Salt 2 in Plain Edge as good as a SAK?

BMCGear

BMCGear

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I like a lightweight knife to wear around the house, exercise, and go on the water with (pajama pants, gym shorts, swim trunks) and I've owned several of the Salts but always in serrated edge. I'm considering one in plain edge but I'm curious as to what the edge retention is really like for everyday use (opening packages, cutting apples, etc...).

I generally carry a modern folder and a SAK everyday. Is the edge retention atleast as good as a SAK? If so, I don't think I'll have any problems.

Thanks!
 
The PE H1 edge retention is pretty bad, like 8Cr bad. I had a PE Pac Salt I used to use to trim raw chicken, I would have to resharpen it ever 2-3 uses. On the plus side, I could get it razor sharp easily and run it through the dishwasher with no worries.

I would look at the new LW Chaparral or the LW BD1 Manix, similar size and also very light but better steel performance.
 
John_0917 said:
The PE H1 edge retention is pretty bad, like 8Cr bad. I had a PE Pac Salt I used to use to trim raw chicken, I would have to resharpen it ever 2-3 uses. On the plus side, I could get it razor sharp easily and run it through the dishwasher with no worries.

I would look at the new LW Chaparral or the LW BD1 Manix, similar size and also very light but better steel performance.
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Part of the draw of this knife is it being a vacation knife (we go to the beach every year). That's why I was interested in the SALT. If I could have one knife serve multiple roles that would be ideal.
 
bluemetalchurch said:
Part of the draw of this knife is it being a vacation knife (we go to the beach every year). That's why I was interested in the SALT. If I could have one knife serve multiple roles that would be ideal.
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BD1 is very rust resistant, not quite H1 level but on par with S110V in my experience (and a lot cheaper).
 
I have 8Cr and SAK. My H1 only SE currently. If PE H1 really like 8Cr, it should have better wear resistance than SAK.

I’m wondering if they will make Delica VG10 with new H1 handle. That’ll be even better.
 
I have carried a Dragonfly Salt for a pretty long time. It's always been more than sharp enough for daily tasks and I touch it up about once a week with a few swipes on the white stones.

The problem with H1 in PE comes from comparing it against other common steels in the Spyderco lineup. It does not hold a candle to S30V, S35VN, S90V, S110V, Maxamet, CTS-BD1, CTS-XHP, LC200N and even VG-10. But in the days of super, super-steels, we are just spoiled.

If you are cutting up a bunch of cardboard, H1 has very poor abrasion resistance, even in SE. It is more like VG-10 in this respect than like S30V.

Make no mistake, absolutely nothing else is like the Salt series. As you already know, they are lightweight, they get razor sharp easily, and absolutely will not rust. It's a great vacation knife. Carry it and enjoy your vacation. Don't worry about your knife, it'll stay sharp enough.

And if you must, you can always strop the edge on your pants or touch it up on the bottom of a ceramic mug.
 
John_0917 said:
BD1 is very rust resistant, not quite H1 level but on par with S110V in my experience (and a lot cheaper).
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Bd1, eh? I had never considered it because it's been labeled a "tool steel."

Not sure I'd go with a Manix but a UKPK might would work. It not being a locking knife would also be advantageous at times.
 
IMHO (2 PE H1 knives) its on par with BD-1, but rust proof. As long as you don't hit anything hard (fishing hook, fish bone, rock etc.) it's fine. Scales dull it pretty quick too, but they do that to almost everything. If you have a small pocket stone you can bring if you need it, you're golden.
 
I don't know who called CTS BD1 a tool steel, but they were wrong. It is Carpenter Steel's version of GIN-1, the steel Spyderco built their reputation on back in the 80s, and it is definitely a stainless steel. I like it a lot. That said, I have found PE H-1 to hold an edge much better than any Victorinox or Wenger SAK, but the SAKs are ground much thinner, allowing them to cut better when dull.
 
in my unofficial testing or most call it using plain edge h1.....it doesnt hold an edge for very long. far worse than 8cr13mov. it reminds me more like 420j2.

i still like it but its gonna need touchups often if ya use it to cut.
 
yablanowitz said:
I don't know who called CTS BD1 a tool steel, but they were wrong. It is Carpenter Steel's version of GIN-1, the steel Spyderco built their reputation on back in the 80s, and it is definitely a stainless steel. I like it a lot. That said, I have found PE H-1 to hold an edge much better than any Victorinox or Wenger SAK, but the SAKs are ground much thinner, allowing them to cut better when dull.
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On the "tool steel" part, that's good to know. I've heard/seen it called that so assumed that was correct.

Edit to add:


Do I prefer better edge retention than a Victorinox? Of course, but I don't find myself touching it up so much that it annoys me. I hear about how terrible H1 is so I was looking for a comparison to something I don't consider great but reasonable.
 
