One of Spyderco’s Best Knives Gets a Lighter, More Affordable Edition

This highly reputable, robust and capable folder gets some new materials that shave off some weight and a huge chunk of its price.

Close-up of a folding knife with a black textured handle and a silver blade. The blade features a round hole near the base and has markings including "Golden" The handle has a metal clip attached. The background is a muted pink color.

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By Sean Tirman

Published August 21, 2025

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Updated November 10, 2025

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One of the biggest problems with great EDC knives, especially in this age of tariffs and rising costs, is how expensive they can be.

So, when a brand takes one of its best offerings and figures out a way to shave off some of that cost, it’s a boon for knife lovers everywhere — especially those on a budget.

That’s precisely what has happened with the Spyderco Shaman Lightweight. This take on the brand’s beloved folding knife is much lighter and a whole lot cheaper than ever before.

This take on the Shaman maintains its iconic silhouette but sees a significant material swap.

Spyderco

Same great silhouette (and more)

At its core, this is still very much a Shaman. This take on the Spyderco classic maintains the same overall size — an 8.25-inch overall length with a 3.58-inch drop point blade.

But there are also some returning features. For instance, the handle still has a lanyard hole toward the butt. More importantly, it still has the same rock-solid Compression Lock — the venerated, robust lock the brand pioneered.

At its core, this is still very much a Shaman.

It also still has a four-position reversible pocket clip, so users can carry it left- or right-handed, as well as tip-up or tip-down.

Other, smaller details also remain, like the handle’s ergonomics, jimping on the bolster at the spine and finger groove, and more. Perhaps obviously, the knife also has the brand’s signature Round Hole for manual deployment.

Black folding pocket knife with a stainless steel blade, a circular thumb hole near the base of the blade, and a metal clip attached to the handle. The handle has a textured surface and is secured with multiple screws. — The knife has a four-position pocket clip, so users can carry it tip-up, tip-down, left-handed and right-handed.

Going through changes

The biggest changes in this edition of the Shaman can be found in its materials. Both the blade and handle have seen swaps.

The blade is now made from CTS BD1N, instead of the brand’s proprietary CPM SPY27. While this technically means the blade is slightly less high-end, it’s not a difference most EDC fans will notice in practice.

A significant amount of weight is shaved off […] without noticeably impacting its performance or strength.

BD1N is still relatively high-performance, offering good edge retention, corrosion resistance and more. It’s also very easy to maintain and sharpen.

The handle has also been changed from G10 to injection-molded FRN (fiberglass-reinforced nylon). That means a significant amount of weight is shaved off, dropping from 5.2 ounces to 4.8, without noticeably impacting its performance or strength.

The blade steel is swapped from CPM SPY27 to CTS BD1N.

Spyderco

Pricing and availability

The material swaps have another significant impact on this knife: a massive price reduction. While the standard Shaman starts at an eye-watering $360, the Spyderco Shaman Lightweight is much more affordable at $230.

However, it’s even cheaper on Blade HQ, clocking in at just $173 on preorder.