Change my mind: the Shaman costs too much

[FourStringFiend]

There are many Spydercos that I didn't "understand" until I held them in hand and put them to actual use. Thats one of the things I like so much about the company.

They make something for everyone. If the design interests you, then try it. But you can't really say its not worth it till you've used it.

[JRinFL]

A shaman will protect you against evil spirits. A paramilitary can’t.

Worth every penny.

Winner. /thread

[Paraguy]

A shaman will protect you against evil spirits. A paramilitary can’t.

Worth every penny.

I CHANGED MY MIND!! Thanks so much for this insight. I think I'll buy 5.

[Paraguy]

I never understood the Shaman hype. A bulky chunk of steel, thick behind the edge... it feels and looks like an unfinished design. People(some) rave about its ergos and they may be right but that’s all it is. As much as I like Sal’s designs I must say it ... this one needs more work. I would never pay 200+ for that ugly knife.

Elena, have you held one in hand?

I wasn't big on it either, but managed to snag a Z-Wear Micarta sprint, and I'm glad I did. It's a fantastic hard-use knife, more comfortable for tasks where a PM2 might develop hotspots.

I wouldn't say it's a better EDC than a PM2, but it has its place.

i held one fully expecting it to kick the manix out of my pocket. not even close. i know people complain about the squareness of the manix handles, but it's a much better design in my opinion. i think it's a much better knife all around.

i've also never understood the hype and cost of the shaman and have said as much quite often here. when i held one, it was only a little more expensive than the manix and i didn't like it more. now, there's no way. and i get there is more production cost, but it can't possibly be that much more. and it's not materials, because the yo2 is just as thick blade stock and costs the same as the manix despite having the same materials and lock as the shaman. i don't see it. and, when i did want an overbuilt folder, i wanted one that was actually really overbuilt, hence the 4max scout in my pocket now, which was also about half the cost (granted, in lesser materials, but a stronger lock and materials that are probably better suited for a hard use outdoors knife).

that isn't to say the shaman isn't a good knife. it's just not for me. i personally don't like it at all, but that's one of the great things about spyderco. they have so much to offer to such a wide audience. the shaman didn't stop me from buying more spydies and it doesn't stop me from loving the brand as a whole.

Thats true I've heard that the Shaman used to cost a great deal less. It would interesting to see a shaman with flat g10. It might be cheaper too.

In 2019 they when for about 180! Might have bought one.

[Woodpuppy]

Is the stock Shaman worth $224? No. Is the crucarta/Zcarta worth it? Yep. Will a MagnaCarta version be worth it? Oh yeah.

[Mushroom]

There are a number of factors why the Shaman costs what it does. The value of the price is subjective and what "costs too much" to you is a bargain to someone else.

Time is money and machining scales for a Shaman requires much more time than a PM2. The difference in time required to manufacture each knife is one of, if not, the biggest reasons why a knife like the Shaman costs more than a PM2.

[Woodpuppy]

The shaman is also a burly chunk of steel. That cost adds up too.

[Naperville]

I had to think about all of my purchases to come up with an idea of how to answer this. You see, I do not own a Shaman yet. YET. But I will.

Anything that you buy through a retailer is going to be a reasonable cost, even if it is full list. If you can get it under list, excellent.

Now, I have quite a few knives, some I paid 10% under list, and others I paid 20% under list. I'm absolutely not going to wait around for a price to drop if I want something. I have ONE KNIFE that I know that I paid over list for, out of close to 90 knives. Did it sting much? Yes, but I'm absolutely sure that with all of the knives that I have I'm still under the full list price of the knives.

I pay attention to the price but there isn't much that you can do about it if you really want or need something.

[GarageBoy]

Why does everyone have to attack other's preferences on this forum? Can have a conversation about the pros and cons of each model without the "you're wrong?" aspect?

This reminds me of the pm2og thread about how the shaman has obsoleted the PM2

[TkoK83Spy]

I don't think I could sell any of these 3, 3 of my overall favorites to use at work as well.

[bearfacedkiller]

Spyderco’s pricing isn’t linear. The Military is also rather expensive in comparison to the Para2. I think the Para2 is such a high volume seller that the margin is smaller.

Also, within reason, I just buy what appeals to me. I may not be able to explain the $55 difference but I also know that it costs me $55 to take my family out to lunch. It isn’t enough money for me to put too much thought into it. I would just buy whichever one I think I would like more and if that was the Shaman I would likely forget what I spent pretty quickly. These are luxury items anyway.

