We can make up a million and one different scenarios to justify the need for super corrosion resistance and there's nothing wrong with preferring it. But the reality is, the "need" is much more prevalent in a saltwater environment and it makes total sense to spend their marketing dollars in that category.
Agreed that it makes sense for Spyderco to divert most of their Salt marketing to saltwater use-cases, but you don't think there's any room for marketing to other users who require/desire extreme corrosion resistance (not to mention improved cutting ability if we're talking serrated H1/H2)?
Wartstein, the Scholar of Salt and Envoy of Endela- I agree with your takes in this thread and others- there is lots to like about the salt design beyond just the blade steel. Salt 2 is truly a bugout killer if people only realized. I am very well served by them for all types of outdoors fun, and I think maybe trying a branding change or something would help the broader knife buying public discover them as well. I am not at all suggesting dropping "Salt," just running a new line with one knife to try it.
Although, judging by the proliferation of Salt models, Spyderco is not having any trouble selling them as is.
Last edited by spydergoat on Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:03 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I love taking Salt knives on family vacations. Ultimately in an Airbnb you will find terribly dull kitchen knives. At camp, no one will bring a knife. One will ask if anyone has a knife. Another will provide a knife. Then one will use and abuse said knife, wash it then fold it up to dry. It's nice to have a knife that you really do not have to worry too much about. You can bring a long a cheap sharpener and get it back to working condition in no time. I throw one in the waist band when going to the beach or the pool. It has come in handy more often then not.
I don't think Spyderco needs to change the naming. However, individuals running social media are typically looking for good content. A quick PSA about how useful they can be may shine some more light on the lineup.
- Jeff May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
MNOSD Member #0005
I agree that it might help to also appeal to a secondary market that may have nothing to do with going into the ocean. Maybe just expand the advertising a bit; the name of the Salt line itself doesn't even need to be changed. At least in my uneducated (in marketing knives) opinion.
Nick, quoting someone but deliberately altering their posts so that they then mean the complete opposite of what they actually said goes a bit too far, is not funny but looks more like a desperate and immature approach and can lead to misunderstandings for people browsing through the thread.
This I would say concerning any forum member, not just me particularly.
My input that of course you are right in saying that higher wear resistance steels might be the better choice over H1/H2, but that this might not be true for H1/H2 in SE is completely valid and constructive and obviously in no way personal or an attack or whatever and you know that very well. No idea why you react the way you did.
So I may ask: Please act and discuss as a grown up and at least quote me correctly - deliberately altering quoted posts to the complete opposite meaning is just generally and basically not a path we should even walk on one single step imo.
Or, in the future, just don´t reply at all, no problem with that.
Thank you, end of discussion. Have a good one!
You're projecting. You cherry pick my posts all the time.
While your interjection about serrated edge can be appreciated, we were on track with a different conversation at that time. In your crusade to prove how awesomely amazing serrated edge H1 holds an edge, you completely misconstrued what I said. You deliberately cherrypicked my post, highlighted a short amount of context from my post that you felt like responding to and then began that response by dismissing what I said. This isn't the first time something like this has happened either, so my apologies for being irritated by it.
"you are right in saying that higher wear resistance steels might be the better choice over H1/H2" -
While touching on the original point, that is an oversimplification of what I said. You either missed my point, misunderstood my point, or deliberately misconstrued my point. That's not what I said nor what I meant. I reacted the way I did because for some reason, it's only you that this keeps happening with.
We can make up a million and one different scenarios to justify the need for super corrosion resistance and there's nothing wrong with preferring it. But the reality is, the "need" is much more prevalent in a saltwater environment and it makes total sense to spend their marketing dollars in that category.
Agreed that it makes sense for Spyderco to divert most of their Salt marketing to saltwater use-cases, but you don't think there's any room for marketing to other users who require/desire extreme corrosion resistance (not to mention improved cutting ability if we're talking serrated H1/H2)?
I definitely think there is room to target other user groups for their "Salt series" knives. It could be a productive strategy to avoid stagnation in the lineup and potentially even increase their design diversity through novel demand. With such a huge catalog of steels and models though it's important to maintain a balance of them all to avoid product saturation or negative brand cannibalization. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.
