For anyone who EDC'ed with a pacific salt

S

SilentJohn

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Feb 11, 2008
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I would like to hear some opinions from anyone who EDCed with a spyderco pacific salt ( I want the black version ) like durability and edge retention, how it takes an edge, etc. It seems like a great value for a knife that doesn't rust
 
I used a salt 1 extensivel last summer. It's pretty much what you expect a spyderco to be. Edge retention is pretty good, but gets dull like every other knife I owned.
 
I agree with sherlockbonez. I carry a yellow for all the outdoor activitives that may find me wet or submerged. I fly fish a lot. H1 is not S30V but it is good enough to handle standard EDC duties even if you don't intend to use it in the ocean or a river or lake. It takes a wicked edge when sharpened and keeps a working edge long enough for the average joe . . .

As far as durability goes, think Delica or Endura but with pinned construction. One thing I can say is that I don't take care of my Pacifc Salt I like I do my "dry" knives. What I mean by that is it's a worry free knife! And regardless of that, it feels the same way when I open and close it, smooth and functional. All I really do is rinse it off now and then and of course, keep it sharp. I haven't cleaned (thoroughly) mine or lubed it since I got it a year ago and it's been in the Truckee River dozens and dozens of times and I used it snorkeling in Maui for hours. All I did after the snorkeling was rinse it off well in tap water.

It's one of the knives that I wouldn't ever consider selling because it's worry free and serves me well.
 
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i have edc'd the pacific salt since christmas and it has been great. the only issues i have had is that it isnt the best slicer because of the saber grind and the fact that it is riveted. since it is riveted i cant tighten up the blade play.

but it is a great choice for edc because it is light weight but it is a large folder as well. i tend to forget i even have it until i need it.
 
It's my favorite knife. Even more than my orange Millie. I bought a Salt I just so I'd have something similar when it is too big to carry.

I live in Texas, and I can sweat all over it. I like the bright yellow - matches the Millie. And in SE it takes a nice edge, but I plan to send it to Tom Krein just for kicks.
 
I have a yellow Pacific Salt (plain blade), and it's my first choice for cutting anything wet or gooey. I've used it quite a lot on plants and brush.

H1 gets plenty sharp but is fairly soft and scratches easily, but on the other hand it also sharpens easily and often can be reshaped rather than ground away. The plastic/pinned construction works well for wet tasks and holds up fine in practice.

The back edge of my blade had squared off corners that were painfully sharp when I got it. A few swipes across a sharpening stone (held at a 45 degree angle) fixed it, and the change is invisible to the naked eye.
 
Ditto what those guys are saying above.

I've carried my yellow one every day for the last two years or so. It doesn't hold an edge like VG10 but can be touched up with a few swipes on the Sharpmaker white stones.
 
Thanks I am looking fir rust proof blades and it's between this and the benchmade 551h2o griptillian but I am not a fan of the BM orange handle
 
Carried it for a full year daily to work. I need a new pocket clip mine finally broke from
catching it on the counters at work. Great knife, light, slim profile you forget it's in
your pocket. Blade scratches quite easily but I don't mind as it adds character. I have
but one complaint and maybe it's just the way I sharpen knives but I find it just doesn't
hold an edge long enough. I do though cut a fair amount of cardboard with it so perhaps
that is why. Other than that I love the fact I can come out of the warehouse, douse it
in sanitizer and then flick the water off and go into the kitchen and use it on food prep.
 
I used to work over 60 hrs a week sometimes in a factory, you'll learn to appreciate a easy to sharpen steel more than a super hard steel.
 
Not when you get u at 6 and don't get home till 10 Monday to Friday, then have to get up at 2:30 to go duck hunting on Sat.....
 
I carried a plain edged Atlantic Salt commercial fishing for almost a year. It holds an edge for a reasonable amount of time and is extremely easy to field sharpen. It doesn't rust. It is a tough steel that will deform before it chips in my experience. It is a knife users' steel so expect it to scratch, because it does and very easily. I have no experience with a serrated knife with H-1. I don't mind pinned construction because I am not technically savvy enough to dismantle a knife to clean it and get it back together properly.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Salt series as inexpensive user knives. One of these days when I can get some $$ together I will get a couple of serrated Salts for the lobster boat, a Salt 1 for the girl and probably a Pacific or Atlantic for myself.
 
I carried one for over a year. Black FRN and serrated edge. It did everything I asked it to do including cutting carpet, mailing tape, cardboard, paper, and wood. Light tool that does what is required. I'm currently giving my Pacific Salt a break so I can test the Spyderhawk Salt SE in yellow FRN.
 
I did a series of videos on this knife (they are all linked to the main one).

Basically, H-1 is fantastic for what it was designed to do. As I understand it the "priority" list is as follows:
1. Not rust
2. Hold an edge

If that is your priority list, the Salt series is great. If you can get by with a high level of rust RESISTANCE, I think VG-10 is better as it holds an edge slightly better in my findings. Otherwise the Endura and the Pacific Salt are a push in my book.

I do not see pinned construction as a disadvantage, the small amount of blade play I developed after hard folder use stabilized and never worsened with continued use and is not bad enough to notice unless you are trying to feel it.

H-1 is also very easy to sharpen. I find I can use this knife pretty hard and strop it at night and shave again. It seems to degrade from hair popping rapidly, but never gets duller than can be restored with 30 seconds of stropping (so long as you strop ever day or so). It depends on what you cut though...

Most weeks I carry the Pacific Salt 3-4 days and use it as hard as any of my folders. Not the sexiest. Won't win many "coolest knife" contests. Would not be my choice for duties that should be handled by a pry bar or even fixed blade. BUT it is a great hard working EDC knife for the guy that wants something he/she can neglect all day long, but is still willing to put a little edge maintenance in every day or so....some guys will do far less edge maintenance. Please understand that I love sharpening and I refuse to carry a knife that is "sharp enough" for the average guy....guess I am a "sharpness snob"?
 
I don't have the Pac salt but I do have the smaller one. The knife is great. It does scratch easily as a few people mentioned but I bought it as a work knife so I don't have a problem at all with that. It doesn't stay sharp as long under hard use as some of the other steels but it sharpens easily. If I could change one thing about the knife I would love the see regular production put out a flat grind on it. Can't beat it though.

I have swam with it and lost it in the lake last year. That yellow handle made it real easy to find. It's so light in your pocket you check to make sure it's still there. Have been thinking about getting the Pac Salt with the sheepfoot blade.
 
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