right side, but only in a tip up configuration.
The key feature of the Mantra is that it is a flipper. The pivot runs on bearings and the action is quite smooth. It does take some practice, but the flipper tab works well and the knife can be flipped open without a flick of the wrist. It should be noted that the tab responds better to a push like a button rather than being flicked like a switch. The detent keeps the blade shut when not in use and provides sufficient resistance for flipping. Spyderco’s round hole also works well, which enables a range of deployment options. The frame lock present on the Mantra features a steel interface which also functions as an over-travel stop. Out of the box, there was a hint of lock stick, but that went away after about a week of occasional use and has not returned. Lock up is solid with no perceivable blade play in any direction.
The blade features a satin finish with the beautiful, deeply engraved bug logo found on many of the models that come out of Taichung. The knife arrived quite sharp out of the box and we will update this article when we have to sharpen it. Its full flat grind paired with the 3mm stock makes it an excellent slicer. The M4 steel on our knife has remained in great shape since July 2016 with limited maintenance. Occasionally coating the blade with oil, adding some to the pivot, and limiting prolonged exposure to moisture has been sufficient. However, it will rust easier than stainless steels if mistreated and its particularly important to avoid getting any corrosive or sticky substances into the pivot area due to its usage of bearings.
Blade Length - 3.20" (81 mm)
Overall Length - 7.34" (186 mm)
Blade Thickness - 0.118" (3.0 mm)
Weight - 3.0 oz (85 g)
In general, the Mantra is an impressive knife. The Taichung factory again delivered an item with perfect fit and finish for a production knife and it definitely performs well. If you are looking for a well-made Spyderco flipper and don’t mind caring for its steel, the Mantra might be what you are looking for.
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