SpydrercoH-1 and/or LC200N for EDC?

SALTY

SALTY

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Mar 19, 2000
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You know you have too many knives when ...

You belong to BF ;)
You have to decide what to carry any particular day.
You have duplicates (+) of favorites.

I'm guilty on all counts, but I do have some categories that are served better by some knives than others. For example, while I really like the Cold Steel AD-10 (yes, I have duplicates just in case they discontinue it), but it doesn't work well with lightweight dress slacks. Moreover, it is more than needed for the typical slicing and cutting tasks that present themselves when I'm wearing lightweight dress slacks/office attire.

Enter from stage left lightweight knives that can cut and slice. That I am recreationally in or around water (pool/chlorine treated or salt water) much of my days, I have become fond - OK passionate, on Spyderco Salt Series knives in H-1 and LC200N.

As much as I do like the Spyderco Caribbean (serrated) and can even live with the color combo, the stupid "solution in search of a problem" Compression Lock is just so contorted of a user interface compared to, well, everything else, that I do not carry it as much as I should for a knife that I otherwise like. I have the serrated version and it cuts like nobody's business.

That brings me to the FRN Salt Series - with my preference being the Pacific models. I have a few H-1 serrated and LC200N plain edge Pacifics that were intended to get carried on vacation or when in/on/under the water but somehow these knives get more pocket time than knives I bought for EDC purposes.

Anyone using (really using!) their Spyderco H1 or LC200N Salt Series knives for EDC? How's that working out?
 
I've got the Pacific Salt LC200N version(PE) and it is part of my normal rotation. I'm in a tropical climate, so it gets carried much more often in the wet season where I retire my non stainless steels for a few months of the year. I really like it; it's my go to for general purpose fishing duties and has a nice slicey geometry. Overall it is one of my favorites. Sure it doesn't have the ultra performance in edge retention but it is surprisingly good for what it is and the toughness is stellar, and is really easy to get a screaming sharp edge in no time. It's also a great feeling to use it in salt environments and have no worries about rust etc.

I don't really understand the comment about the compression lock, it works great on my Para 3's although they are the only knives I have with that mechanism, so might be a specific issue with that knife?
 
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I like serrated H1, plane edge LC200n and am looking forward to more magnacut options
 
Lc200n is better in every way just about( edge retention, toughness, edge stability) I've used them both but will edc a spydiechef or pacific salt 2 with lc200n over my h1 knives any day.
 
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I have an H1 Delica that permanently live in a pocket on my scuba harness as a backup to my main blade.
Then I have a green LC200N Endura which get fish processing duty, it works exceptionally well in that regards; slicey blade, not too long or short and easy to clean.
Then I have a green handled LC200N Delica, it gets some pocket carry mainly in beaches type of activity.

I'm thinking of adding some more, I really like them for their weight, ease of carry, and lack of maintenance headache. Living on a sailboat, rust chasing is a daily thing for me, well with those knives it is one less headache.
 
My serrated H1 Pacific Salt is my yardwork knife. Also sometimes my SE Tasman Salt. I don't always EDC them, though.

Note: H1 has been discontinued, and is being replaced with H2.

Jim
 
Around here, every day is wet from mid June till mid September.

I most often carry a Spyderco with a serrated edge (either fixed or folding) and a larger fixed blade with a plain edge. H1 is OK on the serrated Enuff, which does not come in LC200N. On Salts, Pacific Salts, and Caribbean Salts, LC200N is clearly better than H1 and cuts well on baling twine, zip ties, blister packs, feed sacks, heavy cardboard, etc.. But my sheepsfoot Atlantic Salt with LC200N never cut very well despite being very sharp out of the box.
 
chalby said:
I don't really understand the comment about the compression lock, it works great on my Para 3's although they are the only knives I have with that mechanism, so might be a specific issue with that knife?
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As for the Caribbean, it would be my clear winner favorite knife but for the Compression Lock which requires, for a right handed operator, not using your thumb to release the lock but a contorted affair of rolling the knife over and using your index finger, gripping the knife with fingertips instead of fingers so as to be clear of the blade's path the flipping/jerking the knife to have the blade swing clear of the lock then using first the index finger then the thumb to close the blade. The foregoing is, of course, if you want to close with only hand absent a "thing" to push on the spine of the blade.

Or you could just you two hands; but so many knifes offer easy one-handed closing that it's easy to get spoiled.
 
