Help me decide on a Salt

[Woodpuppy]

I’m taking my family to Hawaii later this month, my BIL is stationed there and we have a new niece to meet. I also live in Florida, so salt water is in my dna. The kids are old enough they’ve started asking about my boat, so I need to get it running again and start taking them scalloping and etc.

Anyway... I used to carry my worker everywhere, including while swimming. I just tucked it into my waistband in the front. By benchmades will stain under such use, so I’m planning on buying a salt before we head to Hawaii. I think I’ve got it narrowed down to the salt 2 or the saver salt. Pacific/Atlantic are bigger than I want, and I don’t think I can wait for the warnecliffe!

What do y’all think? Salt 2 or saver?

[Evil D]

I'd say Saver Salt, as the ergos are far better for me than the Delica style handle and wharnies really work well with serrations. It's also a model that for some reason doesn't get much love but it's a fantastic knife.

[markg]

I guess it will come down to what you plan to do with it. If you want a do it all kinda knife I might opt for the Salt 2. The sheepsfoot of the Saver Salt is going to take poking or stabbing out of the equation. If you intend to just use it as a marine knife (probing, cutting rope, etc) then the Saver Salt is going to be fine. Cutting rope you might look at the Tasman Salt. That has been a mainstay for me for years. The Saver Salt is going to be more travel friendly as you can pass it off as a rescue or dive knife. I have had a Saver Salt for years, as a matter of fact it is a collector's club knife from when I was in the program so that tells you how long I have had it. I just never use it.

The Salts are some of my favorite knives. I have carried my Tasman around for over 12 years. It has been in the Atlantic, the Gulf, and more pools than I care to count. No rust. It has recently been replaced by a Dragon Fly Salt, but it is always ready for duty.

[zhyla]

Aqua Salt :)

[knivesandbooks]

Get a salt saver and tell me how you like it. I want one quite a lot. I love my serrated wharnie delica so a sheepsfoot with serrations should be great. However, the salt 2 sorta has a sheepsfoot-ish blade as well. Honestly, the Salt 2 may be the better all around but you would probably have more fun with the saver. I am assuming you will be getting serrations.

[ladybug93]

if you’re coming to the pacific, you need a pacific! that’s the logic i used when i moved to hawaii. :) i know you said that’s too big, but it’s really great. if you really thin it’s too big, i’d say the salt would be the way to go. if you think you’ll be doing a lot of boating or other activities where you’ll be jostled around, get the more sheepsfoot saver, but otherwise, the semi point on the salt/pacific are nice to have. oh yeah, and definitely go serrated!

[Ric]

Cool! I just came back from Hawaii. Which islands do you visit? Did you figured out yet which visits are planned?

I would definitely go with serrations.
No plain edge H1 for me anymore.

[Woodpuppy]

I have waffled on this choice several times. Each time I pick one, I am drawn back to the other. Both are sheepsfoot-ish. I like the choil on the saver, but the delica pattern is pretty tried and true. Definantly serrated for a salt.

I’m not looking for something to replace my dry land edc, but I don’t want to take M4 swimming in salt water! And as much as I think the Salt 2 would be an effortless transition, the marine specific use is why I keep coming back to the Saver. And yes it could live in the truck as a safer seatbelt cutter.

Decisions decisions...
Surprised no one has said BOTH yet

[Woodpuppy]

Cool! I just came back from Hawaii. Which islands do you visit? Did you figured out yet which visits are planned?

I would definitely go with serrations.
No plain edge H1 for me anymore.

We’ll be on Oahu. As a geologist, I very much want to catch an air tour of the eruption. But with 4 kids to keep alive and entertained I may not be able to make that happen. The 6-year olds can swim so-so, but the 3-year olds need man-on coverage.

There will definitely be some hiking and beach going. The girls will be sad Moana won’t be there...

[Evil D]

I guess it will come down to what you plan to do with it. If you want a do it all kinda knife I might opt for the Salt 2. The sheepsfoot of the Saver Salt is going to take poking or stabbing out of the equation.

I would likely reprofile the spine a bit more into a wharnie tip to improve penetration, unless I actually had rescue in mind. I thought about doing it with my Autonomy but I've found the tip is reasonably pointy, it'll get the job done.

[ladybug93]

if you want it for rescue use, there’s also the assist salt. that’s the safest bet. if you are thinking emergency use, more serrations (i.e. a longer blade) is better. there’s no blade length legality issues in hawaii either. the assist is pretty bulky in the handle (also making it more comfortable in use), so i’m not sure how comfortable it would be in a bathing suit. i have no issues with the pacific salt in the waistband of my board shorts though.

[Surfingringo]

I don’t really care for sheepsfoot blades. I’m on the water everyday and I don’t find myself needing that blade shape for anything. I’d go with the salt 2 for sure but that’s a biased opinion based on my own likes and dislikes. Enjoy the trip!

[ThePeacent]

I don’t really care for sheepsfoot blades. I’m on the water everyday and I don’t find myself needing that blade shape for anything. I’d go with the salt 2 for sure but that’s a biased opinion based on my own likes and dislikes. Enjoy the trip!

might be biased but it comes from a man who is 365 days a year in the sea!! :D

[Woodpuppy]

Well... decision made. Salt 2 se on the way.

[The Meat man]

Great choice. Have fun using it in Hawaii! :)

[Nate]

Well, I couldn't help with this question and you've made a choice already anyway, so here's an off-topic post. :)

My back yard is all dug up because we decided to re-grade it and do some landscaping. It's a veritable treasure-trove of prehistoric seabed fossils from 400+ million years ago!! :eek:

Here's a pic of some of the better finds with my one Salt knife, the Manbug, for scale and appropriateness:



I was pretty stoked about the large, whole brachiopods. :o

I hope you have a great trip! The recent volcanic activity there is pretty amazing (and terrible, frightening, majestic?).

[Strider]

I'd say Saver Salt, as the ergos are far better for me than the Delica style handle and wharnies really work well with serrations. It's also a model that for some reason doesn't get much love but it's a fantastic knife.

Somehow I overlooked the choil on the saver salt. I have been waiting anxiously for the salt 2 wharncliffe, but now I may forego that and get the saver instead.

[Woodpuppy]

Nice! My yard’s just sandy clay (Quaternary or Tertiary sediment), I’d love to have some Devonian or Ordovician sediments to dig through!! Have you found any crinoid stems or cephalopods?

[Woodpuppy]

I'd say Saver Salt, as the ergos are far better for me than the Delica style handle and wharnies really work well with serrations. It's also a model that for some reason doesn't get much love but it's a fantastic knife.

Somehow I overlooked the choil on the saver salt. I have been waiting anxiously for the salt 2 wharncliffe, but now I may forego that and get the saver instead.

I think I’d like to see the salt 2 pattern blade with the saver pattern grip with choil. The salt 2 blade has that short section of plain edge at the tip which I like. I basically decided against the totally blunt tip. As long as I’m mostly likes, how about dlc blades with the yellow and orange scales?

[Nate]

Nice! My yard’s just sandy clay (Quaternary or Tertiary sediment), I’d love to have some Devonian or Ordovician sediments to dig through!! Have you found any crinoid stems or cephalopods?

Ha, I'd send you some but for some reason rocks are expensive to ship. :confused:

Haven't found much beyond what's pictured in my yard yet, but have found crinoids, trilobites, etc, locally (KY).

-There are some disadvantages to the blunt tip profile, but there are advantages too. Hopefully I never have to use my Manbug in a Rescue scenario, but I like that it's on my keys... Plus, the small serrated "snaggletooth" at the end of the blade has proved useful for the little piercing work it's been called upon to handle.