SMOCK!

 

“Hey, you got my knife!”

That's different from what I hear very often at my sales table.  Often, I hear, "You got the knife I’m looking for!’ or the slightly different version, ‘You got the knife I lost!’  Neither of these states assures you of a sale.

“You’re Mr. Smock?” I ask.  He was pointing at Spyderco’s Smock in carbon fiber.

You must understand I grew up with Steve Allen's late-night TV show, Tonight.   Allan launched the careers of people like Don Knotts, Lewis Nye, Bill Dana, and many more.  But it was his catch phrase that always fascinated me:  'Smock, Smock."

So, when Mr. Smock walked up to my table and introduced himself, I was, without a doubt, at a loss for words and very confused.

Kevin Smock 
He's holding a flier for the WRCA Knife show in April 6 and 7th at MAPS

                                                           near the Akron-Canton Airport

“Yes, I am, and you," he said, pointing at the Smock on my table, "have the new pivot.  I didn’t like the old one.”  It turns out he is Kevin Smock, the designer of Spyderco’s Smock.  The previous one was a simple screw head inset in the carbon fiber handle.  The new one is a polished metal head with an aerospace look. 

I like the look, that button release is totally icey

I've met other famous knife designers, but usually at the SHOT Show or Blade.  But never at the Medina Community Center until today. 

Kevin started as a knife modifier.  He would take other factory knives and modify them, creating unique, one-of-a-kind knives.  This is a bigger knife hobby than you might think.  Facebook is filled with postings of 'patina-ized’ blades, replaced grips, and altered grinds.  I met a fellow who shortened the blades and sometimes the grip of factory knives.  Finally, Kevin’s friends told him, ‘Look, you got the skill and the knowledge; you should be making your own knives.'

That did it.  Kevin wanted to use Spyderco's top compression lock, so he approached them and got permission.  The result is the SK23.

 

Notice the flipper, it's very easy to use and doesn't distract from the streamline profile.  

Later, Kevin showed Eric Glesser his creation and Eric was impressed.  He gave Kevin his card and told him we should talk.  The rest is history.

You can look up Spyderco’s Smock for yourself.  It’s a very cool knife.  The flipper is uniquely positioned and utilizes a button to disengage the compression lock.  The button lets you close the knife without your fingers coming near the closing blade.  That’s a nice touch.

If you don’t think this is significant, you’re wrong.  I constantly deal with people who want a knife, in some cases need a knife, but worry about cutting themselves while closing the knife.  A lot of effort and time goes into finding a knife they feel comfortable with.  This apprehension is especially common with frame and liner locks.

The Smock weighs in at 3.7 oz, and the blade, incompletely described as a modified Wharncliffe, is ground from CPMS30V steel. 

Kevin still makes his SK23 but also makes custom scales for the Spyderco Smock.  You can check out these and other items at https://www.smockknives.com/

Meeting him made my day.  Here's an entrepreneur creating industry and generating profits.  There's a lot to be said for that.

Magnificent MagnaCut

 

Crucible Powdered Metal’s MagnaCut steel is, perhaps the best performance steel on the market.  It is certainly the hottest!

Dr. Larrin Thomas, its inventor, thought there should be a steel that could be optimized to give small grain steel with tiny, supper hard carbides capable of reaching Rockwell 60+ hardness without brittleness and still be rust resistant.

I’ve taken a very short step in to metallurgy and perhaps the first thing you learn is you simply can’t throw elements into a pot and get a great outcome.  Metallurgy is complicated, heat treatment is a specialty, and you just don’t plunge a red-hot knife from the forge into oil and get a great outcome.

MagnaCut was the result of serious study and testing which culminated with a single hit or miss lot of steel.  Larrin got one bite at the apple and he was successful.  The story of its development is here: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/03/25/cpm-magnacut

One of Spyderco's MagnaCut folders: 

Let me be honest with you.  The article is written for steel nerds, people who enjoy technical data, like hard science fiction and enjoy reading about science.  I’m one of them.

The upshot is MagnaCut, due to its properties, when processed properly is an amazing steel.  The high-end knife makers jumped on it like white on rice.  This quickly worked its way down to EDC knives.

You can Google MagnaCut and any knife company and get a hit.

Here’s the formulation: Carbon 1.15%, Chromium 10.7%, Vanadium 4.00%, Molybdenum 2.00%, Niobium 2.00%, Nitrogen 0.20%.

