One minor frustration of buying Spyderco Salts over the internet ...

M

Mud Shrimp Moe

Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
644
is trying to tell if the item you are ordering is pin or torx screw construction. On auction sites, sometimes the pics are ambiguous, or there is just one and it's the wrong side of the knife. On some of the retailer sites, I'm seeing pin construction clearly ... but I suspect it's an old stock photo, as it's been ... what ... over a year since the change to torx.

In any case, I'm picky. Nothing is particularly "wrong" with pin construction. I have a Spyderhawk and Endura 3 with pins and they still work great. But if I'm going to pay retail I'm going to be picky.

I ordered a new Pacific Salt two days ago on an auction site (the big one). Pics had torx screws, but the price was lower than any other new seller by about 20%. We shall see. The seller is a reputable retailer that sells only new items, from my experience with them. But I'm curious of the auction site photo was the actual item or just a stock. The obvious suggestion is to email them and ask. However, in the past I've found sellers to be unresponsive or flat out refuse to go pull the actual item and check it out for something they appear to believe is trivial.

I really want a Salt 1 to round out my Salt series (Spyderhawk, Pacific, Salt 1). But I'm having trouble finding a good deal that also has torx screws. Is this whining? I think maybe it is. :) But I'll find that deal. I'm diligent.
 
If you buy from a reliable dealer (such as CS) you'll get a good price along with the latest torx model.

Just a thought.
 
Actually CS is an example of a retailer that has pin construction stock photos on all of the Salt models that I've checked. I would bet most of their stock is newer (torx), but I'd definitely call before I ordered. I have contacted a retailer (not CS) and found a Salt 1 with torx. Thanks.
 
i'll throw in my reply to that question rev, even if its not the same as the OP's. im one of the guys who some might consider to be a waterman, im in the ocean at least 3-4 times a week, mostly spearfishing/fishing, but with a good bit of surfing and boating mixed in, i also come from a commercial fishing background, i MUCH preffer a pocketknife thats easy to disassemble for cleaning, heck ive got to pull apart my spearguns handle/trigger mechanism every time i do a shore dive, as grains of sand have a nasty habit of getting in places they shouldnt get. plus when cleaning fish, i like to be able to completely clean out the inside of the knife when i have some quiet time after, because little bits of guts and slime also have that nasty habit of getting in places they shouldnt get.
 
Thanks Seth. ;)

I can relate to sand and dirt (living in the desert), getting into my folders. I have found for purposes of cleaning, soap, warm water, and canned air does it for me.
 
With the possible exception of some eBay sellers, internet dealers generally have a phone number and are willing to check a knife before shipping it if you ask them to do so. If screw construction is important to you, it's not all that hard to make sure you'll be getting a knife that has it. "I want what I want and I want it easy and cheap" doesn't always work.
 
RevDevil said:
Honest question here, what does it matter really if it is pinned or not?
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I'm on the flip side of Seth opinion. I'm on freshwater 5-6 days a week and commonly get filthy with river crap, including having a few locks fail on me from silt getting crammed in. I prefer the riveted models. Its just one less thing to fail and I haven't come across anything yet that I haven't been able to clean out of my linerless spydie midlocks. Torx heads tend to hold the little muddy stuff until it hardens into nearly cement, and its just a pain to tighten if they do loosen. But I also don't mind bladeplay in the salts. Just another opinion.

A different sku would have been awesome.
 
I honestly do not disassemble any of my FRN lockbacks. I ruined a backspacer on a ZDP Strech years ago because I could not easily assemble the knife once I tried "cleaning it out". I had to eat the cost of my mistake, and I was not about to send it into get serviced because of my own inability to reassemble it after the damage was done. The G10 lockbacks are much easier and more forgiving than the FRN variety, in my experience.
 
The Deacon said:
With the possible exception of some eBay sellers, internet dealers generally have a phone number and are willing to check a knife before shipping it if you ask them to do so. If screw construction is important to you, it's not all that hard to make sure you'll be getting a knife that has it. "I want what I want and I want it easy and cheap" doesn't always work.
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I confess having an "I want what I want and I want it easy and cheap" attitude sometimes.

But another factor is I do a lot of my buying in the dead of night, and prefer to see accurate pics or at least have an email option for clarification. Nearly all retailers will respond, although I have been blown off before. I work full time and am a single Dad to boot, so calling during working hours is not always convenient.

Again, first world problems here. Just whining, really.

I should be receiving my Pacific Salt SE today. First try at H1 SE. But I really want a Salt 1, as it's a lighter carry, and I want something for the hot summer months where it will get covered in sweat.

Meanwhile, I've been EDC'ing my PE Spyderhawk for over a week now. Finally getting used to using the large hawkbill shape. It's a bit awkward for food prep, but I'm learning how to use it better.

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Mud Shrimp Moe said:
in the past I've found sellers to be unresponsive or flat out refuse to go pull the actual item and check it out for something they appear to believe is trivial.
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Don't buy from these people. :thumbup:

I don't think you are being whiny. You want what you want. I may get a black/black Para 2. And when I do, I want the new black hardware. I'll ask if thats what they are selling me, and if I get no answer, or the wrong answer, I'll find another seller.

You are right that this is not the worst problem a person could have. But if you don't make sure that you are happy, no one will do it for you. :)
 
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