Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

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Xformer
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#221

Post by Xformer »

Can someone take a photo from above ? To see the comp lock ? With a normal Shaman, for a comparison =D ? Thanks.
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captnvegtble
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#222

Post by captnvegtble »

This is my first Spyderco Micarta scaled knife... I just got mine in the mail yesterday and I'm noticing a phenolic chemical smell from the handle that also rubs off on my hands. I'm pretty sensitive to chemical smells... anybody know how long this lasts? Presumably it gets less overtime as the scales get worn in?
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kennethsime
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#223

Post by kennethsime »

captnvegtble wrote:
Sat May 14, 2022 5:22 am
This is my first Spyderco Micarta scaled knife... I just got mine in the mail yesterday and I'm noticing a phenolic chemical smell from the handle that also rubs off on my hands. I'm pretty sensitive to chemical smells... anybody know how long this lasts? Presumably it gets less overtime as the scales get worn in?
I notice this the first time I wash any of my micarta knives. I don’t really notice it otherwise.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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troutinCO
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#224

Post by troutinCO »

Alright here is my review finally of my specimen. I was very excited when it got here, I pulled it out opened it and held it more to see how the size was. It was great at that moment, then I put it down and did other things for a while before coming back to it to look it over.
Once I did get to sit and look at it close:
The blade wasn't centered but it was totally acceptable where it was. A big whatever on that for me. Open it and lets check the blade pivot tightness, and wow, gritty odd opening. And the blade when locked open rocks and makes noise....I was not happy.... So I tightened the pivot screws down and the action was wicked stiff and the gritty feel got worse.... I figured I would let it break in and I am going to use it but I wasn't really thrilled :neutral with it outside the awesome micarta and M4 steel.

Then the omen happened....
I spilled a drink onto the knife, amongst other things sitting out. This forced me to take the thing completely apart after rinsing it off. I cleaned all the metal up with rubbing alcohol etc. I noticed on the D-hole side of the liner there was a burr on the flat part. It was on the side against the micarta but, testing the pivot barrel in it, it wasn't sitting flush. :thinking So out came the file and away went the burr. More cleaning, a few hours of letting the scales dry and finally put it back together with generous lube at the pivot. After lots of fiddling I finally got the blade to an unperceived level of wiggle. The gritty feel was completely gone and the action was tight but smooth as butter. After a bit of use I can now use my thumb to flick if I want to and its only getting better. The blade is completely centered up and I didn't even really try to fix that. :smlling-eyes

Lynch clip came in today and so I put it on and man I REALLY like this knife. It does, as mentioned, carry better than the Manix 2 in my pocket. It is also super comfy in hand.
Here is a bad photo with the clip.
shaman2.jpg
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VooDooChild
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#225

Post by VooDooChild »

T.J. wrote:
Fri May 13, 2022 4:38 pm
VooDooChild wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 8:19 pm
T.J. wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 8:12 pm
Cowboyfromhell wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 6:50 pm


Im gonna be pissed if I get mine tomorrow and it has side to side play. This is a $260 knife marketed for hard use!...my crucarta pm2 has a lot of side to side play as well. Im trying to sell that one off because of that issue.
I can't say that I disagree with you. Blade play should be non existent at this price point, especially from a USA made knife.
Its a tool. Sometimes things need adjustmements, even when new.

I dont know why but the Golden factory seems to leave shamans with more play than other designs. Its also something that can be adjusted with a torx driver.
Yes, it's a tool. I could buy a cheap Chinese wrench and when it slips, I'd have no complaints. If I buy the same style wrench from Snap On ( which I do) you better believe that I expect more. Same thing here. This isn't some 60 dollar Chinese knife that I purchased. It's a 260.00 dollar USA made knife from a top manufacturer. I shouldn't have to tolerate blade play and gritty action at that price point, even if it's just a "tool."
Do you maintain your vehicles, your house, your other tools?

Im saying blade play can be fixed with a torx driver and a minute of your time, its not a flaw or design or tolerance issue, its an assembly issue. Sometimes things are made on monday.

Maybe cowboys pm2 is messed up but these designs sometimes need a turn of a screw every once in a while.

Blame the assembly line and say its unacceptable at this price point, thats fine. But the knife isnt broken.
Last edited by VooDooChild on Sat May 14, 2022 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Rome's greatest contribution to mathematics was the killing of Archimedes."
T.J.
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#226

Post by T.J. »

troutinCO wrote:
Sat May 14, 2022 4:59 pm
Alright here is my review finally of my specimen. I was very excited when it got here, I pulled it out opened it and held it more to see how the size was. It was great at that moment, then I put it down and did other things for a while before coming back to it to look it over.
Once I did get to sit and look at it close:
The blade wasn't centered but it was totally acceptable where it was. A big whatever on that for me. Open it and lets check the blade pivot tightness, and wow, gritty odd opening. And the blade when locked open rocks and makes noise....I was not happy.... So I tightened the pivot screws down and the action was wicked stiff and the gritty feel got worse.... I figured I would let it break in and I am going to use it but I wasn't really thrilled :neutral with it outside the awesome micarta and M4 steel.

