Which Pacific Salt 2 SE To Buy?

[OV1kenobi]

I see that I have a choice between the hollow ground H2 and the FFG LC200N, both available in SE.

I really don’t know which one to purchase. So…what do you suggest? I would really like to hear about your experiences, suggestions, and why.

Thanks!

[Wartstein]

I have both (though no, to be precise: I have the old Pac Salt 1 (different handle shape and H1 instead of H2).

For the usual EDC tasks and especially occasional food prep I'd go with the LC variant and its full flat grind and tapered blade. Just a better slicer imo when it comes to cutting matter especially with a bit larger diameter.
The ffg variant also has a much finer, pointier tip (still quite durable due to the spine drop towards the tip).
I also prefer that it is a tad lighter and a bit more handle heavy than the H2 variant.

For harder outdoor use: H2 and sabre hollow. Very tough and strong blade and especially tip (no tapering going on).
Also the hollow grind combined with the high SE chisel grind bites into wood extremely well in my experience.
They also say that the edge retention of serrated H2 is pretty unmatched due to some work hardening process (that I never 100% understood myself though, just can say that my H1 Pac Salt SE stays sharp really long indeed).

[vivi]

I see that I have a choice between the hollow ground H2 and the FFG LC200N, both available in SE.

I really don’t know which one to purchase. So…what do you suggest? I would really like to hear about your experiences, suggestions, and why.

Thanks!

H2 has a stronger tip, has a tougher blade overall, better action due to the heavier blade, feels more substantial in hand, can be dyed a wider range of colors starting with yellow, and is more corrosion resistant.

LC200N is better for ultra light carry, and it has better slicing geometry thanks to the FFG. More likely to suffer from side to side play that can't be adjusted by the end user in my experience, and the edge isn't as bomb proof as H2.

I prefer H2 versions but they're both very good. There's not really a wrong choice.

Do you prefer lighter weight and better slicing geometry? Or prefer raw toughness, a stronger tip and an overall sturdier feel?

[ladybug93]

my personal preference is h2 for serrations and lc200n for plain edge. surprisingly, that has little to do with edge retention and more to do with use. i think of my se h1 pac salt as my emergency/ emergency backup knife. as such, i like it to be fairly robust. the hollow grind and full thickness almost out to the tip is great for that. the pe lc200n pac salt would be more of an edc type of knife for me where my concerns might be more along the lines of longer edge retention (for pe), as well as an edge geometry that is excels in lighter duty, daily tasks.

on the edge retention piece though, i have also rolled lc200n serrations on materials that my h1 serrations shrugged off, so that colors my opinion as well. i know others have had fine experiences with their se lc200n, but mine just weren't as strong as my h1 serrations.

[benben]

You can’t / won’t go wrong with either, I love both of mine equally.

[OV1kenobi]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions!

I am leaning more towards toughness, so I will more than likely go with the H2.

[JSumm]

If you are leaning towards the thicker blade in H2 definitely consider the Stretch 2 XL Salt. It has a pointier tip, but due to the thicker grind it is still pretty stout. I have the serrated version it is is awesome!

[skeeg11]

Serrated LC200N has been tough enough to trim shrubbery and bleed fish gills on large fish for me with aplomb and no damage. YMMV.

[Wartstein]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions!

I am leaning more towards toughness, so I will more than likely go with the H2.

The sabre hollow grind H2 blade is definitely super "tough", beginning by how it is shaped with the none-tapering-spine and the thick sabre portion, but just as a steel the toughness ratings for LC200N are very high too.

But if you plan on really beating on the blade , applying a lot of lateral forces and abuse the tip: The H2 Pac Salt will be able to take more of that, no doubt.

[elena86]

If you are leaning towards the thicker blade in H2 definitely consider the Stretch 2 XL Salt. It has a pointier tip, but due to the thicker grind it is still pretty stout. I have the serrated version it is is awesome!

Please tell me it’s hollow grind and linerless. How did I miss this one ?

[Wartstein]

Please tell me it’s hollow grind and linerless. How did I miss this one ?

Not Jeff here, but yes and yes, like all the Seki Salt H2 folders...

