My first experience with Spyderco was the Stretch, and the next was the Dragonfly. My most-carried knife over the past 10+ years has probably been the Paramilitary 2. All of these designs make excellent use of Spyderco’s iconic 50/50 choil, which offers unprecedented control of the knife’s tip - especially when combined with a thumb ramp.
If you follow any of my Off-Topic threads, you’ll know that I’ve gotten into a few non-Spyderco brands over the past year or two, chiefly Bushcraft-oriented fixed blades with Convex grinds and hotspot-free handles. These knives differ quite a bit from your typical EDC folder, namely in that they champion comfort over traction.
My favorite new Spyderco design in the past few years has been the Shaman. I love the contoured handle scales - best exemplified in Micarta, if you ask me. I love the neutral handle, shape, which utilizes a generous palm swell, and has a very minimal “pinky catch” at the butt. In my XL hands, these details really go a long way. I love that the blade doesn’t have a thumb ramp. While I do enjoy thumb ramps, I find the flat spine of the Shaman allows me to choke up in a saber grip easier, giving me a lot of power near the heel of the blade.
As I sit here playing with my M4 Shaman, I can’t help but notice that the 50/50 choil, which I value so highly on so many of my Spyderco folders, becomes a hot spot in this choked up saber grip.
If I was a rich man, and Spyderco’s Golden facility had enough capacity to accept custom orders, I’d commission a Shaman with a few key changes:
- Sacrifice the 50/50 choil for a bit more handle and a bit more blade
- Thin out the grind a bit, more like the PM2
- Convex it
- Offer it in K390, with Green Canvas Micarta scales