Kershaw Launch 4 in MagnaCut

The amazing thing, all the chromium is available for corrosion resistance.  The  carbides are all vanadium and niobium.

We could talk about Charpy C-notch test, Edge Retention (CATRA Testing Relative to 440C), salt spray corrosion test, but you can find that yourself.  The important thing is to realize this steel helps makers use a better blade geometry for improved cutting while ensuring extended performance.  And while performance doesn’t come cheap, this steel is worth it!

Bestech's Swordfish in Magnacut

You’re going to see a lot of MagnaCut in the future.

Delica in the Key of K390

 Back before it started, the old gods came together for a meal and to brag about what they contributed the newly forming reality.  Loki/the Coyote/the Trickster was especially gleeful.

“I gave them iron and carbon.”

“So?”

“They mix to form an alloy.  Too little carbon and the steel formed will be soft and useless.  Too much and it becomes brittle cast iron.  If they add the just right amount they get properties all over the place.  And it still rust!”

The old gods thought it was a clever joke on the humans.  All but one, Vulcan/Brokkr/the Master Forger.  Without steel, how could they build things, he wondered.  He crept off and threw a hand full of elements, and perhaps more important, undiscovered knowledge into the mix.

Thanks, Vulcan!

Delica in the key of K390

I just got Spyderco’s K390 Delica and it is quickly becoming my favorite pocket knife.  I really like the Delica/Endura line.  Back in day, I used to fly with two Delicas and airlines had no problem with that.  Even back then those sealed packages of peanuts were hard to open!

I found I could always depend on Delicas and the K390 is no exception!

I’m not really a super steel fan.  Almost every steel the national brands use is hardened and tempered to bring you good performance.  But right now, for a working knife, I suggest you look at K390 steel.

K390 is a tool steel with interesting properties.  Right now, Spyderco is one of the few companies making knife blades with it.  Chemical analysis would find:

Carbon: 2.47%  (Wow!),

Chromium: 4.2%,

Molybdenum: 3.8%,

Vanadium: 9%,

Tungsten: 1%,

and

Cobalt: 2%.

The rest is iron.

It isn't a gamble with Spyderco's four position clip 

 Each of these elements affect the basic crystalline structure of the steel and its properties.  The metallurgy is more complicated than you can imagine.  In its simplest form, chromium and vanadium form small hard carbides that contribute to edge properties.  The remaining elements alter the metallurgical properties.

It doesn’t take a lot of study to realize K390 isn’t a stainless steel.  It is a hard-working tool steel.  And no, you just can’t add another 8-9 %of chromium and make it stainless.  Well, at least if you want to retain the other properties, most of which go unnoticed by the user.  Science tells us why, but that’s just an understand of how the universe work.  For the real reason you’ll have to ask the Trickster.

I like the coarse jimping on the FRN handle

K390 was submitted for an Austrian patented by Bohler in 2002.  Bohler wanted a steel to compete with Crucible’s CPM-10V.  It is not a new steel and gradually found a place among knife makers.

Like all steel, the properties have a give and take aspect and are affected by heat treatment.  K390 is one of the top tier steels with excellent toughness and slicing edge retention.  That is the take.  The give is corrosion resistance.  You need to take care of your steel, wipe it dry and use a good oil.  Spyderco incudes a little handout on caring for the steel.  I’d read it if I was you.

Heading out for Deer camp?  Make sure you take a Spyderco Delica in K390.

Which oil?  There are really two options, food safe and non-food safe.  I tend to lean toward food safe, but I’ve used  penetrating oils too.

I like my new Delica with K390 steel.  Currently all of Spyderco’s K390 steel come with a unique blue handle.  Mike Janich tells me he calls it K390 Blue.

The Delica has a flat grind, which contributes to it’s cutting powers.  Not having shoulders, like the saber grind or it’s brother, Scandi, it doesn’t have to push material out of the way to keep cutting. 

I don't always go off the beaten path...  But when I do it's with a Delica  in K390 steel

The grips are FRN or fiber reinforced nylon.  The fibers, to the best of my knowledge are short glass fibers which strengths the nylon.  The grip sports bidirectional texturing which radiates outward from the center of the handle.  The texturing is strikingly attractive and more importantly, provides increase purchase with wet and slippery hands.

The blade has the trademark Spyderco hole.  I don’t know which is more uniquely Spyderco, the fat tick-like spider logo or the functional opening hole.  In either case, the thumb hole was genius!

