When Geoffrey from http://www.normandeep.com has sent to me is Spyderco Amalgam to test and review, he had already reground the shape of the blade from drop point to clip point.

Here is a picture of the original:

Geoffrey made a beautiful work. He was even able to create an almost sharp false edge. I understood his project and also the distance of what I loved in a folding knife. I rather use a tool than a weapon and his Bowie Amalgam was really tilting the balance toward the weapon side of that knife.

First thing first. The Brian Lai’s brainchild is a knife which can be flipped and is equipped with a compression lock. It can also be open with its generous spyderhole with a push of the middle finger or the thumb.
It is a fidgeting configuration after you have found a way to avoid the flipper’s return through the lock. You need, like on the Shaman, to get your index finger out of the way when closing the knife.
The action is smooth thanks to ball bearings equipped pivot and the knife is light and well balanced.

Once open it is really a knife which get a very confortable grip. The flipper once deployed is half hidden in the lower quillon, and the blade could not close on your fingers. There is zero play. It feels very solid, very tactical hence the beautiful bowie blade Geoffrey wanted to grind from the massive utility drop point blade.

Since he wanted to sell it. We have made an exchange (he will get my Siren, as he is a diver and own a diver’s shop near the D-Day beaches in Normandy) and I will finish the customization to my liking.

The first thing I have noticed is how thick the blade was to my liking. So, I have “unshouldered” its edge and decided for an aggressive convexing.

As you can notice, there is nothing fancy in my equipment. A Double Stuff 2, an Fallkniven DC4 and some lansky bali diamonds. Also some sandpaper and my old leather belt.

Some compound for erasing all the scratches I have made and polishing it all.

The first test on my wallnut rod were stellar. The Amalgam is now able to shave and also able to cut deep. The large finger choil/ricasso is great to choke up the blade.

Also I have decided to mount a deep carry pocket clip. A black one for a low profile.

One of my goal has been also to round completely the false edge Geoffrey has painfully created as I use the spine of my blade’s knife to push with the thumb of my left hand. Now it is rounded like a Sebenza’s spine which was the first design to introduce me to that confort.

So here we are, ready to test the Amalgam. The Amalgame is on !
Stay tune for another post.