Waterway or Aqua Salt?

[Doc Dan]

Anyone familiar with both? Which do you prefer and why? Both are great designs.

[Burton Knut]

I can’t vote. This is truly a case of “both!” I have both and almost consider them a pair. Sometimes I’ll sub the SE Pac salt instead of the SE Aqua salt, but I also keep the Aqua salt in my daily carry bag. If I’m going to the coast they’re both coming with me.

[VooDooChild]

Both

[JuPaul]

I bought a used Aqua salt maybe a year ago for an overnight float trip/camping knife. I'd really like a Waterway, too. I can't vote since I only have one, but just my impression: the Aqua Salt seems like a knife you can really beat up, while the Waterway I'd keep prettier for "precision tasks" like fileting, food prep, foraging, etc. The only thing that has stopped me from getting one for foraging, in fact, is the high-ride sheath. If I find a leather sheath that fits it, I'd probably jump on it. Imo, the boltaron sheaths are great for tossing in a bag or canoe, and obviously they're better than leather in water environments, but on my waist in the woods I want a lower ride. Another plus for the Bow River.

[TomAiello]

The only thing that has stopped me from getting one for foraging, in fact, is the high-ride sheath. If I find a leather sheath that fits it, I'd probably jump on it. Imo, the boltaron sheaths are great for tossing in a bag or canoe, and obviously they're better than leather in water environments, but on my waist in the woods I want a lower ride.

Have you tried horizontal carry?

For vertical carry, I also prefer leather sheaths (and lower riding sheaths--for kydex I pretty much have to use a dangler).

But of the various possibilities (leather/cloth/soft or kydex/boltaron/hard plastic and horizontal/vertical) I find that my favorite way to carry a smallish FB is horizontal, kydex sheath, basically right at my belt buckle. I started doing this for in-town FB carry (especially in winter around here it's pretty much invisible, and getting in and out of vehicles is much simpler than with vertical carry), but I've found myself using it for out-of-town carry quite a lot too. The only time I move back to vertical (and leather) is for big choppers (and machetes, but those are "gear up for the job, take off when the job is done").

I'm actually having the opposite problem right now--I have a nice fixed blade (TRC Splinter/Freedom) I'd love to carry more, but I don't have a good horizontal carry sheath for it. I find myself ditching it in the middle of the day after the 3rd or 4th time it's gotten in my way.

[Wright.88]

Can't vote as I haven't owned either. I have handled both and the Waterway's scales were too thin for me. The Aqua Salt is much more ergonomic with thicker scales. I much prefer the LC200N blade on the waterway compared to the H-1 steel for the Aqua Salt. If the Aqua Salt switched to a LC200N blade I would definitely own one!

[JuPaul]

The only thing that has stopped me from getting one for foraging, in fact, is the high-ride sheath. If I find a leather sheath that fits it, I'd probably jump on it. Imo, the boltaron sheaths are great for tossing in a bag or canoe, and obviously they're better than leather in water environments, but on my waist in the woods I want a lower ride.

Have you tried horizontal carry?

Yeah I've played around with horizontal carry in front and back. Since I'm pretty narrow at the waist, anything Waterway/Aqua Salt size sticks out from my body in wierd ways. There's no place on me it could lie more or less flat against me. I also hate blindly groping for a sheath behind me, and pointing a knife toward my stomach to sheath it in front - when I'm walking through the woods - seems ill-advised. With a sheath hanging vertically at my side, I feel like I can take the knife in and out on the move much more safely.

[Cambertree]

I didn’t vote since I don’t have the Aqua Salt, but I’m another fan of the Waterway. Due to the pandemic I haven’t had a chance this year to head out hunting and try it out on field dressing deer, but I have used it in the kitchen a fair bit. It’s a fine working knife, with a lot of thought put into the design. One bit of attention to detail which I appreciate is the balance point is right where I like it to be for this kind of tool: right on the middle finger, just behind the forefinger.