One of the major improvements in the knife world is movable clips.  Sal Glesser, Spyderco founder, is credited with the pocket clip he called "Clip-it."  Later versions of Delica and Endura had a reversible clip.  Eventually most Spyderco folders have four-position clips.  I simple love that options.  Most of my knives are carried tip up right hand, but I’ve been known to set up a knife for tip up left-hand carry.  While this may seem trivial to you, this allows Spyderco to be essentially an ambidextrous knife.  Its estimated 10% of the world’s population is left-handed.  Being able to operate a pocket knife with either your left or right hand is amazing.  Unfortunately, many companies have not caught on to this pocket knife innovation.

For me the ability to make a fire by shaving fir sticks and scrapping Birch bark in the touch stone to all knives.  Spyderco Delica have never let me down.

Spyderco’s  K390 Delica cuts.  I cut seatbelt material.  No problem.  Opened packages and bags, cut string and rope.  I shaved feather sticks to build a fire, my personal touchstone of knife performance.  Carboard trembles in its presence.  What a knife!

The suggest retail price is $176.  Right now, all I’m finding on Spyderco website is the full serration:

https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/C11FK390/1885 

I suspect if you look about, you’ll find the plain edge on line.

Three Way

 You might be thinking about stocking stuffers and what cook can’t use a new utility knife?  Even if you’re not cooking from fresh products, you still have to open boxes, pouches and nothing works better than a knife.  Even that pizza you sent out for often needs a little cutting from a sharp knife to free it from the pie or, in polite company, cut it into fork-able sizes.

Three of my favorite kitchen paring knives

These knives are called utility or paring knives, and they are always a welcome gift.

My wife has several and I recently had a chance to work with a few.  Let me tell you what I found.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Master Parer

That's a mouthful.  Don't be confused by Henckels high-end semi-custom kitchen knives.  This is a little plastic handle kitchen worker.  The blade is 4 inches long and has a 4.25-inch plastic (polypropylene, I suspect) handle.  The blade is FRIODUR steel.  No, it is not the mystical steel seen in Lord of the Rings.  It is cryogenically treated 440C steel, which maximizes the blade's properties.  Now, 440C is the best of the 440 series and is a very economical steel with good properties. 

 Master Parer

The knife has a Wharncliffe blade anchored in a nice microtextured handle.  The blue polymer handle is shaped to provide a slight guard that flows into a reverse "S" shape, helping to lock the knife in your hand.  The blade's spine is slightly offset to the handle’s top or spine.  This little step makes a nice marker to determine where the blade stops and starts. 

After using the knife for a couple of weeks, I found the blade is holding its edge and remained sharp.  I like the way it feels in my hand.  The steel blade is the most flexible of these three, most likely due to its thinness.  Mine has the blade slightly bent from the handle.  I'm not concerned about that, yet.  All three of these knives are work tools; I expect they take a beating during normal use.  After three months of use, I'll have to see what it looks like.

You can find Twin Master Parer for under $14 without trouble.

It's no secret that I have a genuine affection for Spyderco.  There, it’s out in the open.  They have made kitchen knives on and off for years with different levels of success. 

We have their Counter Puppy.  It’s a 7-inch-long knife with a 3.5-inch blade.  The blade steel is 7CR17, a Chinese stainless steel with good hardness, edge retention, and even better corrosion resistance.  The blade is a flat grind drop point with Spyder’s trademark hole.  Study the drop point blade and you will notice the blade’s spine has a gentle curve that softens the working appearance of the knife.

Counter Puppy

The blade edge has a slight curve that allows for a longer, flowing cut.  Since we’ve owned this knife the longest, I’ve sharpened it with my go-to sharpener, Spydie’s Sharpmaker. 

What is most noticeable are the ‘feet.’  The almost purple polymer handle has four feet arranged so you can put the knife down and the feet will hold it above the counter.  It’s a slick idea.  I’ve seen it before on pocket knives, but never in a kitchen knife.

The feet near the blade act as a terrific guard to protect your fingers.  The rear feet get in your way.  Look, I wear an X-large glove, and the knife handle is too short.  I've tried placing the rear feet between my little and ring finger, but it just doesn't work for my hand.  Spyderco could have achieved the unique look and kept the blade edge off the counter surface by eliminating the rear feet.

You can find your Counter Puppy for around $28 to $29.

The last up is the Dexter.

The manufacturer describes Dexter knives as a basic paring knives.  The blade is a thin, flat grind slice of a 400 series high carbon steel.  I suspect they mean 440C.  The drop point-shaped blade is 3.25 inches long with an almost 4-inch-long polymer handle.  The blade is relatively stiff.

