Overall disappointed

[Oceansidepatrick]

So a few months ago I started looking for a new knife because the one I had been carrying was a gift from a friend who is in a special forces unit. I was a little worried that he might not make it out of the military alive and didn't want to have lost it, but it is also an intimidating knife and is illegal in california.

So I came here and asked for recommendations based on my line of work (marine biology) and the activities I partake in often (rock climbing).

I was recommended a salt 2 in H1, fully serrated. I'm not a fan of serrations but everyone here convinced me there was something "different" about spyderco serrations and that I really ought to give it a try. Well I did, and guess what? Serrations suck for a lot of regular uses, including most camping and all cooking and food prep. Yes it would be handy for cutting lines on a boat or a rope or webbing while climbing, but a really sharp plain edge does those things well, too.

It is not a knife that I enjoy using.

I'll eat that, as I can't blame suggestions for my decision in the end. I realized i wanted a salt 2 in lc200n without serrations. I bought it and liked it much, much better.

I had it for a week, and had only used it to open some packages.

So I went to joshua tree 2 weeks ago to camp and climb. First day of climbing, just walking to the crag, the knife rides up and out of my pocket. I felt it fall off my pants and picked it up, figured I didn't seat it fully or something and put it back in my pocket. We got to where we were going and someone pulled out salami and cheese, so I went to grab my knife and....not there. Traced my steps back where we came from and is not anywhere. Skipped climbing to look around the desert for a brand new, bright green knife for 2 hours because I was so pissed, it was new and I really can't afford to just buy knives all the time, let alone to lose one when new.

My buddy keeps giving me a hard time, asking why I would pay that much for a plastic knife, when i can buy a US made kershaw for 50 or 60 bucks.

So I went back to the salt 2 in H1, and it not only rides up and wants to fall out of my pocket when I'm riding a bike, but it has clipped itself into my shirt twice and pulled out completely too. Before all of this I just kept a stainless mora in my truck for work, and a small pocket knife for when I'm not in salt water. That is what I'm now doing with this knife, because it can't stay in a pocket. So now I carry a little crappy buck folder in my pocket and this thing lives in my truck, doing the job that a $14 mora does, but not as well as the mora.


The only people I know who buy spydercos just keep them in sock drawers or a case or on top.of their dressers. I'm starting to think that all the spyderco fans that made recommendations are those kinds of people, who like to look at and play with knives and buy them for "fidget factor" (lol), not people who use their knives for actual work or who need them for a specific job, using them as a tool.


I'm pretty bummed at myself for wasting $250 to end up with one knife that I dislike, and am starting to hate.**EDITED for Forum Rules**

I know people are going to say to get a deep carry clip but that's not right. The clip that comes on it should work.

Rant over

[bearfacedkiller]

I have hiked and jogged many hundreds of miles with a clipped knife and never lost one. I have crashed dirt bikes and four wheelers with a clipped knife and never lost one. I genuinely carry my knives in the field in all sorts of adverse conditions and have yet to lose one.

I realize you are frustrated but it is a bold statement to say that we don’t actually carry and use our knives. The advice you were given was delivered in good faith from folks with lots of knowledge and experience.

I am sorry things didn’t work well for you but I would say that your experience is atypical. I am not sure why your knives want to abandon ship but I suppose it may have more to do with your attire or some other variable than the knife itself.

Sorry for your frustration. It seems as though your complaints have more to do with the clip than the knife itself. You can take the clip off and bend it a little to increase retention. I have done that with a couple knives.

As far as serrations go, yeah, I’m not a huge fan either. Sorry they didn’t work out for you.

[Manixguy@1994]

I want to set the record straight. I do not put my Spyderco knives in a sock drawer ! I keep them in a vault surrounded by a moat with Alligators. Regards MG2

[Evil D]

The only people I know who buy spydercos just keep them in sock drawers or a case or on top.of their dressers. I'm starting to think that all the spyderco fans that made recommendations are those kinds of people, who like to look at and play with knives and buy them for "fidget factor" (lol), not people who use their knives for actual work or who need them for a specific job, using them as a tool.

Lmao, yep you nailed it we're just a bunch of Instagram photographers. I'm not even sure how to respond to the rest of that, you seem to have your mind made up so I guess best wishes?

[aicolainen]

Sorry to hear about your disappointment.

I think there is a place for serrations, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone’s first spyderco. It’s kind of a next level thing.

The rest of your experience, unfortunate nonetheless, sounds a bit more like bad luck than bad knife.

I have the Salt in H1 PE and LC200N PE, and in both versions it’s one of my overall favorites. And yes, I use it a lot. In fact, it’s coincidentally in my back pocket as I write this.
We’re all different, so your experience is just as valid, but one bad experience doesn’t make a good case for devaluing the whole line as sock drawer knives.