Julia, I have the same issue with the Spyderco Boltaron G-Clip knives. I appreciate the versatility of the G-Clip, but I find all of the four fixed blade Spydies I have ride too high on the waist when carried vertically for easy reinsertion of the blade. It seems strange when nearly all the other features on Spyderco’s knives are so well thought out.

I’ve tried horizontal scout carry with the Bradley Bowie - didn’t like that at all, as you have to probe around behind you with a razor sharp, needle tipped knife to place it back in the sheath.

The Junction I’ve settled on carrying appendix style diagonally on my non dominant side, which can still be uncomfortable when sitting down.

It would be nice to have an aftermarket attachment which allowed the knives to be carried lower, or ‘dangler’ style, so resheathing the knife is safer.

This customised leather attachment for the Esee Laser Strike allows the knife to ride at a perfect height to reinsert the blade into the kydex sheath without going into contortions:





Sorry, for the slightly off topic diversion, Doc. :)

[JuPaul]

This customised leather attachment for the Esee Laser Strike...

Yes! I have the same attachments for my Esee knives:

http://sagewoodgear.com/belt-loop-sheath-adapter/

Sadly they don't fit the Waterway taco sheath, but I think Spyderco could easily offer something similar. Or encourage another company to make them, like they did with the mule team scales.

Back on topic...Doc, what qualities are you looking for in the knife, exactly?

[Cambertree]

Yes! I have the same attachments for my Esee knives:

http://sagewoodgear.com/belt-loop-sheath-adapter/

Sadly they don't fit the Waterway taco sheath, but I think Spyderco could easily offer something similar. Or encourage another company to make them, like they did with the mule team scales.

Back on topic...Doc, what qualities are you looking for in the knife, exactly?

Yep, I’m sure Spyderco/ProSheath would be able to make a more low riding attachment.

Or like you say, an aftermarket maker like Sagewood Gear could get in on the act.

Hmm, this thread has me thinking about an SE Aqua Salt now.... :rolleyes: :D

[Doc Dan]

This customised leather attachment for the Esee Laser Strike...

Yes! I have the same attachments for my Esee knives:

http://sagewoodgear.com/belt-loop-sheath-adapter/

Sadly they don't fit the Waterway taco sheath, but I think Spyderco could easily offer something similar. Or encourage another company to make them, like they did with the mule team scales.

Back on topic...Doc, what qualities are you looking for in the knife, exactly?

Both of these knives offer what I am looking for. I have not used either one, nor handled a Waterway. I wonder how each fits the hand, does outdoor chores, etc. I know the AS is carried by some outdoor instructor types. H1 is very tough. I like how the WW is full tang and PE.

[Capt'n Boatsalot]

I have had both, so can provide some insight on this question, but I only have the Waterway now. I actually sold my Aqua Salt (SE version) to fund the Waterway. This was the right call for my purposes. In the end, I didn't need a SE fixed blade. What I wanted was a knife profile like my Southfork, but in a corrosion proof steel. Which more closely aligns with the Waterway.

The Aqua Salt has a very ergonomic and hand filling handle. I also am a big fan of the blade shape. I think the Aqua Salt is a tougher design due to the hollow ground blade that maintains blade thickness further out towards the tip. I would still have mine if it was PE, and probably in a steel other than H1 (like... LC200N?? ).

The Waterway is a more precise design. The handle is nice, especially with the texturing of the G10. I don't think it it's as hand filling as the Aqua Salt though. The blade shape is great for cutting stuff, but likely less tough as it thinks towards the tip
Still plenty tough for my purposes. The sheath is also significantly better on the Waterway (less rattle, wonderful thumb push off feature).

For my uses, I need the Waterway over the SE Aqua Salt because I don't need a SE fixed blade. I would consider a PE Aqua Salt in the future if it was made available with a steel with more edge retention in PE.

[Tdog]

I have both knives and they both are great. The Aqua Salt ergos are just too fine....excellent in the hand. I would prefer this knife if diving. For practical and everyday use imo the Waterway beats the Aqua Salt hands down. As much as I love the Aqua Salt if I could have only one, the Waterway wins out.