The Snap-It was a unique departure from Spyderco’s groundbreaking CLIPIT® knives, which pioneered the concept of one-hand-opening, clip-carry folders. Instead of a pocket clip, it featured a snap shackle attached to the pivot-pin end of the handle. The shackle allowed the user to clip the closed knife to a D-ring, carabiner, or similar platform to hang in a position where it was easily accessible. This unique feature earned a U.S. utility patent and made the knife an instant hit with climbers, fisherman, first responders, and other knife users for whom pocket carry was impractical. It also allowed it to win Blade magazine’s prestigious “Overall Knife of the Year” award in 1993.
The original Snap-It featured a hollow-ground blade made from GIN-1/G-2 stainless steel. Available with a PlainEdge™ or SpyderEdge™ cutting edge, it had an injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle and a textured Kraton® rubber insert panels. In 2016, Spyderco reintroduced this groundbreaking design as a member of its Salt® Series of ultra-corrosion-resistant knives. As a proud member of this elite family of cutting tools, the Snap-It Salt combines all the features of the original with the remarkable corrosion-resistant properties of H-1® steel.
Traditional steels are produced by adding carbon to iron. This changes the molecular matrix of the metal and gives it the ability to be altered through heat treatment to produce hard, durable tools like knife blades. Unfortunately, carbon-based steels have a fatal flaw: they are vulnerable to rust. While modern high-chromium stainless steels are less susceptible to corrosion than carbon steels, they are not immune to it—especially when used in saltwater environments. H-1 is a radically different alloy that uses nitrogen instead of carbon to create the material’s steel-like properties. It is also an austenitic steel that does not require a conventional heat treating process. Instead, the mechanical processes used to roll the steel and shape the blade “work harden” it. Those areas—like the cutting edge—that are “worked” the most become the hardest. The result is a blade material that holds an excellent edge, is incredibly strong and flexible, and is extremely resistant to rust.
By combining the remarkable properties of H-1 with the functionality of the innovative Snap-It, the Snap-It Salt sets a new standard in corrosion-resistant cutting tools. Its broad, hollow-ground H-1 steel blade features a fully serrated SpyderEdge™ that cuts with extreme power and efficiency, even through demanding materials like wet rope. The blade’s oversized Trademark Round Hole™ provides exceptional leverage during right-handed one-hand openings.
For high visibility in and around the water, the handle is injection molded from bright yellow FRN. It houses a stout back lock mechanism that locks the blade securely open when in use and textured black Kraton panels for a secure grip, even when wet. The knife’s steel-reinforced FRN shackle features a spring gate that, like the other components of its screw-together construction, is also fearlessly corrosion resistant.
The Spyderco Snap-It Salt is an incredibly functional folding knife that combines innovative design and a proud history with state-of-the-art rust-resistant materials.