Month: June 2019

Do you hate when your knife blade rusts just because you left it setting in a puddle for ONLY A FEW days? Does it bother you when you can’t cut something just because you haven’t EVER sharpened your knife? Well boy have I got a knife for YOU!

Obnoxious infomercial intro aside, this article will focus on the Spyderco Pacific Salt. I’ll paint you a full picture of the knife, and tell you why it excels in certain realms of use.

Materials and Specifications

The Pacific Salt is part of Spyderco’s Salt line of knives. The Salt line is purpose designed for use in marine environments. Specifically, it is comprised of knives with extremely rust resistant steel and design elements that lend themselves to uses like boating, fishing, and diving. The Pacific Salt follows suit, with H1 steel. H1 steel is a precipitation hardening steel with .1% Nitrogen, taking the place of much of the carbon found in most steel alloys. This unique makeup allows H1 steel to be heat treated to 57-58 hrc for admirable edge holding, while providing near absolute oxidation resistance. My specific knife is fully serrated. The internal hardware is also treated to resist rust, including a black coated titanium pocket clip. The handle is made of fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN for short) which is a lightweight and durable material, and it does not have liners. The blade is held in the open position with a classic Spyderco mid-lock, which is just a slightly modified back lock. The Pacific Salt’s blade is 3.81″ with a cutting edge of 3.375″, so it’s not a small knife. The handle is 4.938″ closed. The blade is .125″ thick, pretty standard for modern knives but not as thin as many Spydercos. Still, despite being a relatively large knife in size, it weighs in at a lean 3oz, so it won’t weigh down your pocket. All told, the Pacific Salt is a relatively large knife with function driven materials.

Design

The Pacific Salt is very similar in design to the well known Spyderco flagship model, the Endura, with a few modifications. The blade is a modified drop point with a gradually curved belly and a straight portion, which lends it well to both all kinds of cutting. However, the Pacific Salt’s spine has a more abrupt downward curve to the tip at the end, making for a kind of modified sheepfoot / drop point hybrid. This is another design element chosen specifically for the intended use, as it makes the knife less likely to puncture something inadvertently during use (for example, if your hands are wet and slippery or if you’re on an unstable boat). With the fully serrated, or “spyder edge”, my Pacific Salt is best used with pulling cuts (rather than push or rocking cuts). Spyderco offers all of the Salt series knives in a fully serrated blade because they posit that a serrated edge is better suited to cutting rope and for aggressive cutting. The Pacific Salt’s handle is also similar to the Endura’s, with a finger guard and three finger scallop areas. However, I find the Pacific Salt’s handle to be MUCH more ergonomic because the center scallop is longer than on the Endura, which allows me to fit my middle and ring fingers comfortable into that scallop and my index and pinky fingers into the others (whereas on the Endura my middle and ring fingers land directly on the bumps between the scallops, which makes for a less than intuitive and comfortable grip). The Pacific Salt has a slightly smaller finger guard than the Endura, but I didn’t notice that in use. Both the blade and the handle are taller than those on the Endura, making the Pacific Salt a less slender knife that is a little more noticeable in the pocket. Speaking of in the pocket, the Pacific Salt has an ambidextrous tip up only clip. I actually really like the clip Spyderco uses on the Pacific Salt (and some of the other older FRN models) because it can be removed or switched without any specific tools (just two coins). The FRN handle has Spyderco’s bi-directional injection molding, and although it isn’t the same pattern as the Endura (and isn’t quite as grippy) it definitely adds traction. In keeping with the form follows function theme, the Pacific Salt has an enlarged Spyder hole for easy one hand opening and closing, even when wearing gloves or with wet hands. The Pacific Salt’s design culminates in a purpose driven knife that closely resembles the Endura if it were overhauled for marine environment use.

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Build Quality

If my knife is an indication of the model as a whole, the Pacific Salt lives up to Spyderco’s high quality standards. Mine is well centered, has no blade play, and can be opened and closed very easily with one hand. It isn’t quite drop closed smooth, but that can’t be held against it; it’s a linerless and washerless knife, and drop closed action isn’t a practical feature. It’s also a pinned knife, rather than a screw construction knife, meaning it can’t be taken apart. Some modern knife enthusiasts dislike pinned knives, but being that I am comfortable carrying and using traditionals that are almost universally pinned, I don’t mind it one bit. I’ve had several Spyderco pinned knives and haven’t had any issues with them loosening significantly, and they’re easy to clean with a little soap and water and an ear swab. So although the Pacific Salt isn’t made to be a flashy knife to surf the current trends and tastes, it is certainly a well made knife ready to be used and worthy of being depended upon.

