A day in the life of my Pacific Salt

[StuntZombie]

I love posts like this, that show actual real world use as opposed to strictly controlled use in a laboratory setting. I also can't help but admit that I'm a tad bit envious of the life you live. I've always dreamed of a day when I could wake up, paddle out into the water, and catch the day's food, all the while cooled by nice sea breezes. Maybe one day.

[HarleyXJGuy]

This thread didn't even need a knife to be good. Just icing on the cake if you ask me. Great pictures and yes I am jealous.

Hopefully someday I will figure out a technique to sharpen SE so I can enjoy some H-1 goodness. Might help me learn a bit faster if I actually owned a full SE knife. Only have my partial Native atm, hmm.

[3rdGenRigger]

This thread didn't even need a knife to be good. Just icing on the cake if you ask me. Great pictures and yes I am jealous.

Hopefully someday I will figure out a technique to sharpen SE so I can enjoy some H-1 goodness. Might help me learn a bit faster if I actually owned a full SE knife. Only have my partial Native atm, hmm.

H1 sharpens quite easily in my experience, and would make a great knife to learn the process. Also, the Salt knives really do take a beating well. H1 is quite damage resistant as well as being easy to sharpen.

[Holland]

I want your life haha :o

[Brock O Lee]

Thanks guys. Sometimes I am hesitant about posting stuff like this. I know it is kind of "fluff" compared to discussions about edge angles and grinds and carbide content. The truth is though its days and moments like these that make me a knife lover.

This hobby has so many different facets to enjoy: chemistry, edge performance, corrosion resistance, sharpening, EDC, locks, clips, ergos, handle materials, unique designs, limited editions, in-use pics, glam shots etc. I like and appreciate all of them.

Fishing pics are always welcome for a quick escape from the daily grind!

[Doc Dan]

How do you find the serrated H-! holds up to fish scales? How often do you have to sharpen it?

Hey Doc, sorry, I just saw your question. The SE holds up just fine. As far as edge retention, I would say it scores very high. I could go months without sharpening it and the serrations would still work. I like to sharpen mine every three or four session though. I find that if I keep my serrated knives at a very high level of sharpness then they perform very much like a good sharp pe. (instead of having to "saw" with dull serrations).

I also find that it is MUCH easier to maintain serrations than it is to get them sharp again once they have become very dull. All I do when I resharpen is 20-30 quick passes on the fine (sometimes just the ultra fine) SM rods. Takes about 30 seconds and thats usually enough to get them "tree topping" sharp again. I have been maintaining this knife on the SM for the last two years and the factory bevel on the teeth is still perfect. At this rate it will take at least 20 years to do any appreciable damage to the teeth by sharpening on the SM.

JD will probably step in now and tell you that you really need to get the 701 profile stones to sharpen serrations but thats just because he wants you to work 3 times as hard for the same result. hehehe :p

Thanks. That is interesting, because when I used to fish a lot, my knives would get dull very fast from fish scales. That stuff is hard on a knife blade. Ok, you have about got me convinced to buy a Salt. I use a knife of N680 steel and am not unhappy, but it was originally a hunting/skinning knife so it is not the best for this kind of work. It is good for prying and poking around at things I find in the water or woods.

I see JD has chimed in. I have a diamond sharpener made for serrations.

[Doc Dan]

Yes JD, I have a tusk and have used it extensively on the water. It doesn't get the same level of daily use that my salts do though but thats mainly just because i'm scared of losing it. :o

I have had it out on the water a lot and have left it exposed overnight and multiple days. I have never seen a spot of rust on it or gotten it to stain at all. I would have to do some more hardcore testing to see if its in the same category as H1 but after what I've put it through I can confidently say that it should handle what 99.9% of users will do without exhibiting any corrosion. I'm pretty confident we will see more of this steel in upcoming salt models.[/quote]

How does the Steel in the Tusk stand up to scales compared to H-1?

[Doc Dan]

How do you find the serrated H-! holds up to fish scales? How often do you have to sharpen it?

Hey Doc, sorry, I just saw your question. The SE holds up just fine. As far as edge retention, I would say it scores very high. I could go months without sharpening it and the serrations would still work. I like to sharpen mine every three or four session though.

