Spyderco Amalgam Mini Review

Thanks for the kind words jstn! Don't get in trouble with your wife now, I hereby absolve myself of any responsibility for what happens to your marriage :p. I too hope to see some sprints...solid (maybe marbled?) CF and CPM-20CV/CTS-204p please? >_> haha. But seriously, I'm thrilled just to have it being made as is.

Hopefully these reports I'm hearing of overly soft detents are just outliers; I know the detent is a touch on the soft side compared to many dedicated flipper knives, but they've been just hard enough to not be problematic on the specimens I've seen so far.

As an aside, I just got a 7777, and while I really like the knife my goodness is that detent hard! And I'm avoiding putting pressure on the lockbar already....the pad of my index finger is sore from slipping off the jimped flipper so many times. Makes flipping the Amalgam seem super easy in comparison, with less wear on my finger and, now that I think about it some more, I'm assuming also less shock and wear on the stop pin and lock assemblies.
 
GundaManiac said:
As an aside, I just got a 7777, and while I really like the knife my goodness is that detent hard! And I'm avoiding putting pressure on the lockbar already....the pad of my index finger is sore from slipping off the jimped flipper so many times. Makes flipping the Amalgam seem super easy in comparison, with less wear on my finger and, now that I think about it some more, I'm assuming also less shock and wear on the stop pin and lock assemblies.
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This is my impression of the 7777 that I received as well. Between the 2, I'll take the detent of the Amalgam (as well as the Hanan, Positron and Southard Folder, which I also own) over the 7777's any day.
 
GundaManiac said:
Thanks for the kind words jstn! Don't get in trouble with your wife now, I hereby absolve myself of any responsibility for what happens to your marriage :p. I too hope to see some sprints...solid (maybe marbled?) CF and CPM-20CV/CTS-204p please? >_> haha. But seriously, I'm thrilled just to have it being made as is.

Hopefully these reports I'm hearing of overly soft detents are just outliers; I know the detent is a touch on the soft side compared to many dedicated flipper knives, but they've been just hard enough to not be problematic on the specimens I've seen so far.

As an aside, I just got a 7777, and while I really like the knife my goodness is that detent hard! And I'm avoiding putting pressure on the lockbar already....the pad of my index finger is sore from slipping off the jimped flipper so many times. Makes flipping the Amalgam seem super easy in comparison, with less wear on my finger and, now that I think about it some more, I'm assuming also less shock and wear on the stop pin and lock assemblies.
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I got a second Amalgam, and the detent is a bit firmer, although neither is bad and neither seems likely to come open accidentally. I actually have come to prefer it now though. I hate nothing more than a misfire when opening my knife, which is why I prefer the Spydie hole over thumbstuds and a lighter detent over one that might be so firm my fingers slips off the flipper. The Amalgam really hits the sweet spot for me.
 
Thanks 731Chopper 731Chopper ! Mainly three reasons for the clip.

1) in the initial foamboard mockup, the design had a standoff right where I wanted to place the clip, which made it easier to incorporate a wire clip than a stamped clip (I was assuming Spyderco would use one of their existing clips rather than make a special clip just for this design). After the foamboard model was declined, I changed the angle of the pocket clip at the end of the handle for ergos; after that, the clip mounting area could no longer coincide with a standoff location since there is blade directly under the clip when the knife is closed. So I switched to a stamped clip screwed into the liner.

2) I was unsure how well a wire clip would hold a large knife. Now I have a Hundred Pacer with a wire clip and I know it works, but at the time I thought a stamped clip would hold the knife in pocket more securely.

3) originally I was a deep pocket carry only kind of guy, hence the deep carry wire clip. But after I got an XM-18 and carried it for a while, I appreciated having a little handle sticking out of my pocket to grab the knife out. Also, I thought that if there were a lanyard hole, it would be nice to have that at the end of the handle and to have the lanyard or fob ride entirely outside of the pocket to make it easier to grab, hence the lanyard hole placement right beside the clip at the end of the handle.
 
GundaManiac said:
Thanks for the kind words jstn! Don't get in trouble with your wife now, I hereby absolve myself of any responsibility for what happens to your marriage :p. I too hope to see some sprints...solid (maybe marbled?) CF and CPM-20CV/CTS-204p please? >_> haha. But seriously, I'm thrilled just to have it being made as is.

Hopefully these reports I'm hearing of overly soft detents are just outliers; I know the detent is a touch on the soft side compared to many dedicated flipper knives, but they've been just hard enough to not be problematic on the specimens I've seen so far.

As an aside, I just got a 7777, and while I really like the knife my goodness is that detent hard! And I'm avoiding putting pressure on the lockbar already....the pad of my index finger is sore from slipping off the jimped flipper so many times. Makes flipping the Amalgam seem super easy in comparison, with less wear on my finger and, now that I think about it some more, I'm assuming also less shock and wear on the stop pin and lock assemblies.
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I haven't purchased one yet, but I'm guessing a solid cf sprint with 204p or 20cv would be a excellent combo.