I can’t wrap my head around that clip issue. I’ve had a clip catch on stuff, but it has not happened with a Salt, and it wouldn’t matter either way, as it was always bad luck/coincidence and not a design issue.
Again, we’re all different, and it might be more than coincidence in your case. I personally think you got a great advice in the Salt 2 (sans PE), and the fact that it didn’t work out in real life is just bad luck.
With the popularity of the Salt, and the fact that it shares clip position and handle shape with the even more popular Delica 4 makes me think there would be more noise if this was a common problem.

Too bad it didn’t work out for you this time. You seem to live an active and interesting life, so I hope you eventually find a good knife to bring along on your adventures, Spyderco or not.

[bobnikon]

Don't wear such tight skinny jeans?

I can only assume your whole post was made in some sort of weird jest.

But seriously, no idea what anomalies you possess that could cause that. Only time I have had a clipped knife come out of my pocket was on a seatbelt.

Very odd.

[bleasure]

i bike every day homie, been hundreds of times and no knife has ever dropped out. that's including ill advised times when i've worn smooth khaki shorts and a kind of scarily not very tight aftermarket titanium clip, compared to the spoon that knife came with. i'm guessing this has to do with your specific physiology, clothes, and interaction between the two. which definitely sucks, i'd be mad too if i was you.

the standard spoon clips aren't necessarily great by a few measures, but in my experience they have never failed to be strong as hellll. so at least provisionally i'd chalk it up to the misfortune of your personal physics, esp. since you've confirmed this happens with other knives. sorry boutcha. but popping in on a forum and blowing up hyperbolically in front of dozens of people who i'm sure you knew would immediatley offer counterevidence on the other hand is sort of an unforced error. unsolicited advice from someone who's learned this through personal experience: if you're making an emotionally driven post, type it out, then save it somewhere else. if you really feel it in that specific way, you'll still want to post it later. if not, you just saved yourself and others some unpleasantness.

update: there's been a new post about skinny jeans. as someone who wears what i wager you'd consider skinny jeans and looks like a snack with a knife securely in its pocket when they do, that aint it :P

[TkoK83Spy]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate luck. Definitely sounds like a clip issue, as well as serrations just not being your thing. It's easy to resell these knives though if you choose not to keep yours.

I also take a little offense to your claim of everyone being here for Instagram photos. I put in a lot of time, effort, testing on many knives and steels... and what I think and have heard, is some pretty useful feedback for others around here. I know there are many others just like me that are active around here, and others who lurk that likely do the same. Many of us are daily users. If you hang out a bit, I bet you could learn a few things about these knives and maybe even help in solving your recent problems.

[Wartstein]

....
The only people I know who buy spydercos just keep them in sock drawers or a case or on top.of their dressers. I'm starting to think that all the spyderco fans that made recommendations are those kinds of people, who like to look at and play with knives and buy them for "fidget factor" (lol), not people who use their knives for actual work or who need them for a specific job, using them as a tool.
.......
I know people are going to say to get a deep carry clip but that's not right. The clip that comes on it should work.

...

First and foremost: I am really sorry that you lost your Salt 2 ffg (a very good knife imho), and that the H1 SE Salt did not work for you!
I actually have recommended getting the SE LC200N ffg Salt in SE (see my post here:viewtopic.php?f=2&t=90842&p=1563294#p1564035)- imho better for general use (actually great in my use!) than the H1 serrations in the sabre hollow ground blade.

Now for the part (quote) "all the spyderco fans that made recommendations are those kinds of people, who like to look at and play with knives and buy them for "fidget factor" (lol), not people who use their knives for actual work" :
To be clear: There will be folks who "only" or mostly just collect Spydercos and don´t use them a lot (or just some of them) - which is perfectly fine, though not my approach at all.
Generally though: Spydercos are really knives meant and designed to be great users - and many here, me included, really do use theirs a lot and in many various tasks. I actually really beat on mine occasionally, and do all kinds of cutting, scraping, ripping apart.... tasks.
And for me, believe it or not, SE honestly is the "better PE", works better in most tasks for me - though rather in an ffg blade.

/ The pocket clip and loosing-the-knife thing is weird.
I carry a Spyderco literally almost always when not lying in bed at night sleeping or in the shower., and I may say that I have a rather active life style... the clips work perfectly well for me, except one time when I lost an Endura out of my pocket while hiking (and making a lot of high steps - the Endura is a rather long knife and so I think my tigh will have pushed it out of the pocket. Would have happened with any other knife of that length too).
Could it be that the clip on yours was bent out of shape for whatever reason and did not have enough retention?

And you´ll never hear me say "get a deep carry clip" - if there is one thing I really dislike when it comes to knives its these kind of clips (but many do like deep carry, and that´s fine. Just not for me).

/ You did not order the Caribbean you were thinking about in the end, right?

[James Y]

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences.

But insulting those who tried to be helpful in giving you recommendations is not helpful.

Jim

[The Meat man]

Weird. I've had clips catch on things a few times but never had one consistently try to ride out of my pocket. Sounds like a problem with your carry method/movement, not the knife.

