My thoughts on the Shaman

[Michal O]

Perfect mod: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSMHkbmD70g/

[vivi]

Nice ergos for folks that prefer using their knives choked up but I prefer gripping behind the choil in most cases. More comfortable for me.

This for me too, but I do really like it on the choil. I have very high hopes for the non choil version.

I'm keeping an eye out for that one.

[ladybug93]

Really, really great review brother. Like you, I have been putting off getting a Shaman for a while now. Largely due to price, but also due to my personal question of "can the Shaman do anything that my Manix 2 or PM2 cannot do?"

i expected the shaman to kick my manix out of my pocket when i got to handle it at the sfo. i find the handle less comfortable under the pinky and ring fingers because it narrows at the point more than the manix does. to me, the reduction in comfort and stability there is more significant than the blockiness of the manix handle. i also really like the slight ramp on the manix a lot because it fits my hand perfectly. the lines of the manix are a lot more attractive to me as well, especially since the handle narrows to a point at the pocket clip, which makes it less wide at the opening of the pocket and easier to get around.

as far as capabilities, the shaman is going to be a tougher knife, but i'm not sure it's actually going to make much of a difference in everyday use, except maybe to make the knife slightly less capable when it comes to slicing. in my opinion, the shaman is bulky and thick for edc, but a little thin for hard use, both in blade and handle. it's a good knife, but i'd rather use different knives for those uses instead of a jack of all trades in the middle.

[Ranger_Ike]

Really, really great review brother. Like you, I have been putting off getting a Shaman for a while now. Largely due to price, but also due to my personal question of "can the Shaman do anything that my Manix 2 or PM2 cannot do?"

Thank you!

Can it do anything they can’t? Maybe not, but for me it can feel better in hand, and look better while doing the same things!

[ladybug93]

Really, really great review brother. Like you, I have been putting off getting a Shaman for a while now. Largely due to price, but also due to my personal question of "can the Shaman do anything that my Manix 2 or PM2 cannot do?"

Thank you!

Can it do anything they can’t? Maybe not, but for me it can feel better in hand, and look better while doing the same things!

that's all that matters, really. we all have different hands and uses and preferences. i'm glad spyderco offers such variety.

[Ranger_Ike]

Really, really great review brother. Like you, I have been putting off getting a Shaman for a while now. Largely due to price, but also due to my personal question of "can the Shaman do anything that my Manix 2 or PM2 cannot do?"

Thank you!

Can it do anything they can’t? Maybe not, but for me it can feel better in hand, and look better while doing the same things!

that's all that matters, really. we all have different hands and uses and preferences. i'm glad spyderco offers such variety.

Agreed. Well said.

[SRT392HEMI]

Really, really great review brother. Like you, I have been putting off getting a Shaman for a while now. Largely due to price, but also due to my personal question of "can the Shaman do anything that my Manix 2 or PM2 cannot do?"

Thank you!

Can it do anything they can’t? Maybe not, but for me it can feel better in hand, and look better while doing the same things!

that's all that matters, really. we all have different hands and uses and preferences. i'm glad spyderco offers such variety.

Agreed. Well said.

100%
When wifey asks what I want for Christmas this year it'll likely be a Shaman. We always like to get each other something nice, so maybe that's when I can justify the price.

[elena86]

I bet it’s quite thick bte. Not my cup of tea anyway. Massive in appearance and heavy… at least in my book. Sal has more refined designs IMO but…what can I say, enjoy !

[huyfishin]

OP says "this is not a review"

He then proceeds to give us a blog review that makes many of you thirst for a Shaman

[Mako109]

Like some of you, I also found the ergos of the handle a little awkward. That medial hump felt like it was pushing my middle and ring finger away from the knife and only felt good when I choked up on the handle. Although I loved the glorious smooth slabs of CF on the Sprint I finally replaced them. The fit is so much more comfortable now in either choked up or regular grip.

[TkoK83Spy]

Like some of you, I also found the ergos of the handle a little awkward. That medial hump felt like it was pushing my middle and ring finger away from the knife and only felt good when I choked up on the handle. Although I loved the glorious smooth slabs of CF on the Sprint I finally replaced them. The fit is so much more comfortable now in either choked up or regular grip.

Those look great! Are those from that guy out of Russia?

Also...any plans for those other CF scales that came with the knife?

[Ranger_Ike]

Like some of you, I also found the ergos of the handle a little awkward. That medial hump felt like it was pushing my middle and ring finger away from the knife and only felt good when I choked up on the handle. Although I loved the glorious smooth slabs of CF on the Sprint I finally replaced them. The fit is so much more comfortable now in either choked up or regular grip.

Those look great!

[Theldraskien]

I haven’t been able to get comfortable with the S90V shaman sprint. I feel like it’s some combination of too smooth and too blade-heavy for it to feel secure in my grip. The factory scales are beautiful, just a little too slick for me. I’ve been thinking about getting a g10 SE version but a scale swap might be a better solution.

What scales are you rocking there? That looks like a nice improvement.

[Mako109]

What scales are you rocking there? That looks like a nice improvement.

Those are Aramis scales from Russia. I purchased them in 2019 before the madness in central Europe and the ensuing sanctions. Unfortunately these are no longer available in the US. I wish someone here would pick up on his design. For me they made all the difference.

[Tucson Tom]

Really, really great review brother. Like you, I have been putting off getting a Shaman for a while now. Largely due to price, but also due to my personal question of "can the Shaman do anything that my Manix 2 or PM2 cannot do?"

Thank you!

Can it do anything they can’t? Maybe not, but for me it can feel better in hand, and look better while doing the same things!

I have enjoyed this thread, and found the discussion following quite interesting as well.

Before the Shaman came along, I learned from the Manix that you really need to get a knife in hand to understand. Just looking at the Manix I thought, "what the heck is that all about?" But it was instant when I got it in hand. Then it was, "how did they manage to make a knife that belongs in my hand like this?" By the time the Shaman came along, I was pretty sure it was going to be ideal for me, and it was.

I like everything about the current Shaman. I like the thick blade steel, the weight, the beefy aspect of it. And of course I like the compression lock and the shaped handle. One of my all time favorites. All this talk about changes has me worried. I hope they don't screw up / screw with a good thing.

I am not one of the guys who looks for "the perfect knife". I have a lot of different models I like a lot (the Shaman, PM2, Manix, Military, ...) And I like variety in my life. Lots of great knives.

[Ranger_Ike]

[quote="Tucson Tom" post_id=1642375 time=1658548921
I am not one of the guys who looks for "the perfect knife". I have a lot of different models I like a lot (the Shaman, PM2, Manix, Military, ...) And I like variety in my life. Lots of great knives.
[/quote]

This is how I really am also. I do compare against other knives, mainly to get a point across, but I really just like changing it up.

It took me a while of collecting to figure this out. I used to get a new knife and instantly thought “man this is THE knife, why do I have these others?”. Or I would sell one off to fund something new that came out. A lot of regretted sales. I’ve come to realize I always come back around to the other knives, and selling them off is a bad idea.

Variety is a great thing.

[aicolainen]

Thanks for an interesting write up, Ranger.
I put off reading the thread as I don’t really consider the Shaman to be my cup of tea.
I still feel that way, but your review makes me even more curious about the design and much more interested to get one in hand and see/feel what it’s all about.

Your observations also boosted my interest in the upcoming variations that Sal has hinted about. We don’t know a whole lot about them yet, but all of them actually seem more suited to my use and preferences than the OG. Especially the no choil.