And this thread might be for you

viewtopic.php?p=1761336#p1761336

[spydergoat]

I also suggest trying the Stretch 2 XL Salt in SE over the Pacific Salt. They are similar but I enjoy using the Stretch more. Most importanly, it just feels better. Guess it's the handle shape. The rest are minor differences but... It's got a longer blade, is lighter, is pointier as JSumm mentioned, and it has a less steep thumb ramp. The Pacific Salt is cheaper though for almost the same specs.

[Wartstein]

I also suggest trying the Stretch 2 XL Salt in SE over the Pacific Salt. They are similar but I enjoy using the Stretch more. Most importanly, it just feels better. Guess it's the handle shape. The rest are minor differences but... It's got a longer blade, is lighter, is pointier as JSumm mentioned, and it has a less steep thumb ramp. The Pacific Salt is cheaper though for almost the same specs.

Actually the H2 Pac Salt is a tad lighter than the Stretch XL Salt (2.9 vs 3.0 oz) - probably not really noticeable though.

The LC200 N Pac Salt is really extremely light though due to the less mass of the ffg blade: Just 2.6 oz!

/ Deciding between the H2 Pac Salt and the Stretch XL Salt would be really tough for me...

In the end I'd probably go with the Pac Salt though, but keep in mind that I am one of those for whom the Endura 4 (=Pac Salt 2) handle shape works really well and I like choking up on the ricasso, while most will prefer the Stretch XLs choil for that.

The in H2 sabre hollow still robust, but pointier Stretch tip might be an argument for that one though (while in VG10 ffg this tip is almost TOO fine for me).

On the other hand: No problem to make the Pac Salt tip pointier do-it-yourself...

[cabfrank]

I think you and everyone should get a H1 or H2 Pacific Salt SE no matter what, and take it from there. I believe it's that good.

[Wartstein]

I think you and everyone should get a H1 or H2 Pacific Salt SE no matter what, and take it from there. I believe it's that good.

Agreed!

Perhaps serrated H1/H2 in its sabre hollow grind does not make for the most universal blade for general EDC, but it's something special everyone should try (and own...)
And it's not like it would not still work decently well in pretty much every folder task.

Just the tip of the H1/2 Pac Salt is almost too robust for really fine tasks (but great for hard outdoor use!), but making it pointier is an easy fix for those who want that.

[cabfrank]

[Evil D]

I'd go with FFG personally, but also there's no reality where I'd choose a Pacific over a SE Chief. The only argument here that matters to me is the stronger tip on the Pac, but I can get by without it in favor of the other details I prefer on the Chief.

[skeeg11]

I see that I have a choice be
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LC200N is better for ultra light carry, and it has better slicing geometry thanks to the FFG. More likely to suffer from side to side play that can't be adjusted by the end user in my experience, and the edge isn't as bomb proof as H2.

I guess blade play on Seki salts is luck of the draw. My LC200N serrated PacSalt 2 actually has pretty good lock up.

[vivi]

I've owned about 40 Pacific Salts over the years. I think I'm down to 14 or so now. I've gifted a lot of them.

All of my Pacific Salt 1's I owned (30 or so), they had some vertical play. The old pinned versions all developed side to side play or had it right out of the box. The screw pivot versions I could adjust it out easily enough.

An issue I had with Pacific 2's, my Stretch XL Salt and my Lightweight Chief, was that they had side to side play unless I tightened them to wear opening was sluggish.

There was no goldilocks zone. They'd go from being easy to open but having side to side play, to opening becoming more cumbersome because of how tight the pivot is......while still having side to side play. I had to tighten them well past the point where the action gets affected to eliminate side to side play.

The issue I experienced with a lot of newer Spyderco linerless models was most pronounced in my 2 LC200N Pacific Salts. They were the worst Spydercos I ever owned in terms of not being able to eliminate the horizontal play through tightening the pivot. Which is one of the main reasons I sold them off and decided to stick to H1 versions.

Could be luck of the draw like you say. I learned to live with the vertical play, but I'll never accept side to side play in $100+ knives. $25 beater? Sure. But not on a $120 knife.

[Wartstein]

...
Could be luck of the draw like you say. I learned to live with the vertical play, but I'll never accept side to side play in $100+ knives....

My new LC 200N Pac Salt SE has pretty much no side to side play, it's even better in that regard than most of the (of course linered) Enduras I own and owned.

But then it is the one and only ffg Pac Salt I own and tried so far, so I guess I got lucky.

(Also have/had only two H1 variants, could not complain about excessive blade play with those too, just for the record).