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Usage

So, obviously the Pacific Salt is designed to excel in marine environments. Its rust resistant steel makes it great for any use where it might get, or stay, wet. It’d be a great knife to keep in your tackle box for fishing, whether you fish with worms in a little creek every now and then or are a professional deep sea fisherman. It’d also be a great option for someone who participates in watersports like canoeing, kayaking, rafting, surfing, diving, etc. I have personally carried it on a rafting trip clipped to my personal floatation device and, although I didn’t need to use it in an emergency, I felt reassured knowing it was there if I did need it. Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve mentioned the very noticeable color! My Pacific Salt is bright yellow, like many of Spyderco’s Salt line (although some models also come in black and / or orange), which makes it extremely easy to see and difficult to lose. I have also taken an Endura, which has VG10 steel, on canoe trips and although it’s a good knife and a good steel it definitely can start to rust by the end of a long float. H1 steel can be in the water for a full day, and probably more, without breaking a sweat (or rather breaking out in oxidation?). I also think the Pacific Salt would make a great gardening knife. Because a knife can often get and stay wet while being used for gardening, the Pacific Salt’s H1 steel could definitely come in handy. I also find a fully serrated edge to be helpful in gardening uses because it allows for more aggressive pull cuts, making for quicker work trimming branches and such. Finally, I think the Pacific Salt would be a good knife for someone who just doesn’t want to worry about maintaining their knife. Some people don’t want to have to wipe down their knife after each use and such, and with H1 steel that’s totally fine! I also think a fully serrated blade is well suited for someone uninterested in taking the time to sharpen their own knife. That is because a serrated blade can continue to cut, or rather tear, even after the edge has dulled. So as it turns out, the Pacific Salt might prove appropriate for more users (and uses) than you might think: outdoor enthusiasts, gardeners, and anyone who doesn’t want to have to maintain their knife to keep it in working order!

Conclusion

I wrote this article because I think the Spyderco Pacific Salt is a cool knife with some interesting features. If you would like to get one for yourself you can use my Amazon Affiliate links below. If you purchase through them it doesn’t increase the price for you at all, but helps me out by giving me a small portion of the sale. You can find the fully serrated Pacific Salt at this link and the plain edge Pacific Salt at this link. You can also get it for a great price at Northern Knives at this link, and get free shipping with code: KNIFETHOUGHTS. Tell them I sent you!

Opinel; It’s a name brand name synonymous with a whole type of knife, and for good reason. If you are into knives, it’s pretty likely you’ve heard of the Opinel knife. If you haven’t, don’t worry! In this article I’ll explain what (an) Opinel is and give you 5 reasons why it makes a great every day carry knife.

First, what is Opinel? Opinel is a knife company based in Savoie France that has been making knives since 1890. They manufacture a variety of knives and knife related accessories including classic kitchen knives, specialty knives (mushroom, cheese, etc.), gardening tools, and outdoor multi-feature folding knives with modern materials. However, they are best known for their traditional wood handled pocket folding knives. These knives have an extremely recognizable design, with some great features:

1) There’s an Opinel Sized Just Right for Everyone

No matter what your knife needs or preferences, you can be pretty sure Opinel offers a knife that will work for you. Opinel offers 10 different sizes of pocket knives from teency tiny keychain knives (like the No. 2 with a 1.38″ blade) to massive camping knives (like the No. 13 with a whopping 8.75″ blade). Somewhere within that range there’s bound to be an option that fits your hand, pocket, and cutting needs.

2) The Handles are Great

Not only are the handles surprisingly ergonomic, there are lots of handle color and material options also! The classic standard handles are Beech harvested mainly from sustainably managed French forests, which are a nice light color. They also offer some colored handles, handles with designs, synthetic handles, and handles in more exotic woods. The classic wood handles are contoured with a palm swell to fill the hand and make for comfortable and easy handling in use.

3) The Price is Right

Opinels are eminently easy on the wallet. The different sizes of the standard models range in the $15-$25 range, which makes them a great budget option. You can get one for the house, one for your EDC, one for camping, and one for the car for under $100. Of course, the models with more exotic materials and limited editions cost more but they’re still not big ticket items.

4) They’re Safe and Non-Knife Enthusiast Friendly

The Opinel’s two hand opening and Virobloc lock features make them both safe to carry and use, and unalarming in public. Although I (and I’m sure you if you’re reading this) wish it weren’t the case, there are times when a big fast flashy modern knife isn’t situationally appropriate. Whether local laws disallow one hand opening or your work or social engagements require a more subtle touch, sometimes you might have to ditch the tactical knife for something more old school. The Opinel’s two hand opening nature along with the size and non-locking options make it a great choice in less knife friendly environments.

5) The Blades are Ground for Performance

Thin is in, and Opinel blades are ground to making cutting a breeze. Although a thick blade like those found on most modern or tactical knives can be useful and handle more rough work, the vast majority of cutting that the vast majority of people do is best done with a thin blade. A thin blade makes for less drag when moving through material while cutting. If you’re used to modern tactical knives, I think you’ll be surprised at how well a thinner blade like those on Opinels, and many other traditional knives, cut. The grind of the blades is probably my favorite thing about Opinel knives.

BONUS) You Can Exercise Your Creativity

Opinel’s wooden handles also offer the option of customization! Not only are the standard handles just asking for embellishment with carved or woodburned designs, Opinel even offers knives with handles specifically designed so that you can carve them to your liking.

In conclusion, there are many reasons to put an Opinel into your EDC rotation! In Opinel’s own words, an Opinel knife is a must have for “savoir-vivre”, or “knowing how to live well”. Opinel has a long history that is worth checking out. I would write more about it here, but Opinel offers a fascinating look into that history on their site (linked here). If you’re looking for an Opinel knife, Northern Knives offers a great selection at this link.