Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote: The One You Can Open One-Handed
This Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote is in mint, preowned condition. It was built on May 31, 2011, and the signed Certificate of Authenticity records that date. More importantly, it carries the old style nail nick.
Chris Reeve changed that cutout after this knife was made. Collectors have chased the earlier version ever since. This one came from a collection of preowned knives stored in a climate-controlled environment.
Why the Old Nail Nick Matters
Look at the wide thumb cutout along the blade spine. On this early version, the top edge is left crisp and square. Consequently, your thumb catches it and the blade rolls open with one hand.
Chris Reeve rounded that edge over on later builds. One-handed opening became far harder as a result. The change drew immediate pushback across collector forums, and demand for the earlier profile has never let up.
That single detail turns a dress folder into something you can actually deploy. Furthermore, it is the reason old style examples command a premium over the models that replaced them.
Bocote: Dark Stripes Over Golden Ground
The inlays are Bocote, a dense hardwood from Mexico and Central America. The ground runs warm gold to honey. Meanwhile, near-black striations sweep across it in tight, irregular bands.
Bocote carries high natural oil content. Therefore it takes a fine hand polish and stays dimensionally stable in the milled titanium pockets. No heavy stabilization is needed, and none was used here.
Both inlays sit flush and tight. In addition, the grain shows no drying, no shrinkage, and no cracks. Natural materials like these separate a Chris Reeve folding knife from anything else at this price.
S30V at 58 to 59 RC
The Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote runs a 2.75-inch CPM S30V blade. The grind is a hand-lapped satin hollow with stonewashed flats. Blade stock measures 0.090 inch.
Crucible developed S30V with Chris Reeve’s input, and it defined the shop’s output through this period. The Certificate of Authenticity records 58 to 59 RC. Reeve kept hardness moderate on purpose, so the edge stays tough and comes back fast on a stone. Our knife knowledge library compares S30V to newer steels.
When Chris Reeve revised the nail nick, he moved the Mnandi to S35VN at the same time. Accordingly, S30V and the old cutout always travel together.
Titanium Frame and the Early Clip
The frame is 6Al4V titanium, bead blasted with polished edges and flats. The Reeve Integral Lock holds the blade. Handle thickness measures 0.135 inch, which is why the knife vanishes in a pocket.
The pocket clip is machined titanium with an exposed top screw. Chris Reeve later moved to hidden hardware. Consequently, this clip is period-correct and a detail collectors check first. A titanium pivot screw with the blue anodized R cap finishes the show side.
The Mnandi, Introduced in 2001
Mnandi is Zulu. It translates roughly to “very nice.”
Chris Reeve designed it as an executive folder, slimmer than the Sebenza and built around its inlays rather than decorated with them. At an ounce and a half, it carries in a suit pocket without a trace. Pieces like this appear regularly among the most valuable custom knifemakers we track.
Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote Condition and What’s Included
The knife is mint and preowned. It DOES NOT include the blue CRK cloth. It presents as uncarried. There are no snail trails on the blasted titanium, no blade play, and no sharpening. Additionally, the satin blade holds its original factory edge.
It ships complete. You receive the original white Chris Reeve box with its Mnandi w/ Bocote Inlay label, the signed Certificate of Authenticity dated May 31, 2011, the brown leather slip sheath, the Allen wrench, no cloth. Read how we grade before you buy.
Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote Product Specifications
- Maker: Chris Reeve Knives, Boise, Idaho, USA
- Model: Mnandi, old style nail nick
- Date: May 31, 2011
- Overall Length: 6.375 inches
- Blade Length: 2.75 inches
- Blade Thickness: 0.090 inch
- Closed Length: 3.625 inches
- Handle Thickness: 0.135 inch
- Weight: Approximately 1.5 ounces
- Blade Steel: CPM S30V, 58 to 59 RC
- Blade Style: Modified clip point, hand-lapped satin hollow grind with stonewashed flats
- Opener: Wide old style nail nick with crisp upper edge
- Handle Material: 6Al4V titanium, bead blasted with polished edges and flats
- Inlays: Bocote wood, both sides
- Lock: Reeve Integral Lock
- Pocket Clip: Machined titanium, early style with exposed top screw
- Pivot: Titanium screw with blue anodized R cap
- Country of Origin: United States
- Included: Knife, original white box, signed Certificate of Authenticity, leather slip sheath, and Allen wrench. *No Cloth*
- Condition: Mint, preowned
- SKU: 00170-CRK-MNANDI-BOCOTE-S30V-20110531
Video Description: Old School Mnandi
This Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote is a mint, preowned gentleman’s folder. The blade is 2.75-inch CPM S30V at 58 to 59 RC. It carries a hand-lapped satin hollow grind with stonewashed flats. The frame is bead-blasted 6Al4V titanium with polished edges. Bocote wood inlays fill both scales, showing dark striations over a golden ground.
The Reeve Integral Lock secures the blade. A wide old style nail nick opens it, with the crisp upper edge Chris Reeve later rounded over. The pocket clip is machined titanium with an exposed top screw, and a blue anodized R cap sits at the pivot. It measures 6.375 inches overall, 3.625 inches closed, and weighs approximately 1.5 ounces. Included are the original white box, signed Certificate of Authenticity dated May 31, 2011, leather slip sheath, Allen wrench, no cloth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the old style nail nick?
It is the wide thumb cutout on the blade spine, with a crisp square upper edge. Chris Reeve rounded that edge over on later builds. Therefore this earlier version opens one-handed far more easily.
How can I tell which version I am looking at?
Check the steel and the clip together. Old style examples run S30V with an exposed clip screw. Chris Reeve changed the nail nick, the steel, and the clip within a short window.
What is Bocote?
Bocote is a dense hardwood from Mexico and Central America. Dark, near-black stripes run across a warm golden ground. Moreover, its high oil content lets it take a fine polish and stay stable in the frame.
Can this Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote be carried?
It can, and the old nail nick makes it genuinely practical. However, mint uncarried examples with paperwork are the ones collectors want. Carry will affect future value.
How do you verify authenticity?
We check hardware, machining, stamps, and factory paperwork against known references. In addition, we photograph every marking before listing. Questions are welcome on our FAQs page.
Buy This Chris Reeve Mnandi Bocote
Every knife we list is inspected, photographed, and described honestly. Browse what else is available on the Chris Reeve Knives Brand Page. Meanwhile, if you own Chris Reeve pieces yourself, sell your collection for a same-day offer.
“Chris Reeve,” “Mnandi,” “Sebenza,” “Integral Lock,” and the CRK logo are marks of Chris Reeve Knives. “CPM S30V” is a Crucible Industries mark. “BLADE” is a mark of BLADE Magazine.
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