Stretch XL Salt Observations

[Manixguy@1994]

Thanks Vivi for pics and observations. I agree the texture of clip does feel different and the hole in blade is sharper on mine . My grind is well done no complaints and construction seems to be a bit better than the VG10 variant . MG2

[vivi]

If you’ve tested it out much yet: how does it cut?


A hollow grind and that stretch blade shape I imagine pairs into a being cutting machine.

I'd put the overall blade profile slightly a head of Pacific Salts. The hollow grind is just a bit thinner overal than the Pacific, and the edge on mine came ground thinner.

Very, very hectic rest of the year for me, but when I find time I'm excited to get a coarse, slightly thinner edge on it.

My low tech way of measuring this is to carefully push an edge straight into a bar of soap, then take a picture of the V notch, zoom in and measure it against a protractor.

Now THAT is clever. Well done Vivi.

Ever had a chance to compare your soap goniometer to a real one?

Haha nope. I looked into laser goniometers and decided they were more expensive than I cared for. At the end of the day I'm fine with rough estimates using soap or clay + a protractor.

[cabfrank]

Cool thread. I like this knife.
What does 12.5 degrees per side mean for sharpening on a Sharpmaker though? Either 30 or 40?

[vivi]

Cool thread. I like this knife.
What does 12.5 degrees per side mean for sharpening on a Sharpmaker though? Either 30 or 40?

yep.

[vivi]

300 grit edge. Not pretty but it'll cut more like I'm used to.

[Kleon]

Great thread Vivi. Serrated variant is inbound. May have to try the PE as well with your edge finish strategy. Thanks for the time you put into these threads brother!

[Tgmr05]

Took a photo comparing Stretch XL to Pac Salt. Kinda shows blade shape/length/tip/serration differences. Looking forward to your H2 review, Vivi.

[Stas]

I sensed that the Stretch XL platform is like a new version of the Endura. The info and photos here just validate that. I recall Michael Janich clarifying why the Endura's deployment is faster than, say, the Native Chief due to the construction and lock geometry. I'm curious if the action on the Stretch XL LW models is as speedy as the Pacific Salt 2?

[vivi]

Some more things I've noticed.....

- These definitely have some lock rock. Today I had to slice stacks of sheet tray sized wax paper into half size. Doing about 50 at a time on a cutting board with a pretty hard draw cut there was definitely lock rock. No surprise there as all my other spyderco lockbacks have it, but just thought I'd mention it.

- Like my ffg lc200n pacific salts I seem to be unable to eliminate all side to side play either. I noticed the blade had a pretty decent amount of side to side wiggle out of the box. So last night after I put an edge on the knife, I took out the body screws. Tightened them up snug starting at the back and working my way up to the lockbar screw then finally the pivot screw. I had to choose between side to side play and smooth opening, or cranking down the pivot well past where it should be to eliminate play. I chose the former.

I am not complaining about it, just pointing it out.

So far H2 seems to be responding similar to H1. The more polished factory edge cut great out of the box but after breaking down some cardboard and other misc chores, it started feeling smooth and glassy pretty quick. Same thing I experience with PE H1 factory edges. The 300 grit has a much more aggressive slice that grabs materials rather than slides across them with light pressure. Happy with how its cutting so far.

I sensed that the Stretch XL platform is like a new version of the Endura. The info and photos here just validate that. I recall Michael Janich clarifying why the Endura's deployment is faster than, say, the Native Chief due to the construction and lock geometry. I'm curious if the action on the Stretch XL LW models is as speedy as the Pacific Salt 2?

I'd say so. The extra weight of the saber grind helps with opening action vs lighter ffg blades.

[Stas]

Thanks vivi, great to know!

[ladybug93]

i've been saying it for a while, but these pics confirm it for me. i'm certain the s2xl salt is going to knock the pacific out of my waistband. that's such a strange thing for me to think about since it's been undefeated for years. i'll have to wait a bit to buy one, so my fingers are crossed that a coated/black version will be out by then.



oh. speaking of iwb... i'm not sure if anyone has commented on this or not yet, but how is the contouring of the edges compared with the pacific?

[vivi]

the contouring is on par with the Pacific 2. I can take close-ups comparing any specific part of the handle if you'd like.

[ladybug93]

the contouring is on par with the Pacific 2. I can take close-ups comparing any specific part of the handle if you'd like.

thanks, vivi! i think the pacific salt 2 is slightly worse than the 1 in this sense. those gen 3 endura handles were very nice around the edges. i don't think the newer handles are bad though. still better than the native salt, which is fine in hand, but uncomfortable for me iwb.

[Stas]

i've been saying it for a while, but these pics confirm it for me. i'm certain the s2xl salt is going to knock the pacific out of my waistband. that's such a strange thing for me to think about since it's been undefeated for years. i'll have to wait a bit to buy one, so my fingers are crossed that a coated/black version will be out by then.



oh. speaking of iwb... i'm not sure if anyone has commented on this or not yet, but how is the contouring of the edges compared with the pacific?

Sorry for the off topic, but where do you position your Pac Salt IWB? Do you take off the knife when at your desk? I'm trying to incorporate your setup with an emergency blade IWB in addition to my regular RFP carry for some time now but can't find the right spot. The 3 o'clock position, as Vivi suggested elsewhere, is uncomfortable when I sit. Currently, 1 o'clock works best, but it's still not ideal. Thanks!