Then the omen happened....
I spilled a drink onto the knife, amongst other things sitting out. This forced me to take the thing completely apart after rinsing it off. I cleaned all the metal up with rubbing alcohol etc. I noticed on the D-hole side of the liner there was a burr on the flat part. It was on the side against the micarta but, testing the pivot barrel in it, it wasn't sitting flush. :thinking So out came the file and away went the burr. More cleaning, a few hours of letting the scales dry and finally put it back together with generous lube at the pivot. After lots of fiddling I finally got the blade to an unperceived level of wiggle. The gritty feel was completely gone and the action was tight but smooth as butter. After a bit of use I can now use my thumb to flick if I want to and its only getting better. The blade is completely centered up and I didn't even really try to fix that. :smlling-eyes

Lynch clip came in today and so I put it on and man I REALLY like this knife. It does, as mentioned, carry better than the Manix 2 in my pocket. It is also super comfy in hand.
Here is a bad photo with the clip.
shaman2.jpg
I ordered the same exact clip!
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troutinCO
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#227

Post by troutinCO »

I almost did stonewashed, but thought the sandwash would be better. I think it is!
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kennethsime
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#228

Post by kennethsime »

troutinCO wrote:
Sat May 14, 2022 4:59 pm
Alright here is my review finally of my specimen…
Glad you like the knife, and glad you got it sorted!

I’ve had similar burrs on liners before, took ‘em down with a Sharpmaker rod.

That Lynch clip looks awesome. OD Green Cerakote?

I’m tempted. I realized awhile back that I prefer deep carry most of the time, but I do hate when the clip protrudes past the butt end of the knife. I took a Lynch clip off of my stretch for that reason, but maybe I was over-reacting. Hmmm…
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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troutinCO
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#229

Post by troutinCO »

kennethsime wrote:
Sat May 14, 2022 6:44 pm
Glad you like the knife, and glad you got it sorted!

I’ve had similar burrs on liners before, took ‘em down with a Sharpmaker rod.

That Lynch clip looks awesome. OD Green Cerakote?

I’m tempted. I realized awhile back that I prefer deep carry most of the time, but I do hate when the clip protrudes past the butt end of the knife. I took a Lynch clip off of my stretch for that reason, but maybe I was over-reacting. Hmmm…
I went with Sandwash finish. I almost went with Stonewash, it would be a bit brighter. I think the Sandwash compliments the green micarta well.
I've been carrying it since I got it cleaned up. The clip hangs off a hair at the curved part of the handle, but technically not past the end of the handle at all. It sits nice and deep. Perfect for me.
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Protolith
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#230

Post by Protolith »

Mine came off centered as well. It was bad enough that it was definitely causing issues with closing it; the blade itself wasn't touching the side but the area back behind the pivot seemed to be scraping on something.

I thought about sending it back, but since I have a regular S30V Shaman that I wasn't planning on using much anymore except as a backup I decided to see if I could figure out exactly what was causing the issue. Tried the back spacer first, and the issue was still happening. Then I decided to do a full on blade swap to rule the blade out, and lo and behold the M4 blade centered perfectly in the regular Shaman's handle.

Then I decided to put the Micarta scales on instead of the G10, basically swapping the blade and scales around. And it was back to being off-centered. Pulled the Micarta scales off and put back on the G10 ones and it was back to being dead center.

So it was definitely the Micarta scales that were causing the issue. It's kind of disappointing because I really liked how they looked and felt in my hand, but the biggest reason I got the knife was for the M4 steel, so at least I now have a functional M4 Shaman out of the deal.
Teddy0215
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#231

Post by Teddy0215 »

I have a couple Lynch clips. Tried them on my Caribbean, PM2s, and Delicas. I like them on the Delica, but not on anything else I’ve tried. I carry IWB in hiking pants or board shorts a lot and it makes it harder to get the knives out. Even coming out of my pocket is fairly difficult with a deep carry.