JD will probably step in now and tell you that you really need to get the 701 profile stones to sharpen serrations but thats just because he wants you to work 3 times as hard for the same result. hehehe :p

No!! No!! No!! Hey dude you get yourself a good jeweler's loupe like a Zeiss, Bausch & Lomb or an S.P. I. and take a good close look at results you can get on the Sharpmaker versus the results you can get with a little patience using the 701 Profile kit and then and only then will you guys see what I'm talking about. Two of my good Dutch friends who are sold on Spyderco's SE blades will attest to what I'm talking about concerning sharpening Spyderedged blades with the 701 Profiles as well as a half a dozen other guys I've converted to the 701 Profiles. Now I will admit that my jury is still out deliberating over the GOLDENSTONE and the results you can obtain from it. But it's really not fair because it's only available in FINE grit. I wish Sal would give us more info on the GOLDENSTONE soon.

But do try it sometime with the 701 Profiles versus the Sharpmaker>> but you must have a jeweler's or watchmaker's loupe higher than 10X and you'll see what I'm talking about. I will admit that you can do a great touch up with the Sharpmaker but to do all the spikes and scallops individually with the 701 Profile kit does pay off; without deforming any of the spikes like the Sharpmaker does.

AS far as H-1 being good in Spyderedge I remember a couple of years go that Spyderco even claimed they got the best results from H-1 over any other steel they have used in Spyderedges. But again you have a great thought provoking thread as usual and I've learned a lot from your fishing articles in BLADE and here on the Forum. Keep posting my friend :)

Yeah, I have two diamond sharpeners of differing shapes and grits just for serrations. They are not hard to do if you have the right tools.

[TomAiello]

I'd open your posts just for the photos. Love your work!

[Surfingringo]

How does the Steel in the Tusk stand up to scales compared to H-1?

MUCH better than plain edge H1. I tested the tusk agains a salt and a pm2 in s30v for edge retention on nylon rope. The lc200 performed much closer to s30v than it did to H1. Like I would rate those three as an 8, 6 and 2 on a scale of 1-10. S30v being the 8 obviously.

[swigert]

How does the Steel in the Tusk stand up to scales compared to H-1?

MUCH better than plain edge H1. I tested the tusk agains a salt and a pm2 in s30v for edge retention on nylon rope. The lc200 performed much closer to s30v than it did to H1. Like I would rate those three as an 8, 6 and 2 on a scale of 1-10. S30v being the 8 obviously.

Are you still
Using your tusk at all?

[Surfingringo]

How does the Steel in the Tusk stand up to scales compared to H-1?

MUCH better than plain edge H1. I tested the tusk agains a salt and a pm2 in s30v for edge retention on nylon rope. The lc200 performed much closer to s30v than it did to H1. Like I would rate those three as an 8, 6 and 2 on a scale of 1-10. S30v being the 8 obviously.

Are you still
Using your tusk at all?

I still carry it as kind of a classy edc but I haven't been carrying it on the water. The Pacific Salt just fills that role so much better. And if it goes in the drink its -$70 not -$230.

[swigert]

How does the Steel in the Tusk stand up to scales compared to H-1?

MUCH better than plain edge H1. I tested the tusk agains a salt and a pm2 in s30v for edge retention on nylon rope. The lc200 performed much closer to s30v than it did to H1. Like I would rate those three as an 8, 6 and 2 on a scale of 1-10. S30v being the 8 obviously.

Are you still
Using your tusk at all?

I still carry it as kind of a classy edc but I haven't been carrying it on the water. The Pacific Salt just fills that role so much better. And if it goes in the drink its -$70 not -$230.

I figured that was the case, definitely seemed like an expensive knife to have out on the water...

[Knivesinedc]

Looks like you get a lot of good use out of your pacific, Gringo! I loved my Salt 1! I really wish I still had one. I purchased one off a 3rd party seller on Amazon (shame on me. :D) and I suspect it was a fake. No Spyderco paperwork. Not in the usual plastic bag or bubble wrap; it was way too big for the box. f&f wasn't up to Spyderco standards. About a week after I got it, I bumped a chair and the clip tapped the chair and the clip sheared the FRN around it and the clip had moved 90 degrees. Very disappointing. I really liked the worry free aspect of the steel and it really felt like a user knife. Wish I had the money to get another, but I ended up buying a LNIB Manix2 Blacked out from John(jmh58) for a really great deal, which I'm very happy with.