This knife would look good with the carbon fiber that's on the cruwear manix sprint. 20181117_192855-2241x3984.jpg
 
Any more thoughts from you guys who have bought an Amalgam? I am loving mine more each day. I'm hoping this is a popular blade so we can see some more versions of it. Definitely my favorite folder out of the hundreds I have owned, both custom and production.
 
I molested two examples last week in a store, one had a horribly light detent that practically fell open at a tiny shake and the other had a nice medium firm that flipped well.

Still don’t like comp lock flippers, they’re so annoying to close!

I truly feel that this knife should not have been a flipper, also it’s deceptively light in spite of being quite large.
 
John_0917 said:
I molested two examples last week in a store, one had a horribly light detent that practically fell open at a tiny shake and the other had a nice medium firm that flipped well.

Still don’t like comp lock flippers, they’re so annoying to close!

I truly feel that this knife should not have been a flipper, also it’s deceptively light in spite of being quite large.
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Thanks for the input, John. I hate to hear some of these have too light of a detent. My two examples vary some, but both are strong enough the blade won't shake out without really trying. I can see this being one where a lot of people delete the flipper. It would still look really classy without it.

As for me, I really like both the extra guard and the flipping action; it has actually become my favorite flipper despite not being a huge fan when I first got it. It took playing with it a few days to get used to the difference between it and say a ZT flipper Hopefully Spyderco gets the detent dialed in on these as I think it could be a huge knife for them. And yes, super light for its size!
 
I want to add to my comments above that I think Brian Lai did a phenomenal job with this design, especially considering that (from what I understand) knife making/designing isn’t his main occupation. I’m curious what other designs he may have in store for us.

Also, someone at the store where I was commented that this is “kind of like a Spyderco XM-18”...I think that’s fairly accurate in a way.
 
John_0917 said:
I want to add to my comments above that I think Brian Lai did a phenomenal job with this design, especially considering that (from what I understand) knife making/designing isn’t his main occupation. I’m curious what other designs he may have in store for us.

Also, someone at the store where I was commented that this is “kind of like a Spyderco XM-18”...I think that’s fairly accurate in a way.
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I agree. I hope Brian does some more collabs with Spyderco (a smaller Amalgam might be cool, or and Amalgam Salt?). He clearly knows what he is doing.

My dream knife was something like an XM-18 or ZT 562 with some Spyderco aesthetics, a Comp lock, a Spydie hole, and a much thinner blade. I think the Amalgam really kind of improves upon that idea with some of Brian's design details.
 
sgt1372 said:
Just got mine today. Nothing to add to my comments above. A nice addition to my collection.

Only thing I'll say is that I'm confused by the several threads that I've read/seen recently in which someone is complaining about a detent so light that the blade of the Almagam will just fall out of the handle from the closed position. I do not have this 'problem" w/my Amalgam and did not notice such a problem w/the one that I handled at the gun/knife store. The blade will easily drop from the open position when you release the compression lock at the top of the handle but the blade will not drop out when it is in the fully closed position w/in the handle, not even when the handle is shaken.
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Need to update this comment a bit:

I saw a video regarding knife laws and NYC's law against "gravity knives" which apparently is any knife that drops open w/"gravity" or that you can flick open w/wrist action. Not sure if this includes knives that you can open w/a flipper but let's just assume not; just wrist action.

So, I decided to see if I could do this w/the Almagam and a variety of other knives that I own and I discovered that I CAN shake open the Amalgam when I exert downward force w/some forward movement and if you use enough force it will actually lock up going from 3 to 9 o'clock while using this movement even though holding the handle parallel to the ground. However, if I just shake the knife up and down, it will NOT come out.

More importantly, I discovered that I can flick open the knife very quickly w/some concentrated wrist action (whipping the knife w/the wrist from left to right away from my body) which would be a very intimidating move in mixed company. It takes more effort to do this than just opening it w/the flipper but the detent is light enough that it CAN be done.

I also discovered that I can do this w/the Hanan (which like the Amalgam has a compression lock) but not w/the Positron, black Southard, Domino or Advocate which use liner locks. I can also do this w/my manual (supposedly thumbstub operated) ZT850CF which has a similarly light detent. So, all of these knives would be illegal in NYC and any other place w/similar laws.

Anyway, I personally DO NOT find the light detent a problem. As long as the knife stays in place w/normal use, I don't see what the issue is and I actually consider the fact that I can flick the knife open w/wrist action (in addition to using the flipper) a positive feature because it provides me with an alternate (and more dramatic) way to open the knife. ;)
 
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jstn said:
I agree. I hope Brian does some more collabs with Spyderco (a smaller Amalgam might be cool, or and Amalgam Salt?). He clearly knows what he is doing.