 Dexter

The black handle (more polypropylene) has a finger indentation and a relatively deep and well-defined groove in the handle.  Both of which increase your grip.

It is by far the most basic kitchen knife of this group.  This is not a slam against the knife.  Function and form are related, and if form interferes with function, like the Counter Puppy's feet, you begin to move away from the utility nature of a paring knife.  A Dexter Basic Parer can be yours for $4.55.

Both the Spyderco Counter Puppy and Dexter Basic Parer are made in China.  The Twin Master Parer is made in Spain.  Nobody makes affordable, economical kitchen knives in America, so get over it.

My favorite?  Based on price and performance, it’s the Dexter.

But the one I grab is the Twin Master Parer.  It's newer, and sharper, and I like the feel and look and I'm willing to pay more for it.

What's up Watu?

 Spyderco Watu

Where does one start with Spyderco’s Watu?  It is one of many knives in Spyderco’s ethnic series.

Let’s start with the knife.  The original pattern of the Chokwe people was a fixed blade with a wedge-shaped handle to keep the knife from slipping out of your hand.  The handle sports two holes that appear to go all the way through.

The original Spyderco was the Chokwe folder released in 2009.  It was very much in keeping with the historic fixed-blade pattern.  It was a large knife and was eventually discontinued and replaced in 2020 by the Watu, a smaller version.

Since the blade is the heart of any knife, let’s dive in there.  The 3.25-inch long, Watu blade has a distinctive triangular shape.  It is a flat-ground blade carved from a chunk of CPM® 20CV.  This is a martensitic stainless steel with excellent wear and corrosion resistance.  Chemically the blade is just iron with 1.9% carbon, 20% chromium, 4% vanadium, 1% molybdenum, and 0.6% tungsten.  The heat treatment and powder metal technology promote the formation of this powerful combination of chromium and vanadium carbides.

The blade is edge tough but not as resistant to breakage or chipping as other premium steels.  In this size blade you will not see any problems.  Where it shines is edge retention.  CATRA test, which measures a blade's sharpness and edge life (referenced to 440C), rates CPM 20CV 180% better.  The downside is that 20CV can be extremely challenging to properly sharpen. 

The good news, Spyderco offers a sharpening service.  Contact them at customerservice@spyderco.com for more information.

The Watu utilizes a compression top lock which I really like.  The knife is set up for tip-up carry, but the wire clip can be reversed for left or right carry.  The handle is a unique composite of carbon fiber laminated to G-10 and then applied to steel liners.  The handle has the two holes characteristic of the traditional native pattern.

It’s a sweet knife.  Despite the 3-ounce weight, I see it as a dress knife.  It has an elegant look and the clip is designed for deep pocket carry.  The carbon fiber has a cool, silky feel and I love that initial snap when the blade slips off the detent ball.  I can see the Watu in the board room, at church or carried for a night out at the movies.

As I said, I like the knife.  But equally important to me, Spyderco is supporting Keep a Child Alive.  KCA is an organization that provides life-saving anti-retroviral treatment, care, and support services to HIV/AIDS-afflicted children and their families in Africa.

Yeah, that's important too!

But let’s not forget the source of the inspiration, the Chokwe people.

Who are the Chokwe people of Central and Southern Africa?  They are found primarily in Angola, southwestern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa to Lualaba), and northwestern parts of Zambia.

The Chokwe was once one of the twelve clans of the great Lunda Empire of 17^th and 18^th century Angola.  They were initially employed by Lunda nobles and eventually became independent when they refused to continue paying tribute to the Lunda emperor.  The Chokwe were prosperous traders and their abundant resources caused them to be one of the wealthiest groups in Angola.  But eventually, they fell to the industrial nations of Europe, who carved the African continent into domains. 

The Watu’s suggested retail price is just under $300.  You can find your connection to strong and proud people at https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/C251CF/1841.

 

Spyderco Ayoob

 “Captain, she’s phasing.  I can’t stop the dilithium drive occultations.  We’re entering intercostal space!”

Don’t worry, the brilliant chief engineer and intrepid captain, with the help of a beautiful alien female scientist, will solve the problem. 

Let’s be real.  Intercostal space is the distance between ribs.  Around 2001 Massad Ayoob designed a folding knife to fit between the ribs and lacerate the heart.  The design locked the blade open at an angle of less than 180 degrees.  This allows you to utilize the knife with the wrist very close to the strong, neutral position.  More on that later.  Spyderco has re-issued it as a sprint run.