I’m just glad there are options for everyone and that I live in a state that doesn’t care about knives.
Slightly obsessed…
Superflex
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#232

Post by Superflex »

Mine arrived Friday.
Pleased as punch with the micarta, centering, action, blade pay and probably one of the sharpest out of the box knives I've purchased. Happy to have a Shaman back in the rotation without the stonewash finish.
There is a minor scratch in the blade steel Golden QA/QC let slip through. Being a sprint, I guess I'm stuck with it since their all gone. :-||
Some pics of the knife with a little oil on the micarta. 50 BMG fits nicely in the spydiehole.

Image

Image

Image
WhiskeySandwich
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#233

Post by WhiskeySandwich »

Got this sucker last Thursday and was really digging the look. Wasn’t sure what to expect from the M4 or Micarta, as far as wear-in, just knew they’d both take on a natural patina. Thing was off-center, tight rough action, but I played with it a while, gave it a full tune-up, oil change and put it to use. It smoothed out quick and now the action is buttah. Centering is staying perfect since the tune-up. I’ve used it for food prep, meats and fruits, rinsing and wiping off after a few minutes and it’s beginning to show some color change already. Just keep that pivot oiled! I have PM2s and Manixs, which I daily, and this thing is just better for me in almost every way. Here’s a fresh-out-the-box shot and a few-days-work shot.
BE8B9B89-D0EE-4211-A9FA-0584DE4BC077.jpeg
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WhiskeySandwich
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#234

Post by WhiskeySandwich »

Also want to say how gross it is that so many of these are on ebay right now, y’all are missing out on a good one to make a little extra change. These aren’t enthusiasts, they’re scalpers, man. BUY TO USE!
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Michael Janich
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#235

Post by Michael Janich »

Dear Protolith and WhiskeySandwich:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum.

Stay safe,

Mike
Cowboyfromhell
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#236

Post by Cowboyfromhell »

I consider myself lucky to get a perfect specimen hearing all the issues people are having right out of the box. This is sad and disheartening as a spyderco fan. For what they charge, these knives should be absolutely perfect for a knife over $250. The consumer should not have to tweak their knives or disassemble to get the blade centered or loosen up the action. I guess qc is non existent anymore. I personally will send back every knife not up to par....let them fix it.
WhiskeySandwich
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#237

Post by WhiskeySandwich »

I don’t mind tinkering with a new knife, or anything for that matter, to get it perfect. I DO have a problem when something is so far out of spec that it won’t allow you to adjust it to a desired result. All my Spyderco knives were easily adjusted to perfection. A couple of my ZT knives, however, were so frustrating and impossible to adjust I had to send them in. I think it was crooked blade grinds that caused rubbing/off-center issues.

This Shaman though, has the best gawdang action in my collection. It’s materials, construction, design, and finish, will probably keep it as my #1 for white some time.
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Holybotulism
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#238

Post by Holybotulism »

Mine was off centered as well. I'm in the camp of "for this price, it better be perfect out of box". If it's an easy fix, why did it not get sorted out at the factory? Why is there no QC for off centered blades, blade play, etc? That's what the Factory Seconds Sale is for right? I fidgeted with the pivot screws a bit, but couldn't get it centered, so off it went back to BHQ. I will say that the return process at BHQ is very good and they even paid for return shipping. What a **** shame, this knife was a sweet combination and my only successful attempt at obtaining a micarta tool steel variant.
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TkoK83Spy
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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#239

Post by TkoK83Spy »

You guys need to stop watching all the clowns on youtube that nit pick every little aspect of a knife. The Shaman is such an easy knife to work with in terms of disassembly and maintenance. Grow a set and give it 5 minutes of your time, you'll be happy with the results. If it's not rubbing...it's not a problem. If it's gritty, rinse it out or hit it with some compressed air. If that doesn't help, tweak the pivot. If that doesn't work, remove a whopping 3 screws and clean it out and lube accordingly. It's really not rocket science. Sick of all the pissing and moaning about things that are so easy to fix on your own.

I don't even want to hear about "well if you buy a new car, you don't want it to have a scratch on it" or things of that nature. Guess what, you buy a new car...what's the first thing you do before driving it...adjust your seat, steering wheel and mirrors. Not much different than the little tweaks I mentioned above, when it comes to setting up YOUR knife to YOUR preferences. Just because your blade has a slight wiggle, or it's not "drop shutty" or something like that, doesn't mean it's not a safe knife to operate and no reason that it shouldn't pass QC for those reasons. THAT'S on you to adjust to YOUR liking...not Spyderco's liking.
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

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Re: Blade HQ M4/Micarta Shaman

#240

Post by JSumm »

You know, a wise man by the name of Patrick, I think he lived by the ocean, anyways he taught me that keeping your knife collection in your sock drawer to admire solves a lot of issues. Sometimes, I even forget I have a collection.
- Jeff
May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
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