Salt 2 or native 5 salt?

[Abyss_Fish]

I’m getting a little tired of messing around with my G10 native salt, so until there’s an official coated release... New knife time!

So the question is, do I go for the Native 5 frn salt or the soon to be released salt 2 wharncliffe? Ergonomically and structurally the Native 5 is my absolute favorite, but the frn handle is not my favorite (both texture wise and action wise.) Then with the salt 2 that wharncliffe is my absolute favorite blade shape, also the clip is standard, and the seki frn texture is spectacular.

So really I want an frn chaparral salt. But with that out of the question what do I pick? This’ll be used mostly while cycling or hiking light, so it’ll get reeeeeal gross. So ergos are super important, but also I’m a huge nerd and want my knife to be slicey.

This is a dilemma. Someone make a decision for me please lol.

[ugaarguy]

The Native ergos won out over the Delica ergos for me long ago. The ever so slightly larger size and higher weight of the Native 5 Salt are negligible. I like the Chap FRN and Sage 5 FRN texture better than the Native 5 FRN texture, but the N5 FRN texture has grown on me. A Chap FRN Salt really would be nice.

[skeeg11]

Since you prefer thinner grinds, you may have answered your own question. Native is thick blade stock for its size.

[Wartstein]

.....

This is a dilemma. Someone make a decision for me please lol.

Fish, I really can´t "make a decision for you", because so many things here are of personal preference

Both are really cool knives and perfect choices in the small folder arena, I just can tell you what I´d consider and why I personally would go for the Salt 2 in the end:

- For me it went the other way round than for Ugaarguy, and the Delica-style-ergos of the Salt win over the Native ergos:
+ The Salt handle offers more grip area at the actual handle, AND I can choke up on the Ricasso perfectly well; while the Native almost "forces" my larger hands ton always use the choil
+ Furhermore, the Native feels great in my hand and in lighter use for me, but gets "unstable" and "rolls" ab bit in my hand in harder use
- The Salt 2 gives me about 10% more cutting edge in an a bit slimmer package
- The Salt 2 has a thinner blade (Native blade 20% thicker) and so lays a better foundation for being slicey - something you´re specifically looking for
- The Salt 2 is lighter than the Native (1.9 vs 2.4 oz). While I Ugaarguy is right that this is practically neglectible, just like a deal breaker I´d still consider it. It is somehow cool to finally have a "Spyderco Bugout" concerning weight (see also HERE https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=88925), and there are a few scenarios in my life when I still want the lightes knife possible

[tangent]

I like the Native 5, but the Salt 2 is waaaay more ergonomic and practical for me. It's easier to open and has a more practical blade shape. Especially the Wharnie!

Full disclosure: I prefer the way the Native 5 looks...but the Salt 2 is a better overall design for me.

[Cscottsss]

For me the ergos of the Native 5 Salt win out over the Delica, even though I still love the Delica and plan on picking up a Salt 2 when they release. Pic just because........


Untitled by Caleb Bender, on Flickr

[ladybug93]

i much prefer the ergos of the native to the delica, but i don't really enjoy using the native because of a shorter edge and thick blade. for the activities you mentioned, i would go with the salt 2 for sure. the native feels good in hand, but it's not as nice in actual use. i'd also carry a blade in my waistband for these applications and the native is noticeably less comfortable there because it's slightly thicker and squared off around the edges, while the salt 2 is nicely rounded, thinner, and smaller where it matters while clipped. the native would be more robust, which i tend to prefer in a hiking knife, but i'd still choose the salt 2 because you want a slicey knife and then i'd carry something else in a lightweight fixed blade, like a mora, for hiking/survival purposes.

[dan31]

Tough choice. The native salt would be my choice. The salt 2 has better cutting geometry. I would ask what you plan on cutting and is it worth the trade.

[Evil D]

Native for me. The Delica ergonomics don't work for me, and the Native's belly is shallow enough to still cut aggressively at the tip.

[vivi]

Native feels better in my grip, so it gets the nod from me.

While the Endura handles work well for me, the Delica handles do not.

Whatever drawbacks the Native presents are not substantial enough to make me choose the less comfortable handle.

[Matus]

A bit of a basic regrind can make any knife slicey ... just sayin'

[vivi]

A bit of a basic regrind can make any knife slicey ... just sayin'

True. My Street Beat is a girthy 4mm stock but it slices cardboard just fine with an 18 degree inclusive edge.

[JRinFL]

Having Sal-sized hands lets me use either with no issues. Lucky me! However, since I already had a Pacific Salt, I went with the Native Salt as my next size down. You really will just have to choose which handle you prefer. For my use in the yard, I have not noticed any downside to the slightly thicker blade stock on the Native.

[Wartstein]

A bit of a basic regrind can make any knife slicey ... just sayin'

That´s right, but still: Thinner stock is ONE of several foundations and factors for better "sliciness", especially when cutting material with larger diameters.
And while it´s pretty easy to change the thickness behind the edge (another and probably more important "sliciness" factors), it is not so easy to make the whole BLADE thinner...

[Matus]

That´s right, but still: Thinner stock is ONE of several foundations and factors for better "sliciness", especially when cutting material with larger diameters.
And while it´s pretty easy to change the thickness behind the edge (another and probably more important "sliciness" factors), it is not so easy to make the whole BLADE thinner...

I was not too clear - when I said a regrind it basically always means the whole blade. I did that to my GiantMouse Ace Iona as the blade was too thick everywhere. Now it sports around 1.6mm blade thickness (half way towards the tip) at the spine, non-linear distal taper and convex grind. Awesome slicer :) Obviously - the knife is now for lighter tasks only, though the cutting edge itself is not any weaker because of the convex grind.

But I agree, just taking a thick blade at the spine and only regrind it in a way that the thickness behind the edge is affected is going to help, but is not the whole story. The question always is - what purpose should the blade serve after a regrind as one can easily take it too far and once that happens you can't add the metal back on the blade.

[Wartstein]

I like the Native 5, but the Salt 2 is waaaay more ergonomic and practical for me. It's easier to open and has a more practical blade shape. Especially the Wharnie!

Full disclosure: I prefer the way the Native 5 looks...but the Salt 2 is a better overall design for me.

As said already: I too prefer the Salt 2, but: It is true that the Native looks great. Just in its lines, but also in its appeal to immediately want to grab it and cut something.
Could be, that a Native will be my "next Manix 2 LW" - a knife I tried, liked a lot, but then sold and thought lleft behind me as a model... but the Manix came back, and I like it even a lot more the second time.. perhaps it will be the same with the Native eventually.

[jpm2]

If only I could match my modified native handle with my modified delica blade.

[Abyss_Fish]

So I guess the only question is, how much does the Native 5's action improve up over time? Because both examples of the frn native I've handled have had dangerously bad actions.

[Wartstein]

So I guess the only question is, how much does the Native 5's action improve up over time? Because both examples of the frn native I've handled have had dangerously bad actions.

My Native 5 LW had very good action right out of the box. It was the S35VN version though (now these come in S30). I think I recall reading here that for whatever reason the Salt Natives seem to have more likelyhood for not so good action.

But so you settled on the Native Salt?

[Doc Dan]

Even though I have really thick hands and fingers, I prefer the Delica. I have to choke way up on the guard, but it is comfortable. The Native is decidedly uncomfortable, no matter how I hold it. Everyone's hands differ so you should hold both. Another thing in the Delica/Salt 2's favor is the thinner blade stock. It cuts better. Take this for what its worth.