Tag Archives: sprint run

Review

Massive Attack: First Glimpse at Sal’s Shaman Sprint Run C229MPCW

3 Comments

“The first drawing of the Shaman was dated December 17, 2014. That can give you an idea of how long I work on some of these creations.”
Sal Glesser.

Thanks to Tom Song and Howard Korn from the Knifecenter, I have been able to get one of the most coveted Sprint Run from Spyderco: The micarta cruwear Shaman.
Without Tom and Howard always excellent service (I know Howard since the very beginning of his Internet venture), it would have been mission impossible.

It was announced at the 2019 Minimeet by Eric Glesser and every ears were pricked up.
Since it has appears in the very frustrating way being immediately unavailable since the demand was so high.
But here it is after a long journey. This is my first Shaman actually as I was waiting for the first Sprint Run to jump on the bandwagon.

This folder got a massive blade on a smooth like butter pivot. Perfectly centered. And the blade is razor sharp. There is a lot of heft in that knife which is the absolute opposite to the Police “Cheetah” model. The Shaman is an outdoor’s folder dream. You can use it hard and clean it easily. I would compare the way it moves in the hand to the mighty Lionspy.

I regret the clip is not one of the wired but, hey, their must be reason to offer four positions.

The micarta is not polished like a Bark River Knife would be. It is rough but pleasant under the thumb. The handle is thick and made for hard use. I mean it is pleasant to old tight with no hotspot so far.
Now I need to use it but is a very solid folder not destined for the city.
More to come, stay tune… 🙂

 

 

“My designs begin with an “idea”, hard to put into words. The final design says it better than words can. I also refine that design (idea) over time to make it closer to the pure form originally envisioned. The P4 is in it’s 4th refinement and in my opinion, closer to my original “idea” than ever.
While the P4 is very different from the Shaman, they both embody the “spirit” of what I was thinking of for their purpose. I’ll start with pencil and paper, CAD it, make plastic models with Peter from CAD drawings, often for months until I get as close as I can at the time to my “idea”. Like carving an elephant; take a piece of material and cut away everything that isn’t elephant. Once the design is close to it’s “pure form”, I’ll refine the materials based on the original idea and run with it. I don’t have the “eye” of a Lum, so appearance plays little in the fished outcome.”
Sal Glesser.

 

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Folders, Photos

Spyderco Native C41CFP5 – CPM110V and Carbon FIber handle Sprint Run

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Native 5 SPrint Run CPM110V

Exactly three years ago, on 1st october 2011, I had received my Native 5. You can still read how ecstatic I was toward that great ocket knife: solid, ergonomic, easy to carry in the pocket watch. I was especially amazed by the strong lock back with zero blade play and the new easy to polish on leather S35V steel.
Three years later, the Native 5 is getting a spectacular emotionnaly overloading Sprint Run: CPM110V blade and Carbon fiber handles. In 2012 (or 13) the Spyderco Forum knives was also a CPM110V Native but with a green diamond G10 handle.
This time some grammes are outed as Carbon Fiber is lighter than G10.
Mine is as flawless as my first Native. The blade action is smooth as ever and I can generate any play vertical or horizontal. The grind is a little thicker compared to my S35V version but not a big deal as the knife came as a razor.
Again I have installed a Delica 4 blacked clip for low profile, as I carry the knife tip up in my pocket watch.
CPM110V is a great steel that I was not able to really dull yet on my Dark Blue Manix 2. That steel seems to be fresh up easily with a dozen of pass on a white ceramic.
I’m very happy to continue the testing on one of my favorite plateforme: the Native 5 ! Again Spyderco is a figure of pionneer giving the chance to use the best high tech metallurgy on their best refined design.
More soon…. So stay tuned.


The Pink, the Sprint Run, The S35V and the Dark Blue Manix 2.


The Carbon fiber is on the right.