Stolen from University of Nottingham - Note the heart and intercostal space.

 The original was produced as both a fully serrated and plain edge with a black Almite handle and a blade made from VG-10.  Almite is a surface coating used on aluminum for decorative and protective reasons.  It is available from “super hard” to “soft” with differing Vickers hardness.

The Ayoob sprint run. The handle is a lighter gray.

VG-10 was initially produced for Japanese chefs.  Its properties soon caught the attention of other knife companies.  Spyderco was not the only one to utilize this steel.  Kizer, SOG and Fällkniven are among VG-10 users. 

By the way - - if you aren’t reading this at “The Knife Edge: One Man, So Many Knives,” it has been stolen and used without my permission.  Please let me know at Frank1karl@yahoo.com.

Years ago, Joyce Laituri told me Spyderco didn’t like making knives whose sole purpose was to harm people.  But they would if agencies requested those designs.  The Ayoob was in the 2001 and 2002 catalogs but disappeared in 2003.

Note the angle between the blade and handle.

Despite the short run, the Ayoob knife picked up a vocal following and Spyderco has brought it back as a sprint run.  I really like mine. 

The current Ayoob C60GPGY has a G-10 handle over steel liners.  The scales are set up so you can move the pocket clip to facilitate your favorite carry method.  The clip holds the knife slightly visible in your pocket, an important consideration for anyone concerned about concealed weapons.  The visible portion of the knife eliminates the concealed aspect.  A David Boye release lever is incorporated to reduce the possibility of your grip accidentally unlocking the knife.  I don’t believe there are any actual documented cases other than those few that were engineered to demonstrate the potential.

The steel used on the sub-four-inch blade is CPM CRU-WEAR.  It is an interesting steel, but you should know its limitations.  The elemental composition gives it better wear properties than D2 tool steel, better toughness than M2 steel, and more compression strength than either.  The properties of any metal are essentially a teeter-totter.  Raise one property and another property sinks. 

CRU-WEAR has only 7.24% chromium.  The steel’s carbides are primarily produced by 2.4% vanadium and 1.6% molybdenum.  These tiny carbides are more of a ceramic particle, very hard, and they pin grain boundaries preventing movement.  

With less chromium bound up as carbides, more chromium is available for corrosion resistance.  Unfortunately, CRU-WEAR is not a stainless steel.  The chromium levels are too low, and Spyderco warns you about that.  I’d avoid cutting acid fruit and vegetables, as the acid content will attack and stain the blade.  This could be good news to the ketchup patina fans out there. 

The choice of steel utilized by any manufacturer can be a rabbit hole exercise in futility.  Sometimes it’s market pressure to keep up with the other guys.  Sometimes the steel you prefer is no longer available for various reasons.  Sometimes it is just a way to keep your staff engaged.  Joyce once commented that Spyderco sometimes acts like a small independent maker and tries new steels to stay fresh.  It makes it hard on Spyderco collectors, but I like it. 

So what makes this fighting knife special? 

There are several things.  The first was already mentioned.  The blade is designed to fit between the ribs and penetrate deep into the chest cavity, lacerating lungs, heart and other vital structures. 

Deep penetrating injury.

Perhaps the most notable feature and innovation is the angle between the blade and handle.  I’ll let Massad Ayoob explain it.  "With a typical knife, thrusting lifts the blade's point above the line of the forearm, like a boat prow going through water. The faster, harder or more resistance encountered, the higher the prow rises deviating the blade off course from its original target which can mitigate the depth of the cut.” 

What Ayoob doesn’t explain, Jim Davis does:  “Regarding wounds, stab wounds are far more prone to kill a person than slash wounds.  Stabs tend to penetrate and hit arteries and organs, causing internal bleeding.”  http://tactical-talk.blogspot.com/2021/01/jim-davis-on-knives.html

 

When you are fighting for your life, severe measures are called for.

The blade/handle angle allows your wrist to lock into its strongest position, which we call the neutral position.  The medical terms for the positions associated with a bent wrist are adduction, extension, and flexion.  The joint loses strength when your wrist is in these positions, even if not at the extremes.  The Ayoob Clipit lets you cut and stab with your wrist in the neutral position.

Spyderco's Endura with the wrist in neutral position. The blade tip points upward.

 

Spyderco's Endura with tip canted to engage target.  Note bent wrist, compromising grip.

