Disclaimer: this a first glimpse at the Edgerati provided through the Ambassador’s Program.

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Sal Glesser is an inventor driven by passion. His love for performance in general, high-performance sports cars, and sailing races is reflected in every one of his creations.

His knives are known for their radical aesthetics and their uncompromising performance, always respecting the fundamental purpose of an edged tool. He is also recognized for taking his time, developing and testing numerous prototypes before releasing a new design.

For this knife, his inspiration comes from the world of sports cars—more precisely from the legendary Maserati Birdcage.

Produced between 1959 and 1961 for privateers competing in endurance racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Birdcage was available in 2-litre and 3-litre configurations. Its name came from its revolutionary tubular space-frame chassis, made of roughly 200 chrome-moly steel tubes welded together in triangular formations at high-stress points. This construction method resulted in a chassis that was both lighter and significantly more rigid than anything else on the grid at the time.

Why not apply this design philosophy—and this obsession with performance—to a knife?

This is not Sal’s first attempt at creating an ultra-light, all-metal folding knife. I remember his “R” model, for instance.

I was never a real fan of the approach that consists of punching a spider-web of holes through both the handle and the blade. I understood the intention, the démarche, but as a user, it never convinced me. All those holes meant a knife that was constantly dirty, always in need of rinsing and cleaning… and, well, not my cup of tea.

So you can imagine my skepticism when the Edgerati was first revealed. The steel itself was not some exotic new alloy, and the handle seemed to scream: wash me under the tap and rinse me after every use.

I was wrong.

The moment I first held the Edgerati changed everything. At least two people—Mason and Robin—insisted that it was something you had to experience in hand. They were absolutely right. The knife is incredibly light, yet somehow feels substantial at the same time. My first impression was purely tactile. That beautiful clip point blade and those great ergos, the Edgerati is a bold move.

Because its handle is not thin, but thick enough to feel genuinely comfortable and secure for hard chores. That was the first excellent surprise: how this Birdcage homage actually translates into ergonomics. The aluminium feels warm under the fingers, and the triangular cut-outs provide excellent grip and retention.

The thick handle, combined with the complete absence of hot spots, makes it perfectly suited for hard use. Kudos to Sal—this is the work of someone who knows how to design a true tool, not just eye candy.

The action is smooth, with zero blade play. It feels extremely solid—reassuringly so.
On closer inspection, the Edgerati could almost be described as a Shaman stripped down and laid bare. The two knives share the same overall profile, down to the last screw.

(screenshot taken from CRBx video “Spyderco EDGERATI: Shaman in SEXY lace?”)

Spotted on Reddit: birds of a feather flock together—and it turns out there’s even the possibility of swapping blades with a Shaman (thanks to Armand for the heads-up).

I have asked to Golden.
— Imagine a Shaman Magnacut blade on that handle ?
— I have to admit. I’ve done the swap. The thicker blade stock on the Shaman throws off the balance, and the detents are not a perfect 1:1
It’s possible to flip the blade out, just with holding the handles and flicking your wrist. The Edgerati blade in Shaman scales is a nice treat though. Unfortunately, the Shaman in the Edgerati frame doesn’t work nearly as well.

So, you are warned.

And yes, we also get the rare opportunity to see now inside the “engine” of the knife. One major advantage is the ability to fully clean it after dirty or demanding tasks. The Compression Lock remains a small masterpiece of engineering and operates with real authority. The spine of the handle, if I may put it that way, truly feels like an aircraft carrier for the hand—broad, stable, and extremely reassuring.

Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, but this is undeniably a beautiful knife once you get used to that “Eiffel Tower’s effect”. The pictures speak for themselves. It does not project “tactical” vibes; instead, it feels like a refined, high-tech engineer’s cutting tool. I can easily see it appealing to hikers who carefully count every gram they carry. Its versatility could also attract cyberpolice officers, climate change firefighters, alien hunters—and even starship troopers, for whom weight savings are critical, like astronauts. That may explain why it is also available in a full-black, partially serrated configuration. It is a toolish delicacy. A very capable solid reliable lightweight tool. Very very light and powerful !!

Aluminium (and its lightness) is very much in fashion in 2025. Apple, for instance, uses aluminium chassis on the iPhone 17 Pro because aluminium is light solid and an excellent thermal conductor. Coated aluminium, however, is also known for scratching easily. It willmark over time, and the pristine, “brand-new” look of the Edgerati’s handle is clearly not meant to last. Instead, the knife will develop what I would call a “war patina”—the visible proof of use. The Edgerati will become personalized quickly, for better or worse. Sanding the handle might eventually help even things out, but scratches are inevitable if that kind of wear bothers you.

If there is one aspect I am not entirely happy with so far, it is the pocket clip. It’s the same heavy-duty style clip found on models like the Shaman, the Tenacious or the Lil’ Temperance. This means the knife sits proud in the pocket, and replacing the clip with a third-party option is not straightforward. On my sample it is also not particularly easy to slide in and out of the pocket. I’ll see later how—or if—I can improve this by slightly bending it.

All in all, I genuinely thought the Edgerati would be a collector’s piece—a “safe queen,” and therefore not really my thing. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Edgerati is a user, through and through: an ultra-light, ultra-solid tool with a genuinely utilitarian blade in CPM S30V, heat-treated by Golden.
It is very hard not to fall in love with such a unique knife, once you hold it in your hands, especially if you already love its heavyweight brother: the Shaman.

“The Shaman design began a long time ago. It took several years to complete and refine the design before I was satisfied. Then the “Bodacious” and “Edgerati” variants were designed to serve what I thought might be requested.“
Sal Glesser

“Oh-oh, the power and the passion
Oh-oh, the temper of the time
Oh-oh, the power and the passion
Sometimes you’ve got to take the hardest line”
Midnight Oil.

Edge’s up !