Yin and Yang…

Folders

The 100 Bucks WONDER : SPYDERCO MANIX2 DARK BLUE LIGHTWEIGHT 110V ~ C101DBL2

12 Comments

Ok stop the press: here is a 100 dollars folder destined to be a workhorse: everything in this knife means business and the blade is made from CPM S110V !!!
This is Science Fiction. And this is real !

The Manix 2 Dark Blue is NOT a sprint run. This is the lightweight version of the Manix 2 C101G2 as instead of skeleton stainless steel handle with G10 the handle is made a solid tough fiberglass-reinforced nylon (FRN) and features Spyderco’s distinctive Bi-Directional Texturingâ„¢ pattern to ensure a secure grip in all environmental conditions…
Meaning: very light, well balanced, solid, impervious to the elements and easy to clean.
Yes, this very light blue handle gives a very nice balance to the Manix. It’s alive in your hands as I had noticed on the previous lightweight blue transparent handle version: this version is fast and well balanced.
Once clipped inside your pocket you forget it. This is a feather. You can clip it to you shorts with no afterthoughts.

The ball lock is as strong as ever. I’m ever able to open it as fast as an axis lock. Go figure. It opens in one fluid snap and closes in a flash with a gentle pull of the thumb on the encapsuled ball lock.

Four rivets are giving you some great reliability and the blade’s axis got screws on both side.One my friend, who was working in the African rain forest was sensitive to rivet: he knew his knife won’t betrayed him. Screws are getting loose and lost in the big wild Green. For him, rivets were security and reliability. The only noticed screws are on the axis as its tension is adjustable.

So that Manix is a workhorse not a cheap brother of the hard chore folder C101 but an “expedition ready” tool. Knowing that once you go in the wilderness every ounce you are carrying is important. BTW the C101DBL2 weights only 82 grammes !

Now about the blade: it’s an ultra wear resistant flat-ground CPM-110V blade !!!!
S110V !!!!

This is the best of the best in modern powder technological cutting performances alloys. It’s really stainless, strong and resilient.
Better than S90V. So they say. And it’s available on a 100 dollars knife. (The previous CPM110V Spyderco was the Native 5 Sprint Run with Carbon Fiber handle C41CFP5…). The cutting experience is unique as the End Lin User got access to the most modern alloy at a bargain price. The Ball Lock has also proven to be totally reliable evn on a FRN handle.

Now this kind of cutting edge proposition can be tricky. Not everybody knows how to maintain such speciality steel. For example, IMHO S90V is like chewing gum. It hates to give away its molecules.  S110V should be even trickier on stone and ceramic. So diamonds will be its best friends…Oh and compared to S90V which is hardened at 59HRC by Spyderco, CPM110V should be around 62HRC !!
Unless you got to much time on you hands, diamonds should be used but now “real knives” users will get the best steel on a full flat grind drop point blade with a strong lock?

For example: this folding knife would be a great tool for any Rain Forest explorer ! It has even killed my folding Izula dreams !! This is the kind of folder that will cut and cut and cut with no need to touch up during the trip far from civilization. S110V is like that. It won’t let you down ! You even won’t plan to re-sharp it once away from the base. I remember a Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin review in Tactical Knives where they were testing a Military in S60V… The knife was not touch up of all their trip. This is the kind of experience you will have with CPM110V: its working edge is destined to run for very very long. It should be some kind of Duracell Rabbit experience ! The edge will keep cutting cutting and cutting…
1095 will need a touch up for example but not CPM110V.


This is a great news as we end line users we got this HUGE opportunity to drive a Formula One for the price of a FIAT. And I had loved my FIAT… Of course my huge Manix S90V feels now like some kind of Aston Martin of a knife… Because it feels much heavy and here we are talking featherweight. But performance wise it’s not better and for its price I can buy 2 ou 3 CPM110V Manix 2 !!
And after the Serrata (which is also a bargain!) this lightweight Manix2 is bringing the best in the modern cutlery world for a Laguiole price.
Respect to Eric, Sal and the Spydercrew for this very democratic gesture. 😉