Spyderco amplifies these ideas, stating:  “The C60's radical angle brings the blade into line with the long bones of the forearm, channeling the body's force directly behind the line of the cut resulting in minimized blade deviation and maximized accuracy.”

 

Spyderco's Ayoob on target neutral and strong grip position.

Any knife will open your mail and packages, cut cordage, and slice pizza.  Many of these knives will end up as Safe Queens, only seeing the outside on special occasions, holidays and barbeques when you want to show off the knife.  

That’s okay.  This is a special-purpose knife.  I remember listening to a British WWII commando explain how to properly use an F-S fighting knife.  You couldn’t use the Ayoob C60GPGY for that.  You wouldn’t want to use it to split kindling to build a fire or to saw through a can top when you lost your opener in the back forty acres of nowhere. 

Lastly, who is Massad Ayoob, and why should his ideas be put into production?  Google his name, will you?  Anything I write would sound like hero worship.  I admit, he’s a pretty cool guy and someone you want on your side when you’re getting into trouble or trying to survive the aftermath. 

The Spyderco Ayoob is a limited sprint run.  I find the Ayoob C60GPGY an attractive knife.  You’ve been warned.  They’ll run out fast.

Might be the right backup weapon.

Color me Anodized

I like anodized titanium.

Titanium anodizing is an electrolytic finishing process that creates varying thicknesses of a titanium oxide layer on the metal surface.  The titanium item forms the anode (positive electrode) of an electrolytic cell, hence the name “anodize.”

Spyderco's Shaman in anodized titanium

Anodizing titanium has been around for almost a century.  It was first used in 1923 to protect British seaplane parts from salt-water corrosion.  Aerospace companies continue to use anodizing processes today to protect metals from the effects of aging, wear and corrosion.

There are three types of anodizing.  The first is a high-temperature process.  I used to etch titanium wire with molten sodium nitride into amazingly sharp points.  I would find little splotches of concentric color on portions of the metal.

The second is called type 2.  Type 2 is used chiefly to protect the metal surface against the effects of wear.  When untreated titanium parts rub against each other, they produce titanium dust.  Titanium dust is not a major health problem, unless it builds up in joints utilizing orthopedic implants.  Type 2 anodizing provides a wear-resistant surface and helps prevent seizing or friction between sliding titanium surfaces.  AMS 2488E has the engineering specs if you’re interested.

Shaman tear down - remove the clip

Type 3 is the color.  You’ll find colorful titanium used in the orthopedic field to help surgeons ensure the correct plate, screws, and what-nots are used.  You’ll also find colorful titanium in jewelry.

The color is not produced by dyes, but by manipulating the oxide layer to create an “illusion of color.”  This is similar to the rainbow colors an oil film forms on water.  These layers are very thin.  The entire range of colors is produced over a 30 to 55-nanometer range, very small stuff indeed!

The process isn’t complicated.  The titanium part is immersed in a trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution and a direct electrical current is applied.  Most people use a specialized rectifier to convert AC to DC and control voltage and amperage.  Since it is just a thin, durable coating, color mistakes can be stripped off with the right detergent, and you can try again.

Guts!

The prep for industrial products can be a bit daunting.

Sean Krizan at Meton Boss (https://www.metonboss.com/) produced anodized titanium scales for Spyderco’s Shaman.  The scales were engraved to resemble an interlocking jigsaw puzzle, with the ‘pieces’ having different anodizing colors.

It was amazing, and I threw money at him to make it mine.  I didn’t have a Shaman yet, but that shouldn’t be a problem, right?

It was the beginning of the Covid age of supply shortages.  I placed an order for one from a knife seller.  A year later, I was still waiting.  I called Spyderco and was told the knife was still in production, but supply shortages ..yadda…yadda…yadda.

What if they were discontinued?

What if I couldn’t find one?

Was I FUBARed?

Yes, Igor threw the switch - Is it alive?

I purchased a fully serrated Shaman, despite wanting a plain blade, just in case.  Now that I had one, even if it was a plan B option, I could relax.  Eventually, I finally found a plain edge at a knife show and bought it.

I had to dissemble the knife to remove the original scales, voiding Spyderco’s warranty.  I took lots of snapshots of the process, just in case I ended up with an extra washer or screw when I was finished re-assembling my Shaman.  I worked on a pile of newspaper for the cushion and used painter’s tape for surface protection.  I also discovered I was all thumbs.  Still, it all worked out.

I get nothing for showing his card.  Still. there are some amazing products there!

It's alive!!

The Shaman is spectacular!