In Spydercos defense, (not that they need me for that) they do market their Salt Series knives as "ideally suited to the needs of" more than just divers - namely "divers, fishermen, military personnel, and water sports enthusiasts."
Also to a certain extent I don't believe it is entirely Spyderco's responsibility to dictate who the end user of their products is through marketing. I think the consumer bears some of the responsibility for understanding what they're buying and why.
For example, the Stretch knives are marketed as an evolution of the C03 Hunter crafted "to serve the demanding needs of hunters and outdoorsmen." If an outdoorsman likes the Stretch 2 XL LW design for hunting purposes but also values corrosion resistance, I don't believe it should take specific hunting marketing from Spyderco for that outdoorsman to recognize that the Stretch 2 XL LW Salt might be the right choice for his needs.
I certainly agree with the general message of this thread but I do also agree with the direction Spyderco has taken in marketing their Salt Series.
A common occurrence in group camping:
"Where are the dishes?"
"They've been sitting in the creek since lunch."
Pretty sure 99% of the patina on my k390 is from rusting and scrubbing over and over in this scenario.
I'm not going to worry about it, but I'd worry even less with something more stainless.
I agree with the OP. I'm no diver, but I enjoy the care-free nature of high corrosion resistance knives for some situations.
First of all, beach days!
In a motorcycle jacket pocket, for those unplanned roadside snack stops. Sometimes you have to store it wet and/or dirty until later. Rain also happens from time to time, despite my best weather predictions and route planning.
Hans Favourite Spydies: Military S90V, PM2 Cruwear, Siren LC200N, UKPK S110V, Endela Wharncliffe K390 Others: Victorinox Pioneer, CRK: L Sebenza, L Inkosi, Umnumzaan
Top three going by pocket-time (update April 25):
- EDC: Endela SE (K390). Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10), Chaparral SE (CTS XHP)
- Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 2 SE (LC200N), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), Endela SE (K390)
Top three going by pocket-time (update April 25):
- EDC: Endela SE (K390). Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10), Chaparral SE (CTS XHP)
- Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 2 SE (LC200N), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), Endela SE (K390)
We can make up a million and one different scenarios to justify the need for super corrosion resistance and there's nothing wrong with preferring it. But the reality is, the "need" is much more prevalent in a saltwater environment and it makes total sense to spend their marketing dollars in that category.
Agreed that it makes sense for Spyderco to divert most of their Salt marketing to saltwater use-cases, but you don't think there's any room for marketing to other users who require/desire extreme corrosion resistance (not to mention improved cutting ability if we're talking serrated H1/H2)?
I definitely think there is room to target other user groups for their "Salt series" knives. It could be a productive strategy to avoid stagnation in the lineup and potentially even increase their design diversity through novel demand. With such a huge catalog of steels and models though it's important to maintain a balance of them all to avoid product saturation or negative brand cannibalization. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.
In Spydercos defense, (not that they need me for that) they do market their Salt Series knives as "ideally suited to the needs of" more than just divers - namely "divers, fishermen, military personnel, and water sports enthusiasts."
Also to a certain extent I don't believe it is entirely Spyderco's responsibility to dictate who the end user of their products is through marketing. I think the consumer bears some of the responsibility for understanding what they're buying and why.
For example, the Stretch knives are marketed as an evolution of the C03 Hunter crafted "to serve the demanding needs of hunters and outdoorsmen." If an outdoorsman likes the Stretch 2 XL LW design for hunting purposes but also values corrosion resistance, I don't believe it should take specific hunting marketing from Spyderco for that outdoorsman to recognize that the Stretch 2 XL LW Salt might be the right choice for his needs.
I certainly agree with the general message of this thread but I do also agree with the direction Spyderco has taken in marketing their Salt Series.
Cannibalization is a good point. If, say, Magnacut (MC) were to become the new standard (sort of how S30V appears to be Spyderco's baseline for 'high-end' steel), then hunters, IWB carriers, etc. likely won't need all of the added features offered by the Salt line. Just make the blade in MC (or LC200N/serrated H2 where applicable) and call it a day. And admittedly, Spyderco has already done this to some extent with a couple fixed blade models (ARK, Swick, Jumpmaster come to mind).