[JohnDoe99]

Shaman is twice the knife the Para 2 is. Change MY mind.

Thought you never owned a pm2?

I might have been the first person to own one, I remember when they released you couldn't find them anywhere and I found one in digicam at my local knife shop. I was a PM2 fanboy for a long time until I tried other models and just found the ergonomics aren't the best for me. I think I've owned 3 PM2's and still own the 20CP sprint.

Search my posts for "Darkside", that knife cut me more than any knife I've owned.

my mistake.

[vivi]

The Shaman is extremely well made. The example I owned, a zwear, was as flawless as I've seen from a production knife. I could find no fault with it. Smoothest compression lock I've ever tried, and beautifully contoured scales you hardly ever see on folders.

I decided not to keep it because there were things about the design that made me prefer other knives to it, but on a manufacturing level it was an impressive knife.

Whether or not its worth it to you is subjective. I'd wager most folks here could get by with a $25 Byrd Cara Cara / Meadowlark without any real issues.

[JohnDoe99]

In general, I'd say Spyderco knives cost too much now, and increasingly not only Spyderco but the whole industry. And it is not because of "new steels." My conspiracy theory is that there is an industry wide collaboration with these "MAPs" to keep the cost artificially inflated. Ever since 2016 there has been a massive surge in price inflation. First it was blamed on Amazon and Ebay, and I guess it kept going because of the standoff with China? Now that Amazon and Ebay collect sales tax, I've completely written off new knives.

I've been tactically stocking up on very good condition used models like the Manix and PM2 on Ebay lately by buying them at discount from guys looking for a quick buck so I won't be forced to pay $500 for a new base model PM2 10 years down the road in case I need another one.

[vivi]

It's changed my buying habits, to be sure.

When the Police & Military were $125 and the Manix XL / Yojimbo 2 / Para 2 debuted at $99, I made more impulsive purchases.

I still remember buying a ZDP189 Endura for about $75, which I had made earlier in the day doing a craigslist landscaping gig.

Now I'm looking at the $210-220 price tag for a CQI DLC Military in standard S30V thinking about how that's more expensive than carbon fiber sprints in the past. For that price I won't buy one outright, I'll wait until I can move one of my other knives to cover the purchase.

[Fireman]

The only thing wrong with the Shaman besides the availability is there is no Super Shaman XL in Magna Cut with titanium RIL frame lock.

Signed,
Big hands.

Change my mind...
:D

[Fireman]

The more you use a knife the more value it brings to you.

It's changed my buying habits, to be sure.

When the Police & Military were $125 and the Manix XL / Yojimbo 2 / Para 2 debuted at $99, I made more impulsive purchases.

I still remember buying a ZDP189 Endura for about $75, which I had made earlier in the day doing a craigslist landscaping gig.

Now I'm looking at the $210-220 price tag for a CQI DLC Military in standard S30V thinking about how that's more expensive than carbon fiber sprints in the past. For that price I won't buy one outright, I'll wait until I can move one of my other knives to cover the purchase.

[ZrowsN1s]

Hi Paraguy,
You remind me of another PM2 guy. Are you new to the forum or is this just a new account for you?

Back when the Shaman cost 180 people said much the same. Too expensive for a base model. I thought it was expensive myself. Then I tried one and my opinion changed. Not sure if you've tried one or not. But I've got 4 Shaman now. And only one PM2.

[vivi]

The more you use a knife the more value it brings to you.

It's changed my buying habits, to be sure.

When the Police & Military were $125 and the Manix XL / Yojimbo 2 / Para 2 debuted at $99, I made more impulsive purchases.

I still remember buying a ZDP189 Endura for about $75, which I had made earlier in the day doing a craigslist landscaping gig.

Now I'm looking at the $210-220 price tag for a CQI DLC Military in standard S30V thinking about how that's more expensive than carbon fiber sprints in the past. For that price I won't buy one outright, I'll wait until I can move one of my other knives to cover the purchase.

Indeed. One $300 user that meets your needs every day for a decade is a bargain IMO.

[The Meat man]

Welcome to the forum, Paraguy.

I have no idea what the Shaman's production and manufacturing costs are, so I can't even begin to try to change your mind. (Supposing I wanted to.)