I get a lot of utility from my H1 plain edge Pacific Salt. I much prefer the handle shape over the Endura style as well.

It strops easy and works great for cutting bait and as a general utility knife when at the beach.

Granted I am not whittling hardwoods much with it though, but for basic cutting it's fine.

The corrosion resistance is well worth the price of entry.
 
SALTY said:
As for the Caribbean, it would be my clear winner favorite knife but for the Compression Lock which requires, for a right handed operator, not using your thumb to release the lock but a contorted affair of rolling the knife over and using your index finger, gripping the knife with fingertips instead of fingers so as to be clear of the blade's path the flipping/jerking the knife to have the blade swing clear of the lock then using first the index finger then the thumb to close the blade. The foregoing is, of course, if you want to close with only hand absent a "thing" to push on the spine of the blade.

Or you could just you two hands; but so many knifes offer easy one-handed closing that it's easy to get spoiled.
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Interesting. It sounds like the pivot is too tight or something? On my Para 3 LW's they are not quite drop shut, but they are the easiest/quickest one hand deployable knife I have. I just pinch the tab and give a very slight wrist flick and it's closed. If you were left handed they might be a little more fiddly though.
 
SALTY said:
As for the Caribbean, it would be my clear winner favorite knife but for the Compression Lock which requires, for a right handed operator, not using your thumb to release the lock but a contorted affair of rolling the knife over and using your index finger, gripping the knife with fingertips instead of fingers so as to be clear of the blade's path the flipping/jerking the knife to have the blade swing clear of the lock then using first the index finger then the thumb to close the blade. The foregoing is, of course, if you want to close with only hand absent a "thing" to push on the spine of the blade.

Or you could just you two hands; but so many knifes offer easy one-handed closing that it's easy to get spoiled.
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If you're holding it in your right hand like you're about to cut something, move your thumb up and over the back of the spine and onto the compression lock. Move your index finger out from under the knife and put the tip of your index finger in the spydie hole. Press the lock with your thumb, use your index finger to start closing the blade. Release the lock, shift the knife in your hand so you can put your thumb in the spydie hole, pull your fingers to the side to clear the channel and close the blade with your thumb. That's how I've always done it anyway.
 
NC, that works!
It works better than what I was trying the train muscle memory to do - which was was use my righ index finger to release the lock then guide the blade back to closed with my right thumn; it works but is awkward. Your suggested method works better; thank you.

That being said, I do believe that the Compression Lock, at least for me, is a solution in search of a problem, a "Look at me - I've done something new" gizmo that makes, again, for me, a darned near life long ability to manipulate various types of folding knives readily an awkward if not contorted affair. I put up with it because I like the knife so much.
 
Even better, get the new Spyderco Native 5 Salt in Magnacut. Its a far superior steel as compared to H1 and LC200N.
 
I have a spydiedge Tasman Salt that has been used and abused for almost 18 years. It's a tad soft, but it works for what it was meant to do. It's not an EDC, but it has survived extended dips in straight concentrated chlorine as well as hours submerged in sea water.

My go-to beach knife is a serrated ARK. Perfect for my needs. Tough to lose, easy to carry, quick to get to, and of course rustproof.
 
I work year round as a saltwater fishing guide/charter boat captain and I live right on Puget Sound so corrosion is a big part of my life.

I've never actually owned any of the Salt knives. I likely would have by now if I came across one in a color I could stomach lol. Such a silly thing to fuss about, but I'm just not one for bright colors.

Last summer I picked up a Spydiechef to try out as an on the water EDC but I just never quite got along with the size, even though I really liked the knife. Around the same time I also picked up a Quiet Carry Drift in Vanax and instantly fell in love with it. It basically hasn't left my pocket this last year and it shows zero sign of corrosion. If you haven't already it's worth taking a look at the Drift.

I really should like serrated blades more for on the water use, but I find myself using my EDC for much more typical pocket knife use, even on the water, than I find myself needing to cut line and such. Plus I always have a handful of those serrated five dollar Victorinox blades in various easy to reach locations on my boats.

I will say that as I have become more interested in knives as a hobby I've been more focused on corrosion than I ever was in the past, but I can honestly say I don't have a single knife that has had any issue. Though to be fair while my knives are exposed to the salt on a constant basis, they are not as a general rule actually dunked in the saltwater or put away wet or anything along those lines.
 
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