My dream knife was something like an XM-18 or ZT 562 with some Spyderco aesthetics, a Comp lock, a Spydie hole, and a much thinner blade. I think the Amalgam really kind of improves upon that idea with some of Brian's design details.
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Thanks for the compliments guys! You're pretty spot on in your assessments; I do quite admire Eric Glesser's Manix design and Rick Hinderer's XM-18. The profile of those two knife designs are among my favorite aesthetically and ergonomically.
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Also, Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you're enjoying whatever knife you happen to be carrying today :)
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I haven't bought one yet, but I really love this design! If there's a sprint run in 20cv, cts-xhp, or similar I'd pick it up in an instant.
 
The Amalgam is a big knife so I'm guessing it can be more than an EDC knife. Is it designed for hard use? I have read somewhere before that knives that runs on bearings are not really designed for hard use like using them for outdoor activities. Please enlighten me
 
This mini-review needs basic info.

Specifications
  • Blade Length: 3.80"
  • Cutting Edge: 3.40"
  • Closed Length: 5.10"
  • Overall Length: 8.90"
  • Blade Thickness: 0.138"
  • Blade Material: CPM-S30V Stainless Steel
  • Blade Style: Drop Point
  • Blade Grind: Full-Flat
  • Blade Finish: Satin
  • Blade Edge: Plain
  • Handle Material: Carbon Fiber/G10 Laminate
  • Handle Color: Black
  • Locking Mechanism: Compression
  • Pocket Clip: Tip-Up, Left/Right Carry
  • Model Number: C234CFP
  • Model Name: Amalgam
  • Designer: Brian Lai
  • Weight: 4.3 oz.
  • Made in Taiwan
 
TTpower said:
The Amalgam is a big knife so I'm guessing it can be more than an EDC knife. Is it designed for hard use? I have read somewhere before that knives that runs on bearings are not really designed for hard use like using them for outdoor activities. Please enlighten me
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Well, personally, I wouldn't subject any $180 knife to "hard use."

Not sure what you have in mind but when I think of a knife that I want to use and abuse, as both an EDC and/or camp knife, my cheap (less than $20) CRKT C/F folder is the 1st thing that comes to mind. I could beat the heck out of that knife and not even worry about it because it's disposable.

Not so the Amalgam or any other knife that I've paid a lot of good $ for but that's just the way I see things.

I know that there's a lot of blade snobbery going around and a general belief that every knife should be "used," but I don't see the point of buying a knife w/M390 steel (or other hard to sharpen premium steels) that you can't sharpen on the spot w/a whetstone. No problem doing that w/any "lesser" steel like good old AUS-10 or VG-10 (or even 8Cr13Mov). Yeah, the blades will not last long w/continued sharpening but then again, you can just toss them out and buy another w/o breaking the bank.

So, for a "user," I'd always choose a cheap knife over an expensive ones.
 
I got a pop up 15 % off and with another 5 dollars off snagged one for 144 and change shipped. I'd been thinking about it and that sure made me buy!
 
jstn said:
View attachment 1034017 I finally got in my Spyderco Amalgam yesterday. This has certainly been the knife I've anticipated the most in recent memory, and it did not disappoint.

For me personally, the specs for this knife were everything I wanted in a folder design-wise. I have been hoping Spyderco would a design a compression lock flipper with a sturdier tip, a finger choil, and great ergos. A really great all-arounder. This knife fits the bill as far as I'm concerned.

The flipping action is buttery-smooth with it running on bearings, and the ergos are exceptional, even better than I expected, and better than the PM2 and Manix 2, for me at least.

It was also important to me that the knife had a significant guard so that there is no way my hand could slip up to the blade, and the Amalgam has just that.

The fit and finish is spot on with this model, and the CF/G10 laminate provides plenty of grip but doesn't shred the pockets. The blade itself is pretty thick at the spine, but it comes down into a nice, thin edge that slices really well. It is also surprising light for a knife of this size.

Aesthetically, I love the looks of this knife. The maker's mark is probably the coolest I've seen (one of our BF members, Gundamaniac designed this piece). It flips well and opens via the Spydie hole well too.

My one concern from watching some Youtube reviews was that the blade would easily shake out, but it is harder to shake it out than I thought it would be, which is a pleasant surprise.

If I had a few small nitpicks, I would still like the detent to be a bit stronger, but it is better than some of the others comp lock flippers, and I expected it would be a lighter detent as that is par for the course. My only other wish would be an upgraded steel - M390, Cruwear, even S35VN, but I am perfectly happy with S30V. Maybe a future sprint run? Micarta and Cruwear would be a dream for me.

In any case, at this point the knife looks like it is going to be perfect for me. It exceeds all my expectations, and I imagine I will thoroughly enjoy carrying and using the folder for a long time to come. Spyderco and Brian Lai really knocked this one out of the park.
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Awesome name, Gundamaniac! I have been abit on the fence about this knife but the designer being a Gundam Maniac I might have to get one now.

I had kind of overlooked the Amalgam because of the Smock but the Amal is becomin more and more appealing. I would really like to see the Ikuchi come out.

Can you tell if the liners are skeletonized?
 
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