If you can wait for the 2018 lineup, I saw a video where Sal stated that LC200N would be getting a push into the publics hands in multiple platforms.

Holds an edge Much better than plain edge H1.
 
So very much better. it's one if my favorites. then again I'm in the salt a lot. In fact tomorrow I head for the salt.
 
The nice thing about PE H1 is it's so easy to get sharp. With not much time or effort I can get it very sharp. I like it.
 
Pe H1 edge retention bothers me, but only because we have access to so many high end steels these days. As long as I’m not comparing it to those steels, I find it does fine at meeting most of my edc needs. I think the biggest issue with H1 is a lack of strength, which makes it prone to rolling or deformation at the apex. If you are cutting lots of harder or highly abrasive material then you can see sharpness fall off pretty quickly due to the deformation. That’s why the Steel works better for some than for others. For the things you mentioned like cutting food and opening packages and other daily chores, you might be quite happy with it.
 
We all have a habit of comparing a given steel (in this case PE H-1) to the various other steels of our experience. For us here, that means a whole bunch of high-end exotics, because that's what it is to be Spyderco users. We are spoiled rotten by Sal's offerings. The question was, how does PE H-1 compare to the steel used in ordinary Swiss Army knives. I have a whole bunch of those, I've used them since the 1970s, and I have what I believe to be a pretty clear picture of how they perform in a wide range of uses. To be frank, I carry SAKs for the tools, not the cutting blades, because they dulled so quickly in use. Their steel is run soft, so it is easy to sharpen and hard to chip or break, so it is very easy to roll the edge, exactly what Lance doesn't like about PE H-1.

I'd say, get a PE Salt. I favor the Pacific Salt myself, but my hands are rather large. Use that sucker like you hate it, sharpen it when it needs it and see how you feel about it in a year.
 
Agreed. It's not like they are all that expensive in the scheme of knives we typically go after. I'll say it again, its very similar to BD-1 FWIW, Ankerson rates it above BD-1:

Category 8

H-1
420 HC (Buck 110)

Category 9

CTS-BD1
 
Surfingringo said:
Pe H1 edge retention bothers me, but only because we have access to so many high end steels these days. As long as I’m not comparing it to those steels, I find it does fine at meeting most of my edc needs. I think the biggest issue with H1 is a lack of strength, which makes it prone to rolling or deformation at the apex. If you are cutting lots of harder or highly abrasive material then you can see sharpness fall off pretty quickly due to the deformation. That’s why the Steel works better for some than for others. For the things you mentioned like cutting food and opening packages and other daily chores, you might be quite happy with it.
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When I started this thread, I almost just pm'd you. But there was a method to my madness and you touched on it.

yablanowitz said:
We all have a habit of comparing a given steel (in this case PE H-1) to the various other steels of our experience. For us here, that means a whole bunch of high-end exotics, because that's what it is to be Spyderco users. We are spoiled rotten by Sal's offerings. The question was, how does PE H-1 compare to the steel used in ordinary Swiss Army knives. I have a whole bunch of those, I've used them since the 1970s, and I have what I believe to be a pretty clear picture of how they perform in a wide range of uses. To be frank, I carry SAKs for the tools, not the cutting blades, because they dulled so quickly in use. Their steel is run soft, so it is easy to sharpen and hard to chip or break, so it is very easy to roll the edge, exactly what Lance doesn't like about PE H-1.

I'd say, get a PE Salt. I favor the Pacific Salt myself, but my hands are rather large. Use that sucker like you hate it, sharpen it when it needs it and see how you feel about it in a year.
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yablanowitz yablanowitz you hit the nail on the head. That's the reason I asked how is it compared to a SAK vs. how is it? I've read about how terrible it is but wanted a baseline to compare it to. If it's as good or better than a SAK I'll be ok with it. This is a knife that isn't going to get a ton of hard use if any. I carry other knives in that roll. And yes, I carry a SAK primarily for the tools as well and it slices well. It cuts my apple everyday and does a great job at it. But I carry a modern folder with it for other jobs. For the price of a SAK and the utility offered I can't complain. I've thought about going plier style multi tool but they just haven't felt right in my hands. You loose the essence of the knife...maybe I should give them another shot.

Thank you both for your thoughts and experiences. I wanted an actual comparison; a baseline if you will rather than H1 sucks in plain edge.
 
After thinking about it I went ahead and went with the Spyderedge. If the plain edge was a full flat grind I may have went plain but it's not going to be the slicer I want it to be in plain edge. Plus the spyderedge is something unique that Spyderco offers and does well.

I've had the Pacific Salt and I don't care for the handle a ton. Also what I'm using this knife for the size is about right.
 
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