[TimButterfield]

More thoughts on IWB positioning when seated. We are all an experiment of one. Each of our bodies will change a little differently when seated vs standing. Comfort in a specific IWB position can be affected by pant material. For example, one position IWB of a thinner material dress pant may be more comfortable than the same position in a thicker/heavier/stiffer material like jeans. Another factor may be belt width in relation to clip length. For a given clip length, a thinner/narrower belt may (more easily) allow the knife to angle in relation to the belt instead of being perpendicular all of the time. That could let it feel more comfortable in some positions while seated.

I usually use a 1.5" belt with a ratchet clip instead of holes. When perpendicular, the belt edge is at the logo where the clip touches the handle. In many/most belts, the holes are spaced too far apart. The ratchet lets me fine tune the tightness a bit so it's not as tight when seated, but is still tight enough when standing. Even better is a belt with a little stretch in it (not this one). It gives a bit of room to expand into when seated, not that you need it, of course. Maybe that's just me.

Given this setup, I can comfortably wear my Pac Salt IWB at an angle at about the 2:30 position, just forward of my hip bone and pointed towards my groin. It's comfortable for me in this position and I can access it easily if my shirt is tucked in. If I snug up the belt more, it gets less and less comfortable. That's a balance between loose enough for sitting and tight enough for standing.

For some testing, you could try to insert and remove it IWB while you are seated to see which positions and angles are both more comfortable and accessible for you. Do you need to access it while seated? If so, you would also need to evaluate efficiency of retrieval while seated vs placing/storing it in a different location for seated vs standing. If you have to go through contortions to access it, that's not very efficient.

[ladybug93]

i've been saying it for a while, but these pics confirm it for me. i'm certain the s2xl salt is going to knock the pacific out of my waistband. that's such a strange thing for me to think about since it's been undefeated for years. i'll have to wait a bit to buy one, so my fingers are crossed that a coated/black version will be out by then.



oh. speaking of iwb... i'm not sure if anyone has commented on this or not yet, but how is the contouring of the edges compared with the pacific?

Sorry for the off topic, but where do you position your Pac Salt IWB? Do you take off the knife when at your desk? I'm trying to incorporate your setup with an emergency blade IWB in addition to my regular RFP carry for some time now but can't find the right spot. The 3 o'clock position, as Vivi suggested elsewhere, is uncomfortable when I sit. Currently, 1 o'clock works best, but it's still not ideal. Thanks!

i always keep my iwb knife at 3 o'clock, or directly in front of the closest belt loop to that position. it might take some getting used to, but the main thing is to put it 1) where you can get to it, and 2) where you can always have it, regardless of what you're wearing. wherever that works best for you is up to you, but i've never wished i didn't have my pac salt since i started carrying it.

[Stas]

i've been saying it for a while, but these pics confirm it for me. i'm certain the s2xl salt is going to knock the pacific out of my waistband. that's such a strange thing for me to think about since it's been undefeated for years. i'll have to wait a bit to buy one, so my fingers are crossed that a coated/black version will be out by then.



oh. speaking of iwb... i'm not sure if anyone has commented on this or not yet, but how is the contouring of the edges compared with the pacific?

Sorry for the off topic, but where do you position your Pac Salt IWB? Do you take off the knife when at your desk? I'm trying to incorporate your setup with an emergency blade IWB in addition to my regular RFP carry for some time now but can't find the right spot. The 3 o'clock position, as Vivi suggested elsewhere, is uncomfortable when I sit. Currently, 1 o'clock works best, but it's still not ideal. Thanks!

i always keep my iwb knife at 3 o'clock, or directly in front of the closest belt loop to that position. it might take some getting used to, but the main thing is to put it 1) where you can get to it, and 2) where you can always have it, regardless of what you're wearing. wherever that works best for you is up to you, but i've never wished i didn't have my pac salt since i started carrying it.

Thanks a bunch! I'll keep giving it a shot. :)

[vivi]

when I carry IWB I tuck the folder behind my right hip bone. with a Pacific Salt or Military, my two most common IWB carries, it's comfortable no matter what I'm doing.

I carry that way more often than not in the summer, since I spend a lot of time in running shorts outside of work. With thin, floppy pockets RFP carry feels bad and isn't very secure. IWB it stays put during my hardest mountain runs.

[vivi]

dyed my Stretch XL Salt.



1/3 cup of sage dye, 6 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar. brought a sauce pot to a rolling boil then did 10x 3 second soaks.



The color looked really dark in the pot, guess I used more dye than I needed.



30 seconds gave a decent coat. The logo pads came out a little yellow but I'll live.





Here it is next to my OD green 4 max:




Proceeded to use the knife to make lemonade:






Here it is next to some Pacific Salts. Top knife is dark green, stretch is sage, bottom is kelly green:



Much happier with it now. I appreciate the function of the yellow handles but man they're ugly Really pleased with the shade of green the Sage color gave it.

Saved the dye in a mason jar because I plan to do it again someday. Like I mentioned the logo pads look a little yellow still, but I was also afraid of soaking it too long and having it come out like the dark green.

[sal]

Hey Vivi,

Very nice.

sal