My Changes to the Shaman

[David Mary]

Beautiful work, love the modified blade shape. If you haven't done so already, please do post several photos of this under the Spyderco forums section. Sal mentioned he has a couple of designs based on the Shaman on the drawing board. He's active on the forum and he's sure to take notice of your gem. Perhaps he'll pick up on some of your modifications.

As you wish, friend, and thank you for the kind words. I like the Shaman, and knife modding is a fun hobby for me that I love to share, so here goes.

There are a number of things that I like about it.

• Overall size
• Compression lock
• Stock thickness (confidence inspiring, if not altogether "necessary")
• Simple and robust construction
• Nested liners
• Four way pocket clip (I prefer tip down, but I think it makes more sense to give options, especially on a knife this size, which is both big and small)


Here also is a blunt and honest bullet point list of the issues I did not like about the knife:

• Blade geometry too thick.
• I don't like finger choils because they limit cutting edge length.
• The kick gets in the way of closing the compression lock without having to develop a special technique of moving the finger at the last minute.
• The smooth G10 is too slippery, especially for a heavier knife that uses the compression lock; it's too easy to drop the knife when closing.
• The handle bump at the middle finger is only comfortable for me when using the choil - which I don't.
• Blade shape - it just looks stubby, especially shortened by the choil.

So here is my Shaman, with all the changes I made to it in order to resolve these issues, and make it very near to a perfect EDC folder for me.

I started by getting rid of the middle finger bump, so now we have a handle with two larger grooves for each of the first and last two fingers. I find these handle more ergonomic, comfortable and neutral than the original. I do this to all my knives with a middle finger bump, including my Endura 4s.



Next I reground the blade to remove the choil, and extend the cutting edge. The added benefit of this is the blade shape has much more aesthetic and flowing lines than the original.



Then I textured the handle and added a deep carry clip.




Deep carry would be a tedious affair with the slippery scales, but with these textures, it is easy to deploy, and easy to keep a grip on when closing the knife.

Lastly, you can see that despite regrinding the blade to a very thin edge, thus dramatically improving the cutting ability, I have nevertheless maintained a thick spine and a robust tip, which are two of the features that had me wanting a Shaman in the first place.








The Shaman is a good knife, but to this day there is not a knife I have ever owned, including all my Spydercos, where I did not see some way it could be better, at least for me, or even dramatically better, as my modded Shaman is now for me over the original.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Ippon98]

Wow, I actually really love the way that blade looks. Always thought that prominent choil was pretty ugly.

 

[sharp_edge]

OP - very nice! Your modified Shaman looks slimmer and ergo, though it does not seem to have the beefiness of original Shaman. Maybe Spyderco can adopt it as a new model?

I was kind of thinking in the opposite direction, like a blown-up XL version, or for the current version, getting ride of the backspacer (and moving the middle screw a bit to the middle) and widening a bit the butt of the handle, like below:

 

[David Mary]

It's not a prybar, that's for sure. But then, I don't want my EDC knife to be a prybar. It's still more robust than my Resilience, which I also love.

 

[Buellrider]

Looks good. Kinda looks like an Amalgam without the flipper.

 

[David Mary]

Thank you. I don't have an Amalgam, but if I did, here's what I'd do to that one:


Maybe some day...

 

[ferider]

Cool !

But you have to admit it looks similar to a Caribbean now

 

[soc_monki]

I prefer the Shaman as is, but that is some impressive work! It's just not a Shaman anymore, I like the really wide blade and the contrast with the skinnier handle. Kind of like the benchmade crooked river.

I'd say spyderco might be interested in making it a new model though!

 

[David Mary]

Thank you!

it looks similar to a Caribbean now

Rustproof, and halfway in size between the Tenacious and Resilience, allowing the hand to be brought almost right to the cutting edge, it's another one I love. I changed mine of course. From the factory it would be perfect (for me) and if only it had slightly less blocky handles that were a little bit shorter, and the center stand off were a little further forward so the scales didn't pinch together when closing the knife (as it is now makes for a sticky close), and it were available in colors of than yellow with a less slippery surface finish, and minus the middle finger bump, it would be perfect. This one is mine, before it ended up win a new home:

I prefer the Shaman as is, but that is some impressive work! It's just not a Shaman anymore, I like the really wide blade and the contrast with the skinnier handle. Kind of like the benchmade crooked river.

I'd say spyderco might be interested in making it a new model though!

That would be cool. If they did, I'd like to see them shape the front of the scales more like the Resilience or Caribbean, and increase the blade length by 1/8". It would also be awesome if they'd incorporate the slightly widening the butt of the handle as suggested by sharp_edge .

And factory blade geometries that come in under .012" behind the edge would be nice all around, you know, while we're wish listing.