Sorry things didn't work out, but that happens sometimes. You didn't know before, now you do. Instead of ranting about it, why not re-sell the knife, and get something else more in line with your own preferences?

[TheGiant80]

I'm starting to think that all the spyderco fans that made recommendations are those kinds of people, who like to look at and play with knives and buy them for "fidget factor" (lol), not people who use their knives for actual work or who need them for a specific job, using them as a tool.

I’m sorry your experience was less than stellar, but the above statement is without question the most idiotic thing I have ever read on this forum.

[TheGiant80]

Lmao, yep you nailed it we're just a bunch of Instagram photographers. I'm not even sure how to respond to the rest of that, you seem to have your mind made up so I guess best wishes?

This is hilarious coming from you. Knowing what you’ve done for this community and the threads you’ve posted of great interest. Thanks for the laugh dude!

[Cl1ff]

I own and regularly use an extremely beat up old serrated Endura which has a pocket clip that wiggles, no longer locks, and has blade play from whatever abuse it was put through before I got it.
Despite all of that it still functions as a knife rather well.
I’ve carried it clipped in my pocket while upside down climbing trees, kayaking, running, jumping, and all of that yet it’s never once slipped out of my pocket.
To me, it’s saber ground vg10 blade with full serrations is pretty great at cutting anything. I’d prefer it to plain edge in a lot of ways.

That’s my experience and I’d recommend knives like my endura to others. It’s pretty simple.

Some conclusions can be drawn from you having a different experience after people like me recommend a knife, but that we don’t use our tools or that a knife doesn’t work at all aren't among them.

It just doesn’t work for you and that’s probably frustrating. I didn’t recommend anything to you specifically, though, so it’s not my problem. Maybe if I had heard what you wanted advice on, I would’ve suggested something else, or maybe not.

Just don’t appreciate the implication that, because you didn’t like a knife, I somehow don’t know what I’m talking about or haven’t actually used knives.

[Wartstein]

Lmao, yep you nailed it we're just a bunch of Instagram photographers. I'm not even sure how to respond to the rest of that, you seem to have your mind made up so I guess best wishes?

This is hilarious coming from you. Knowing what you’ve done for this community and the threads you’ve posted of great interest. Thanks for the laugh dude!

So David is actually MORE than just an "Instagram photographer" and does really USE his knives?

Come on, you must be kidding...viewtopic.php?t=85045#p1366199

[Naperville]

Sorry that you lost your knife. I've never lost a knife, KNOCK ON WOOD, and I've been carrying one or two knives with me every day, everywhere that I have been since 2002 when I took up knife martial arts.

I will admit that many of my knives are waiting for their martial debut....a thrust here or a slash there. I cannot help it when hard core tactical knives that I am trained to use make their appearance. It's almost all that I buy.

Nonetheless, I've been carrying a Spyderco Native Chief every day for many moons. It's the best self defense folder that I have. I highly recommend one for every man/woman.

Look at this situation as a learning opportunity. Get back on the horse, get a deep carry pocket clip for your skinny jeans, and ride off in to the sunset a happy person.

[Tgmr05]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, it is not fun to lose a knife, especially one over 100$.

A lw knife is something that can be easily forgotten/displaced without one knowing. It could be a different position in pocket is needed, or a different pocket.

I tend to carry the delica/salt 2 knives clipless in my front pocket, and on the rare occasion clipped in a back pocket. Have had clipped knives come out of front pockets with movement, and also by my own actions accidentally pull them out or almost out when retrieving some other item from pocket. A heavier knife is easier to keep track of.

A se dragonfly was my first Spyderco, and it showed me the value of a se. I admit I do not carry one every day, but I will never be without a se Spyderco folder.

[sethwm]

If you don’t like your knife you can sell or trade it on Reddit (r/Knife_swap) for relatively little hassle. You’ll eat $25 including shipping most likely. I’ve bought and sold 30 knives this way, and have found it a great way to derisk trying new blades. (I’ve bought plenty new from an AD, too)

[VooDooChild]

Hey bud, you just unfortunately learned a $100 lesson.

Seems like clipped in the pocket isnt going to work for you while doing activities.

Dont really know what else to say.

As far as the kershaw/ other brands argument... for edc I think there are some valid points.
But I can also swear to you that nothing on the market will do what Spydercos salt series does at the same price if you are actually in salt water on the regular. Ive rusted plenty of kershaw, gerber, buck, etc. Havent rusted a Seki salt ever.

[sethwm]

Hey bud, you just unfortunately learned a $100 lesson.

Seems like clipped in the pocket isnt going to work for you while doing activities.

Dont really know what else to say.

As far as the kershaw/ other brands argument... for edc I think there are some valid points.
But I can also swear to you that nothing on the market will do what Spydercos salt series does at the same price if you are actually in salt water on the regular. Ive rusted plenty of kershaw, gerber, buck, etc. Havent rusted a Seki salt ever.

Maybe use a lanyard to hook it to your belt loop