This a Spyderco Tasman Salt H1. The blade is a rust resistant H1 steel. This knife has lived in my PFD for months now and has been tested on/in various set up rescue situations.

Spyderco Tasman Salt H1

From Spyderco:

The Tasman Salt folder features a Hawkbill blade. This distinctive curved cutting tool has a claw-like tip that originated in the marine/commercial fishing industry. Cutting in and around water involves cutting line, netting and rope and it’s done quickly, often at arm’s length while pulling downward or toward you. The blade’s arcing tip holds what you’re cutting against the sharpened edge keeping it from slipping off the tip. Spyderco’s new rustproof Hawkbill blade is made with state of the art non-rusting H-1 steel.

H-1 is a precipitation-hardened steel containing nitrogen instead of carbon, which cannot rust. The hollow-ground blade comes PlainEdged or SpyderEdged with both configurations offering remarkable cutting performance in and around fresh and saltwater. Textured with a Volcano Grip® pattern, the molded fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) handle is offered in black or visible marine yellow. It’s equipped with a reversible left/right hand titanium pocket clip (also non-rusting) that positions the folder tip-up in the pocket. We recommend threading a thong or cord through the lanyard hole for back-up retention around water, where once dropped, a knife is often lost or irretrievable.

Spyderco Tasman Salt H1

The Tasman has a very different design compared to most folding knives on the market. The blade itself is highly serrated and has a pronounced hook. I have found this to be very effective when cutting rope or tape that is under high or little tension but it does look over the top. The knife is extremely efficient. However the shape also makes the Tasman Salt look very extreme which would probably prohibit it being used as an EDC.

The serrations on the blade and the point of the hook are not very forgiving and catching yourself or you gear on them could a problem. Handling a more conventional shaped knife might be consider a little safer by some.

Now the fact that this knife is folding will put a number of people off as it isn’t always ready for use. That said the trademark Spyderco thumb hole and overall design means that the knife is incredibly easy to open with one hand. This is even the case with cold hands.

The plastic handle is textured and is easy to grip even when wet and the bright yellow colouring is also very effective. I have added a small lanyard to my knife now in order to make it easier to pull out of the pocket. Spyderco have incorporated a hole within the knife handle to accommodate this. This is important as the Tasman Salt does not float.

It is worth noting that Spyderco makes other knives using H1 steel that are far more conventional looking.