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Hmmm......Spyderco Tasman Salt PE, or Kershaw Rainbow E.T.?....

M

MacTech

Joined
Jan 7, 2006
Messages
611
The title says it all, i passed my Apple Authorized Tech re-certification tests (i'm certified for another full year, certifi*able*, heck i'm *always* that.... ;) ) today, so i'm buying myself a new knife to celebrate (*A* knife, this time, "buy both* is not an option....)

the contenders are;
Kershaw E.T. with rainbow anodized blade, looks to be a cool knife, a little flashy for my tastes, but a quite unique piece of bladecraft, i especially like the fact that it bridges the gap between folder and fixed blade, it's almost like a fusion of a folder and a balisong, with a tiny bit of fixed blade DNA sprinkled in for good measure....

Spyderco Tasman Salt, this one satisfies all my criteria, it's a hawkbill blade, it's made of my new favorite steel, H-1, so it's totally maintenance-free, i'd be getting the PE model in yellow FRN....

i like the Kershaw for it's unique construction it's "outside the box" design, yet i can't get past the "gimmick" factor of the design

i like the Tasman for it's simple honest design, durability, and rustproof bladesteel, it's not flashy like the E.T., it's a simple design that *works*....

hmm, decisions, decisions....
(right now i'm leaning more towards the Tasman.....
 
Get the Tasman and call it a day. You and me both know it's rust proof;)

The E.T. is just a toy in my opinion, it looks very awkward to use, especially compared with such a simple design as the Tasman.

Than again, being the hawkbill fan I am, was there any doubt I'd recommend the rust proof claw:thumbup:
 
I would say the ET...it's much more unique...I'm almost certain you have nothing in your collection like it, but you probably have knives to sub in for the tasman. I also don't think rust is going to be an issue with the ET...I find that knives with breath through designs are extremely easy to keep clean.

I'm a huge spyderguy, but this time, I have to say I'm more interested in the ET.
 
The ET is innovative, but I know I'd sell it eventually if I bought one. It can't do anything I don't have a better knife for. I'm not a collector as much as I am a user, though, so my opinion will reflect that.

The Tasman is H1 which I, from experience, absolutely love. It's also no nonsense and would be a great user. I've actually been planning to buy one since it came out.

If you want something fancy and silly looking, go with the E.T. If you want a good, do whatever you want with it, user, go with the Tasman.
 
Kershaw E.T. with rainbow anodized blade, looks to be a cool knife, a little flashy for my tastes, but a quite unique piece of bladecraft, i especially like the fact that it bridges the gap between folder and fixed blade, it's almost like a fusion of a folder and a balisong, with a tiny bit of fixed blade DNA sprinkled in for good measure....
Click to expand...

I don't know why people keep saying the ET is like a fixed blade. Every folder has a pivot, and that is the weakest link. Unless the lock is faulty, the pivot will fail before the lock.

I had a ET, although it wasnt the goofy anodized version. It was a nice knife, and very smooth, easily smoother than any backlock Spyderco. The pocket clip sucked though- far too tight. a FRN Spyderco is also thinner, for better pocket carry. of the two choices, I would pick the Spyderco for EDC. A hawkbill is somewhat limited in what it can do, however.
 
I think they use fixed blade in the same way people describe balis as fixed blades...in that, although the lock isn't indestructable, it can never slip or fail to engage if you're holding it. Now, I don't remember much about the only time I played with the ET, but if I'm correctly, it can never close on you if you're holding it. This isn't necessarily the same thing as lock strength, more along the lines of lock reliability.
 
You have previously mentioned that you EDC a Harpy, correct? If you got a Tasman Salt, it'd be slightly redundant (not to say that you shouldn't get one, ever.......).

Get the E.T.
It's very cool. It takes a little while to get used to, but I think you'll dig it, especially if you're a techy-oriented gadget-lover. I just got one, and it's really slick. You can read my first impressions in Artfully Martial's thread Living with the ET.
 
