Salsa returns: Act II - Canada

Dave H, awww Damn... lets see... SFO lists at $190 USD, so $570 USD(SFO Price, though I'll use Linda)...

I already owe about $350 USD for a 25th anni, $115 for a Lil Temp... and nothing in my wallet.
 
The Salsa arrived in my mailbox today, just in time for Christmas.

I will play with it and post my thoughts over the next few days.

Thanks Dave and I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.


Shane
 
Well I guess I am overdue to add my thoughts on the Salsa so here we go.

First I would like to thank DaveH for arranging this pass around, its nice to handle a knife before actually purchasing it.


Ok, first I will cover the things I like.

I really like the way the knife fills your hand, it is very comfortable to hold and use. The finger grooves are well spaced and I like how you can rest your thumb on the cobra head while cutting.

I liked the overall size of the Salsa, both blade and handle size. It didnt upset any of my non-knife friends(Sheeple) unlike the new Benchmade 806D2 that I had arrive the same day as the Salsa.

I really like the compression lock, it seems to be very secure and being a southpaw its very easy to disengage with my thumb without having to use two hands or shift the knife in my hand. I did also get pinched a few times by it while opening the blade but that I think is something that is a slight annoyance and if this was a EDC I would soon modify how I hold the knife while opening it.

For a knife from Taiwan I was very pleased with its fit and finish with the exception of one set of sharp corners on the top of the knife that I felt could have been rounded over a little more. This isnt a fault of the construction but of the overall design.

Now for the things I didnt like.

The pocket clip annoyed me greatly, the wire is very stiff and the tip is too close to the knife handle and it was a real bear to try to get into a pocket. If it was my knife I would have bent the tip up and that most likely would have solved the problem. Again being a southpaw I tried the clip on the other side where it would make the most sense for me to have it but the clip was even worse on that side. The tip of the clip would ride on the blade pivot so tight that I couldnt even get a piece of paper between the two. I didnt see if the blade pivot could be reversed but I doubted that it could. The only option I could see for me would be to run with no clip or perhaps to try to put an old style clip on it from say my Native.

The other thing I was not happy with was the finish, as commented by others the pocket clip has already rubbed off some of the finish on both sides of the knife and I feel with every day use the almite finish will not hold up all that well. I guess if I wanted a Salsa I would have to go with the titanium model and hope it holds up better.

Overall I think its a decent knife but its not to my taste and the wire clip issues would prevent me from purchasing one as an EDC.

Again thanks DaveH for the opportunity to try it out and its on its way back to you today.


Shane
 
Hi All,

I received the Salsa back from Canada today. Here are my comments:

Normark's sheath is great, I really like it and am impressed. It snaps right in and is held firmly.

There have been some comments about the handle finish not being durable, I'd have to disagree strongly. Yes, on some of the high point ridge areas such as the point of the finger cutout there is some wear, there is also some under the wire pocket clip where the clip touches the side.

Consider this though, This knife has been out in the world for 8 months or so, and has seen 20 plus people use it.

The blade has approximately .5 to 1 mm of vertical blade play, just enough to be perceptable, though it really is tough to tell. No side to side play is detectable.

The compression locks swings over approximately 75%, and the opening is still very smooth.

There are some scratches on the blade, but as a whole in retains it's mirror finish.

The pocket clip is still firm and strong, though it looks like it has been bent such that the open end of the clip curls down toward the pocket adding a no catch aspect and probably puts some additional clamping pressue. Perhaps someone can comment if they found the clip loose and needed to fix it up a bit (I don't consider that damage BTW)

The blade is also pretty sharp, thanks to those who sharpened it up before I got it back.

Overall I'm impressed, I honestly thought that a knife would not survive this many people. To some extent I think people did take a bit more care with it, but I also think it partly due to that this knife is well engineered and built.

I'll see if Sal wants it back for examination or not, then we'll see what the next adventure is!

Thanks everyone, it seems like passaround s have turned in to a huge success!

:D
 
Oh, it could be the pocket clip end is bent in to fit inside the kydex sheath rather than over the top, I found this out while trying to put in a Ti Salsa into the sheath.

Also, Kydex is kinda stinky. or maybe that's just BO. :eek: :p
 
DaveH

Great summary. Seems to add up to a pretty good recommendation for the Salsa. Hope Sal finds the feedback of value!

Thanks again for your efforts on the passarounds!!!

p.s. I hope to check out some of Eric's (Normark) work in Novi Michigan this coming weekend :D
 
kydex does have a bit of a smell to it, much like leather does when it's new... you either notice it or you don't.

I had it first from Eric, and didn't notice anything funky in the smell(but I also like the smell of Hoppes #9 and LSA, so what's that say?).

One possible solution would be a bleach bath. shouldn't harm the concealex if you dry it out well.
 
Glad it finally got home Dave. Thanks again for your time and effort. I also am pleased the knife survived as well as it did.

ted
 
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