Delica Underwater

tjswarbrick

tjswarbrick

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Mar 31, 2011
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My current EDC rotation consists of an M390 Para2 and a Sage I.
I don't SCUBA, but I occasionally snorkel, boat, and raft. I also often swim in pools and the Pacific, and occasionally in lakes and rivers. I may get to do some fishing this summer. Normally, when I hit the water, my knife stays in a drawer in my room, or in my shoe on the shore. I'd like to remedy that.
I don't go down more than about a dozen feet, and clearly won't stay at depth long. But I may stay in the water for a couple hours at a time.
I don't expect to need a knife for long underwater, but want to have it on me on and off the water, and be able to use it at depth when needed/desired.
I'm looking for a knife I can be confident taking with me in any and all of these situations.
I'll usually be able to rinse with fresh water at the end of each day, but not necessarily after each dunking.
I'll certainly rinse it off, spray it down with WD40 or Silicone, blow it out, and lube it up after each excursion, but that may be after a couple days to a week of carry/use.

I know the Salt series is made for this type of stuff.
I have an itch for a purple knife right now, and noticed that in the olden days, before H1, Sal used a Delica for diving.
So, I want to know, could I reasonably expect a VG-10 FRN Delica to stand up to this type of thing?
Would it be possible to: pull the blade from a Salt I and drop it into a Delica, or
Pull the scales from a Delica and drop them onto a Salt I?
(Yes, I realize this would void the warranty.)
Or should I just get over my color-coordination problem, bite the bullet, and pick up a yellow Salt I?
Any help or insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

- Tom
 
Get a yellow Salt 1. SE holds it's edge extremely well, PE holds it ok.

The Delica liners etc. aren't rust proof so a blade swap (even if possible) wouldn't be a good solution.

VG-10 will rust, seawater is nasty and the only blades I've used for diving/sailing that haven't rusted (even with decent care) are H1 knives (and titanium ones...)
 
Agree with NoFair. I am also looking for a decent "snorkeling knife," and I'm going the H1 route. I think Spyderco has multiple options, but the Salt seems pretty purpose made for just this kind of thing.
 
I had a VG-10 delica in my pocket at the beach in the water with no rust problems after 8 hours or so. Rinsed it off with fresh water and it was fine. People have been using and -somehow- surviving working on and in the sea without special steels for as long as knives have been carried.
 
I'm a diver and I keep a salt clipped to my bcd and don't even clean it really. It doesn't have a spot on it. Great water knives
 
You may be able to get away with a lesser steel, but H1 is available so why not make use of it?
 
I think the best option is to buy a yellow Salt 1 and RIT dye it purple. Should be easy to do.

While I think the above is the best solution, I suspect diving with a Delica would work fine as long as you rinsed well with fresh water and dried thoroughly. VG-10 is pretty corrosion resistant. It's not H1, but it's pretty good.
 
Thanks everyone.
Moe, I had thought about that. My last RIT project didn't turn out too well - but it wasn't FRN.
I also wasn't sure how the yellow basecoat would affect the final outcome. Just found a similar thread on it, and it looks okay.
May give that a shot.

I did a test ~ 7 years ago with galvanized, zinc-plated, and stainless hardware. All were fine in saltwater for a month. I dumped them out, stuck 'em on a shelf in the garage (without rinsing), and forgot about them. When I rediscovered them some 9 months later, the galvanized was a useless ball of rust, the zinc was stuck together and partially recognizable, the stainless was discolored and slightly pitted. I cleaned up the SS fasteners and used it 'em in an outdoor assembly I made - still holding up fine. But that's soft, highly corrosion-resistant 300-series stainless hardware, not quality knife steel. It's good to know the VG10 will probably hold up with a little care, if that's the way I end up going.
 
I think it would be a little crazy to buy a delica with the intent of snorkeling in the ocean, with the salt series available. You will have to disasemble that delica after you dive with it due to the liners. A salt, you can dive in the ocean, leave it clipped in your wet boardshorts in a pile on the deck for three days. And it's as good as new.
 
dcycleman said:
I think it would be a little crazy to buy a delica with the intent of snorkeling in the ocean, with the salt series available. You will have to disasemble that delica after you dive with it due to the liners. A salt, you can dive in the ocean, leave it clipped in your wet boardshorts in a pile on the deck for three days. And it's as good as new.
Click to expand...

I agree with this and would like to add that it might be different if the Salt version was way pricey but the fact is they are about the same price as the Delica so why chance it! Get the Salt.
 
I guess I am the opposite. If I wanted a purple knife, I would just buy it, try it for a year and see what happened. I doubt it would cause much trouble to the blade. Maybe you would have to take it apart every couple of years and sand down or replace the liners and lock?

I don't live near the ocean but I have carried my Endura in the ocean for a week and just rinsed it off every night. I don't see any problem with it. If you want to be sure though, get the SALT. I have one now.

The Salt has an entirely differnet set up then the Delica 4. The Salt is like a 3rd generation delica and can not interchange.
 
I've snorkeled with my Delica in Hawaii with no problems. Rinsed it good at the end of the day and no worse for the wear. If I were buying a knife and I was around salt water a lot I'd get a serrated Salt series knife. For the occasional vacation that included the beach the Delica works for me.
 
I'd Get A Salt, My Choice Would Be The All Black Pacific Salt.

But If I Wanted Purple, I Would Get The Yellow Pacific Salt PE And Dye The Handles.

But Since You Seem To Want A Smaller Knife.. Go With The Salt 1.

Anyways.. Yes VG-10 Is Pretty Corrosion Resistant But The Liners Are NOT Made Of VG-10.....

Go With The Salt.
 
Alright.
I think you've sold me on the Salt.
Originally, I was thinking Pac Salt, but that thing's bigger than my Para2.
Now I'm looking forward to my little RIT dye project, and my next beach vacation (early May. Not that I wasn't looking forward to it before...)
 
Good Luck With It Man!! I Still Want To Get a Pacific Salt.. If For No Other Reason Than To Just Have It In My Cute Little Spydie Collection.
 
I have three, the pacific, salt 1, and aqua salt. All in yellow. I love them, you will too I bet
 
TBH I wouldn't expect too much bad to happen. Just expect a little more maintenance. Considering fishermen used basic, high carbon knives out on the ocean for MONTHS at a time, pretty sure it's not going to rust out on you. I'd expect some rusting, and maybe light pitting if you weren't able to rinse and dry it that night. Maybe a little more frequent sharpening, too. But modern knife users blow rust problems way out of proportion.
 
I've died a ton of knives (Rock Lobster, Delica, Endura, Mini-Grip, Regulr-Grip, half ton and the list goes on) all with great results, the key is to keep the water at a boil (with the die in there of course, but you don't need to add the die until it is boiling since the bubbles will mix it for you) and leave the knife in for at least 15 or so, then take it out and without wiping it dunk and leave it in a glass of ice cold water (quenching the die if you will).

The only other notes would be to consider the original color, i.e. dying a red knife blue will turn purple; and secondly, whatever is not exposed to the dye will not stain. So if your pocket clip is left on there will be spots under both areas where the clip touches and some spots on the backs of the scales. If you have any questions dying feel free to email me,
 
Cool.
Thanks for the tips, Baine!
I usually remove my clips anyway.
What and yellow make Spyderco Purple? Actually, I'm hoping to match a purple "sea blue" light, but not expecting to get it exact.
I saw a thread on a yellow-to-purple (Tasman Salt?) It came out well enough for me, but I probably won't do the hot-glue tie-die experiment just yet.
It'll be a couple weeks, but I'll be sure to post some pics.
 
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