What this thread makes me realize, more than anything, is that I'd like to see Salt steels (and I mean all of them -- not just MC) make their way into other folder lineups. I'm thinking something like a Police in serrated H2 that's been completely blacked-out with that proprietary coating Spyderco's working on.
Make the knives in MC and LC and have them in colors and camos that hunters and outdoors people want. Then, market them that way. I mean, a MC Endela or Stretch in blaze orange, RealTree®, Mossy Oak®, and other great colors to go along with the yellow would be awesome. Spyderco could knock a lot of other companies out of leadership in the sportsperson's market because of their superior products.
They could send people like Ron Spomer, who has a popular podcast and YT channel a knife and say use it and review it. There are other big names, too.
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Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
As an athlete, I have used salt knives because sweat would rust my regular spydercos. Plus I love how lightweight they are when wearing thin gym shorts. They are popular with mountain bikers and surfers in my area too
I feel like Spyderco pushes the Salt knives more towards divers than any other user group. I do agree that some marketing towards other user groups would entice new users.
I looked at the website a little before posting. Hunters do get put behind fishers as it reads, Fishing/Hunting. Also, I would be very excited to learn under what conditions does any person use a Delica Warncliff for fish cleaning or animal processing. My mind can not make that blade shape work. Also, the Manix, question mark, exclamation point... You "could" use it for game processing, and I know a great many Spyderfans like taking apart and reassembling knives regularly, but guts in a ballbearing lock, yuck. I like fixed blades and I have cleaned many creatures with a backlock folder that could go in a dishwasher. I'm a stainless guy all day, the lazy way. Not interested in cutting with rust or even spending a penny on oil or a second on preventing it. God bless H1/H2, Magnacut, and the rest of the S##vn that were stainless enough for me.
My main point to the post would be to reorganize the web page first, I would rather see fewer knives that are really really hunters than many options including icky. Also, separate fishing and hunting into individual fields. Hard to speak for most people but fish=fillet and hunting=belly, in my simple way.
Also, funny for me, I am not around the ocean or rivers much now but when I was, I was more afraid of loosing a knife than corrosion. And the river has taken knives in the past, so I went cheap cheap cheap. Now that I hunt more than anything I really enjoy paying more for edge retention, and corrosion resistance, toughness helps. I am better at slow cuts with care vs sharpening in the field.
Spyderco: Tenacious G10, Waterway, Para 3 Spy27, Pacific Salt H1, Catcherman, In the Mule Team Stable(Z-Max, Z-Wear, S45VN, Magnacut, SRS13/SUS405, M398, Aeb-l, 15v)
The Spydie Chef would be good in this hypothetical situation unless you need a fixed blade. Hmmm… A fixed blade version of the Spydie chef maybe larger…
Mule Team Army 001 (patched)
MNOSD 008 Stable Mules; Z-Max, Z-Wear, Magna Cut, Magna Max, SRS13, Rex 76, Rex T15.
This plus a full sized Endura Salt with NASA White scales. Spyderco Space Force Salt.
We're going to need it once we get Pulsed Plasma Drive and Neutrinic Warp Ships.
[/quote]
This is spot on. I test drive warp ships for Warp Ships Quarterly. Look, I don't even know how many times I've had to pull over on a corrosive planet to do something like cut the straps on a broken time dilation compensator carriage so I can make adjustments. I need at least LC200N level edge retention. H1 / H2 doesn't get me through all the straps before I'm back on board stropping. The sun is dim around a lot of planets and a nice white scale is necessary when I drop the knife or need to dye it some other color that will best stand out.
I carry two knives, one pe and one se and the se is usually in my wb so that’s just one of the reasons I love salt knives, especially in the hotter months because I work outdoors and it gets pretty muggy here in Georgia…nothing like not having to worry about corrosion issues
maybe larger…
Stable Mules; Z-Max, Z-Wear, Magna Cut, Magna Max, SRS13, Rex 76, Rex T15.