Spyderco Forums

I was wondering now that MagnaCut has been out for a little while in the Spyderco lineup if anyone has experienced any differences when using MagnaCut knives and salts specifically in pool water compared to other salt steels?

I’ve historically carried H1/2 or LC200N blades in swim trunks zippered pockets or clipped to the waistband and never had any issues.

Now that I have several MagnaCut salts I was going to transition to that (especially the PM2/3), I don’t expect any real problems but just in case figured I’d ask if anyone had noticed issues with pool chemicals affecting the steel.

Thanks!

That is actually a good question. My H1 never has issues (nor my watch, for that matter). I remember seeing a knife on another forum that had gotten chlorine on it and it looked bad.

Chlorine is highly reactive. Regular stainless steels (300 series, etc) corrode easily. I think it’s because it reacts with more than just the iron and once the iron is isolated it can oxidize. But I’m no chemist.

zhyla wrote: ↑

Wed May 08, 2024 12:22 am

Chlorine is highly reactive. Regular stainless steels (300 series, etc) corrode easily. I think it’s because it reacts with more than just the iron and once the iron is isolated it can oxidize. But I’m no chemist.

Chlorine disrupts the chromium oxide layer that protects the surface of stainless steels.

No chlorine experience, but I've never had h1 rust (and have used it the most), have had some gray staining on lc200n (just a couple models but two-ish years of use), and I've had red a couple small red rust spots on Magnacut (two knives with it, both picked up since the early Spring). Given that, I would expect it wouldn't make the best steel for pools.

I had both magnacut natives in salt water pools, chlorine pools, and the river. No signs of corrosion at all. I H1 dragonfly in the same including the ocean. The H1 actually didn’t hold as well. Also have lc200n knives in same situations. They did similar to magnacut.

I think the chlorine concentration would have a lot to do with it. I've never had an issue with any steel in chlorinated water. Not enough chlorine to matter unless you store your knives in your pool long term and that would be odd.

This thread reminds me of that old thread where someone put a Salt knife in some very extreme chemicals.

I've been swimming in salt water and chlorinated water with H1 with no bad results.

viewtopic.php?t=39008

I jumped into chlorinated swimming pools with my old lc200n native several times. In some cases for a few hours at a time. I also accidentally dropped it into a bucket of bleach. I never saw any rust or discoloration on it. I recently gifted it to a friend when I picked up the Magnacut variant.
I’ll see how Magnacut holds up to my recklessness this year .

Apart from the steel, I've had the yellow FRN react to pool water and it became a little lighter then before. The H-1 held up just fine.

I’ve used my salt knives in pools and salt river without any problems. Several different models H1 and lc200n. I’m unsure about how Magnacut would hold up.

I’m curious about the same question you asked specifically about the autonomy 2, I realize it’s a salt and should do okay. I’m a bit concerned about the internals. Anyone with experience with this?

Exposed to lots of sweat and chlorine in saunas, steam chambers and pools but my H1 SE Dragonfly is doing fine.
Although I EDC a Magnacut Native now, I think it's a bit too big for spa carry - I want my spa knife concealed :-)


BTW, I wouldn't mind a Magnacut Salt Dragonfly with less aggressively textured scales, because they kinda tenderize the softened skin if carried IWB.

I've enjoyed my LC200N Salt 2 Wharncliffe and UKPK so much that I'm hesitant to try anything new. Hot tubs, swimming pools, the ocean for a few years and I have yet to see a speck of rust on either.

I'd love to know how Magnacut does in the same environment, all of my Magnacut knives have so many other metals on them that I won't be swimming in the ocean with them anytime soon. It's so much more than the blade that makes a Salt a Salt.

Ferruginous wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2024 9:43 am

I've enjoyed my LC200N Salt 2 Wharncliffe and UKPK so much that I'm hesitant to try anything new. Hot tubs, swimming pools, the ocean for a few years and I have yet to see a speck of rust on either.

I'd love to know how Magnacut does in the same environment, all of my Magnacut knives have so many other metals on them that I won't be swimming in the ocean with them anytime soon. It's so much more than the blade that makes a Salt a Salt.

Good point
I have been EDCing a G2 delica for years and never had a problem, never had any rust or discoloration,
I switched to a LC200n salt but couldn’t keep it razor sharp even with light use and weekly maintenance, but still had zero issues with corrosion or anything
Enter knife #3 a VG10 endela, went fishing the other day and when I came home it was heavily rust spotted , I thought vg10 was pretty much stainless and corrosion resistant ( nope)
It just seems like a Live and learn process, maybe it was the lime I sliced up that etched it and then the salt water corroded it? ( never had this happen with G2 steel)
I love the edge holding ability of VG10 and the corrosion resistance of LC200n but will have to keep in mind it’s not fool proof for a EDC steel

It would be nice if there were such as steel like this:
* Is as tough and stainless as H1
* Edge doesn't roll or chip;
* Holds an edge like S110V (or whichever high edge-holding 'super' steel);
* Sharpens as easily as VG-10 or LC200N;
* Doesn't scratch up as easily as H1 does...

Of course, this is pure fantasy, as many of these traits are contradictory to each other in blade steels, and therefore could not be combined in one steel (at least not in any way that we know of at this time).

And another challenge would be the rest of the metal hardware on the knives being equally as stainless and durable as the blade.

Jim

Mr Blonde wrote: ↑

Fri May 10, 2024 4:14 am

Apart from the steel, I've had the yellow FRN react to pool water and it became a little lighter then before. The H-1 held up just fine.

Somewhere in the forum history I posted pictures of my before and after experiment in which I immersed a Spyderco Pacific Salt original serrated model in a jar of salted tap water salted with iodized table salt. I left it in there for a long time and not one spot of rust ever formed on the H1 blade. Salt crystals grew on the FRN grip through evaporation but some steel wool quickly removed those.

S-3 ranch wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2024 12:55 pm

Ferruginous wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2024 9:43 am

I've enjoyed my LC200N Salt 2 Wharncliffe and UKPK so much that I'm hesitant to try anything new. Hot tubs, swimming pools, the ocean for a few years and I have yet to see a speck of rust on either.

I'd love to know how Magnacut does in the same environment, all of my Magnacut knives have so many other metals on them that I won't be swimming in the ocean with them anytime soon. It's so much more than the blade that makes a Salt a Salt.

Good point
I have been EDCing a G2 delica for years and never had a problem, never had any rust or discoloration,
I switched to a LC200n salt but couldn’t keep it razor sharp even with light use and weekly maintenance, but still had zero issues with corrosion or anything

I should have added that all of my LC200N knives are serrated, so the incredibly thin cutting edge angle, combined with the teeth, makes them cut well even when they loose their hair-flinging initial sharpness from the strop.