Recommendation? 940,shaman, native chief

C

Cogam87

Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
125
Anyone handled the above and can give the pros and cons.of.each?

Owned a few benchmade but have not been very impressed with the last couple new knives I bought( centering,action) but I love my 550 so keep looking for another nice benchmade.

As for the spydercos I own several. Really like my native 5 and my native 1 with the back locks but they are a tad small.

Also enjoy my PM2 with the compression lock.

I don't think I can really go wrong with any of the above knives. Just putting out a feeler to try and sway me.one way or another.

Thank you

Cody
 
Cogam87 said:
Anyone handled the above and can give the pros and cons.of.each?

Owned a few benchmade but have not been very impressed with the last couple new knives I bought( centering,action) but I love my 550 so keep looking for another nice benchmade.

As for the spydercos I own several. Really like my native 5 and my native 1 with the back locks but they are a tad small.

Also enjoy my PM2 with the compression lock.

I don't think I can really go wrong with any of the above knives. Just putting out a feeler to try and sway me.one way or another.

Thank you

Cody
Click to expand...

Of those 3 I'd go with the 940. Centering can be an issue, but they're easy to correct once you know the trick.
 
Without actually handling any of them, they are very different. What are you after, and what do you "need"?
 
Got a Shaman and a Chief. Wouldn't buy another BM. Shaman and Chief are different knives, Like the Compression lock on the Shaman more in terms of action. The Chief is a better slicer, the Shaman is a more beefy knife that feels like you need to watch what you cut since the tip of the Chief is more slender.
 
Rykjeklut said:
Without actually handling any of them, they are very different. What are you after, and what do you "need"?
Click to expand...

I find myself using my knives for everything from opening packages to food prep/garden work/ outdoors activities(cutting fishing line,sticks for hotdogs, cleaning animals)

I was leaning towards the spydercos, but the 940's seem to be on everyone's must buy lists(mine included)
 
940 feels very dainty in hand compared to a shaman. Another knife to consider similar to the shaman and native series is the manix2. It's a go to knife for me. Similar lock to the axis on the 940 as well.
 
I actually have a lightweight manix 2 and a XL version that I love, fit the hand great.

That is kinda my worry about the 940, a little small for what all I might do.

Thanks to everyone for the info, I appreciate it.

I think I'm going to go with my gut and get a shaman.
 
Cogam87 said:
I actually have a lightweight manix 2 and a XL version that I love, fit the hand great.

That is kinda my worry about the 940, a little small for what all I might do.

Thanks to everyone for the info, I appreciate it.

I think I'm going to go with my gut and get a shaman.
Click to expand...

I hope you like the Shaman. I hoped I'd like the Shaman too, but sadly didn't. It just wasn't as comfortable as I'd expected. I can't quite put my finger on the problem, it just felt a bit awkward.

The 940 certainly doesn't have the same palm filling ergonomics as the Manix series. It's slender and neutral. Comfortable for most cutting tasks, but I wouldn't want to carve a bunch of tent stakes with it in one sitting.

The Native Chief interests me, but like so many other Spyderco models: it'll have to make it past the black g10 and s30v stage before I'll buy one.
 
I have handled all three. And i own a 940 . The 940 is more of light weight edc . Much like a small sebenza.
Of the three the 940 is the best bet for edc . Then buy a shaman for heavy duty folder later .

Jake
 
IMO, the Shaman has nearly double the mass of the 940 and arguably less utility.

The Native Chief is a whole different philosophy of use. It's a much larger knife and maybe too big to EDC unless you live a very rural lifestyle.

940 is my choice of those three. Unless you need a 4"+ knife for some reason, then the Native Chef fits in well. Personally I'd rather have a Military, F95 or SOCOM Elite because I'm not very fond of backlocks.
 
My $0.02
940: flimsy, overpriced, an Opinel does the job better for 1/10th of the price
Native Chief: never tried, but why bother when there are Enduras and Shaman
Shaman: One of the sturdiest knife of Spyderco's offer, if not the stoutest. A bit heavy. Excellent ergos with smart choil, relatively easy to sharpen. Low key look, it's big but not so aggressive. Closest cousin of a standard SMF I found so far in term of ergos and cutting power. Opening/closing is a breeze.
 
Something thing to consider... everything you've mentioned for your uses in the OP (except opening packages) is done in a "dirty" environment. Not "dirt" dirty, but "needs to be cleaned frequently" dirty. That might suggest a folder that's easy to clean thoroughly, especially if we're talking about food prep.

An open back, or flow-through, design usually works better for flushing and cleaning. That would eliminate backlocks and closed backs like a 940 or Grip or Native would have. Compression locks, frame locks, even good liner locks with open backs might be a better choice. Also, I'd consider locks that don't have a lot of parts to trap gunk, eliminating both AXIS and Ball-Bearing locks.

Spyderco does have some comp lock folders other than the Para 2s and 3s. The Shaman is a bit big and heavy, but it's an open back knife that could certainly handle a variety of jobs. The ATR 2 is also flow-through with a comp lock and is a tad smaller and lighter than the Shaman. The Caribbean Sheepsfoot is a 3.7" blade but it seems to be the lightest of those 3 Spydercos. If you like the size of a 550, how about a GB2? M4 isn't stainless but it isn't gonna turn black and dissolve right in front of you, either. Use it, clean it after use, and get it ready for the next time... just like you would with any tool.
 
Between the insanely comfortable handle, figure choil, flickability, front flipability and effortless drop shutiness the Shaman is just such a joy to use

Haven't handled the other 2 but they are most likely great knives aswell
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top