Put in a vote for the Tazman. Hawkbills are great blades. Great for utility as well as self-defense.
But my opinion is biased because I have never handled an E.T. My observation is that it is just a gimmick and if anything, it makes it more difficult to open, and from what I read, you may cut yourself a few times trying to learn how to open it. If it comes with a CD just to learn how to open it, I would say it is to complicated. Also the complexity of the knife may make it less reliable than simple lock backs.
Just my 2 cents.
 
deathshead said:
Put in a vote for the Tazman. Hawkbills are great blades. Great for utility as well as self-defense.
But my opinion is biased because I have never handled an E.T. My observation is that it is just a gimmick and if anything, it makes it more difficult to open, and from what I read, you may cut yourself a few times trying to learn how to open it. If it comes with a CD just to learn how to open it, I would say it is to complicated. Also the complexity of the knife may make it less reliable than simple lock backs.
Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

It is less difficult to open than a spyderco.
The carabiner hole is a huge thumbhole/thumbramp, and the action is very smooth. It can also be opened with a flick of the wrist. you can learn different opening techniques using the toggle, but the standard techniques work just fine, better than on lockbacks. It is unlikely that the lock would become unreliable, as the entire handle would have to fall apart for this to happen. I don't think that would go unnoticed. ;)
One feature of the ET I would like to see on more knives, is the adjustable blade stop.
 
Great....now i've added another knife to the list of choices.... :rolleyes:

Part of me wants to give the E.T. a chance, the other part of me is saying it's just too mechanically complex, too many moving parts, more *potential* failure points.....

so, i got to thinking, for the price i was looking to spend on the Kershaw, i was into the price range of the Benchmade Mini-Grip, and i *definitely like the Mini-Grip better than the E.T., simple, basic design knives are what i gravitate towards....

so, now it's between, Tasman Salt, Mini-Grip, and E.T.

decisions, decisions....
 
Honestly, have a good long look at the mini-grip. Heck of a knife for a heck of a price. From reading your previous posts, I think you'd like it. Only problem is, once you've got an Axis lock it's tough to stop at just one :D
 
I stopped by KTP this evening, tried out both the Kershaw E.T. and BM Minigrip (they had the black one and the purple one) with the thumbstud.....

neither one felt right, the E.T. was too cumbersome, and the Minigrip just didn't feel right, too small, too cramped, ergos were all wrong, and i didn't want to move up to the full size Grip (more than i felt like spending)....

however, all was not lost, i *did* satisfy my Benchmade need with a Rescue Hook.....

i *want* to like the minigrips, i've given them lots of chances, but they just don't fit my hands right

looks like i'll be ordering the Tasman Salt from NGK with my next paycheck....
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
It is less difficult to open than a spyderco.
The carabiner hole is a huge thumbhole/thumbramp, and the action is very smooth. It can also be opened with a flick of the wrist. you can learn different opening techniques using the toggle, but the standard techniques work just fine, better than on lockbacks. It is unlikely that the lock would become unreliable, as the entire handle would have to fall apart for this to happen. I don't think that would go unnoticed. ;)
One feature of the ET I would like to see on more knives, is the adjustable blade stop.
Click to expand...
I was interested in purchasing one actually. More as a toy though. I want to bead blast the color off the handles though. How stable is it when open?
 
deathshead said:
I was interested in purchasing one actually. More as a toy though. I want to bead blast the color off the handles though. How stable is it when open?
Click to expand...

Quite stable, no blade play on the one I had, IIRC.
 
Very solid. Mine's got no play.

...adjustable blade stop? Details, please (I don't have mine one me today, so I can't examine it, but I didn't notice that feature).
 
puukkoman said:
Very solid. Mine's got no play.

...adjustable blade stop? Details, please (I don't have mine one me today, so I can't examine it, but I didn't notice that feature).
Click to expand...

the little peg on the handle that stops the blade when open seems to be adjustable with an allen wrench. I never had reason to investigate it further, but I assume that is what it is for. . .
 
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