Stretch XL Salt

[jux t]

I wasn’t sure where to post this. Was looking for a thread I remember seeing about recent Spyderco experiences in GKD but couldn’t find it. Anyhoo, I recently found a Stretch XL Salt in H2 at a gun shop in North Carolina.

Until then, I had been carrying an early gen Pacific Salt almost 24 hours a day for a couple years. Yes, I clip it to my boxers when I sleep and it isn’t a bother due to the slimness. Has to be a salt model for me, because most knives rust a bit, even in my pockets, if I carry them long enough.

When I first held the Stretch Salt, I didn’t want to like it because of how fond I’ve grown of my serrated pac salt. The Stretch is very similar: a tiny bit longer, and comes pointy like I prefer.

The serrations were smaller, so I wasn’t sure if they’d be as simple to sharpen as the Pacific has been with a Sharpmaker rod. The inside of the handle did not look as smooth and nice as my old salt. Light check for blade play showed none.

Bought it, used it, sharpened it (carried it) for 2 weeks straight now. Almost 24/7 even while sleeping. Things I’ve noticed are that there is the smallest bit of vertical blade play if I really try. Less than all of my other Spyderco Seki lockbacks except for the one I’d been carrying. Got lucky with that one, it’s been rock solid since day one and the lock bar hasn’t moved at all.

The serrations cut well and I can sharpen them the same way as the pac salt, just as easily. The teeth have more of a tendency to skip off of some material, having a zipper like feel, than the wide pac salt serrations. That will likely improve as I wear the teeth down.

No rust, same ~3 oz lightweight large folder that cuts aggressively, and I don’t have to reprofile the tip to be pointy. Very nice. This knife was a very pleasant surprise and I encourage anyone considering one to check it out.

 

[David Mary]

Bought it, used it, sharpened it for 2 weeks straight now

I assume you meant carried.

Looks like a winner.

 

[jux t]

I assume you meant carried.

Looks like a winner.

Yes, been on my person for 2+ weeks save for showering.

I meant to add that it feels a little less smooth and refined overall than my old pac salt, and I prefer the one piece handle with less hardware on the old knife. Both are very comfortable, maybe equally so. The one big downgrade IMO is the pocket clip, I much prefer the amazing barrel pocket clip assembly of the old pac salt.

Carrying it, I don’t notice a difference. But I’ve always liked that if I need to, the old knife’s clip could be adjusted with coins or whatever else.

 

[David Mary]

Yeah, I don't mind the current Spyderco clip. My favorite is wire clips for their discretion, and "pen camouflage". Black them out for bonus points. And, of course, allow them to be carried tip down!

I never really liked the big, small, small serration pattern. I'd combine all the double small serrations into one large serration each. Then regrind the whole thing thinner behind the edge. Down to maybe .012". The knife would be both easier to sharpen, and cut better and longer between sharpening sessions.

 

[jux t]

Yeah, I don't mind the current Spyderco clip. My favorite is wire clips for their discretion, and "pen camouflage". Black them out for bonus points. And, of course, allow them to be carried tip down!

I never really liked the big, small, small serration pattern. I'd combine all the double small serrations into one large serration each. Then regrind the whole thing thinner behind the edge. Down to maybe .012". The knife would be both easier to sharpen, and cut better and longer between sharpening sessions.

The pattern spyderco uses on these does work very well, but I can’t say for sure that the single width serrations work better for my use yet. Haven’t tried a non kitchen knife with that pattern.

Edit: this stretch xl salt is thinner behind the edge (based on my finger calipers) than my serrated h1 pac salt, which is already pretty thin there.

 

[David Mary]

The wider a serration, the easier it is to get a rod to make clean contact with the entire serration's apex.

 

[jux t]

The wider a serration, the easier it is to get a rod to make clean contact with the entire serration's apex.

I wish it were more widely known that serrations like these (and wider) are super simple to sharpen. The most common misconception seems to be that you should sharpen individual serrations.

 

[David Mary]

In my opinion the best way to sharpen them is how I did in my tutorial video.

Until they need a regrind, and then I use the Dremel so I can bring back the pointy teeth.

 

[jux t]

In my opinion the best way to sharpen them is how I did in my tutorial video.

Until they need a regrind, and then I use the Dremel so I can bring back the pointy teeth.

I go basically as Sal said in his, and do more strokes on the show side. On steels like this it takes very few strokes on the corner of ceramic to get it back to razor sharp, usually. The thinness helps, as does the toughness of the steel. I’ll check out your tutorial. I finish the plain edge towards the tip with a low grit diamond and it works well.

 

[David Mary]

You’ll find I do basically what Sal does.

 

[BD_01]

jux t Thanks for the review of your Stretch XL Salt.
I’m a little surprised there’s not more difference in sharpened length compared to the PacSalt.

I’ve mostly migrated away from H1/H2 for my Salts, although I must say I was quite happy with my OG SE Pac Salt in H1, at least until it decided to take a permanent swim in the Flathead River. I used it pretty heavily for garden stuff, as well as general water stuff. It was a gateway knife into more Salts and the entire Endura family!
I miss that knife, even though I replaced it with it’s LC200N cousin (which also went swimming & was replaced—lol!).



IMO the H-series is just fine in SE. I keep a couple of H2 SE Tazman Salts permanently in our kayak bags and don’t have to worry about caring for them.