C88 Salt I

The C88 Salt I is an intermediate-size knife with an H-1 blade introduced in late 2003. The C88 is comparable to the 3rd generation C11 Delica, but features a rounded blade tip, an enlarged Spyderco round hole, usage of non corrosive steel for all steel components, and usage of H-1 for the blade and lock.

The C91 Pacific Salt is a larger-sized version of the C88.

Appearance in catalogs

The C88 Salt I appeared in all annual Spyderco catalogs since 2004 (older, newer). The C88 Salt 2 first appeared in the 2017 Spyderco Mid Year Supplement.

Designer

Spyderco

Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web

C88BK:

"A myth in the knife world is that, out there somewhere exists steel with high-performance cutting abilities that cannot rust. A Japanese steel foundry recently turned this myth into reality with the introduction of a steel they call H1. H1 is a PH steel meaning it is a precipitation-processed alloy, that's rolled hard without heat-treating and has .1% nitrogen which acts like carbon in the steel matrix, but does not react to chlorine making rust. Surprisingly, it holds a sharpened cutting edge comparable to the premium knife steels being used in the industry by most knife manufacturers.

One of Spyderco's top sellers is our Delica Model. Users gravitate to it due to its sensible size, versatile shape and tested durability. It makes complete sense to plug H1 into this model, so we did, with a couple modifications. Salt I has a more rounded tip that's a bit thicker at the point. Since H1 was developed specifically for use in and around water, rounding the tip better met the requirements of cutting chores associated with boating and fishing. The Spyderco Round Hole is increased in diameter to 14mm facilitating easier access for gloved or wet hands. All inside/outside steel components (lock bar, pins and clip) have been treated making them impervious to rust and pitting. Volcano Grip texturing covers both sides of the FRN handle for friction-resistance to slipping. David Boye's locking lever dent is a standard feature that inhibits the lock from accidental release if the handle is gripped with great force. A matching black titanium pocket clip positions for left/right tip-up portability. A hole running through the hollow clip screw makes a lanyard pipe for stringing thong or cord through when using around water."

See also: C88YL

C88YL2 Salt 2:

"The Salt 1 folding knife was a revolutionary pocket-sized cutting tool that combined the 100% rustproof properties of nitrogen-based H-1® steel with the high-performance features and benefits of Spyderco’s third-generation Delica® design. Although it earned an extremely devoted following, in some ways it was outpaced by some of the design improvements that make our Delica 4 design even better.

Consistent with our obsession with Constant Quality Improvement (C.Q.I.), we decided to revamp the design to create the Salt 2. It combines all the salient features of the best-in-class Delica 4 Lightweight model with the extraordinary corrosion resistance of H-1 steel. These include enhanced ergonomics, a high-traction Bi-Directional Texturing™ pattern on the handle, and a black-coated titanium pocket clip that supports left or right-side, tip-up or tip-down carry. Unlike the Delica 4, which uses stainless steel liners in the handle, the Salt 2’s handle components are molded from solid fiberglass-reinforced nylon (FRN) and fitted with four sets of threaded stainless steel inserts to mount the four-position clip. All other metal hardware on the Salt 2 is also machined from special non-rusting alloys.

This version of the Salt 2 features a high-visibility yellow handle and a choice of PlainEdge™ or fully serrated SpyderEdge™ cutting edge."

The C88YL Salt 2 in Spyderco's online catalog.

Variations

Salt 1

The C88 is made in Seki-City, Japan and has

• a Back Lock
• Boye dent
• based on the Delica 3 handle

The early C88s have a "Salt I" on the blade, which was later (when?) changed to "H1".

SKU	Handle	Edge(s)	Steel	From/To	MSRP	Note	Number made	Grind	Clip	Clip positions	Collectors club
C88PBK	Black FRN	PE	H-1	late 2003-2014	71.95$ (2004)		N/A	Hollow	Black Titanium barrel bolt	LH/RH, TU	Variant
C88SBK	Black FRN	SE	H-1	late 2003-2014	71.95$ (2004)		N/A	Hollow	Black Titanium barrel bolt	LH/RH, TU	Main
C88PYL	Yellow FRN	PE	H-1	late 2003-2017	71.95$ (2004), 124.95$ (2017)		N/A	Hollow	Black Titanium barrel bolt	LH/RH, TU	Variant
C88SYL	Yellow FRN	SE	H-1	late 2003-2017	71.95$ (2004), 124.95$ (2017)		N/A	Hollow	Black Titanium barrel bolt	LH/RH, TU	Variant
C88PBBK	Black FRN	PE	Black TiCN coated H-1	June 2015-2017	134.95$ (2015), 139.95$ (2017)	lockbar is also titanium carbonitride coated	N/A	Hollow	Black Titanium barrel bolt	LH/RH, TU	Variant
C88SBBK	Black FRN	SE	Black TiCN coated H-1	June 2015-2017	134.95$ (2015), 139.95$ (2017)	lockbar is also titanium carbonitride coated	N/A	Hollow	Black Titanium barrel bolt	LH/RH, TU	Variant

Salt 2

The C88 is made in Seki-City, Japan and has

• a Back Lock
• Boye dent
• H1 laser engraved on blade (no bug)
• based on the Delica 4 handle

SKU	Handle	Edge(s)	Steel	From/To	MSRP	Note	Number made	Grind	Clip	Clip positions	Collectors club
C88PYL2	Yellow FRN	PE	Satin H-1	June 2017-	$124.95 (2017)		Regular production	Hollow	Black Titanium Hourglass	LH/RH, TD/TU	Variant
C88SYL2	Yellow FRN	SE	Satin H-1	June 2017-	$124.95 (2017)		Regular production	Hollow	Black Titanium Hourglass	LH/RH, TD/TU	Main
C88PBBK2	Black FRN	PE	Black TiCN coated H-1	June 2017-	$139.95 (2017)	lockbar is also titanium carbonitride coated	Regular production	Hollow	Black Titanium Hourglass	LH/RH, TD/TU	Variant
C88SBBK2	Black FRN	SE	Black TiCN coated H-1	June 2017-	$139.95 (2017)	lockbar is also titanium carbonitride coated	Regular production	Hollow	Black Titanium Hourglass	LH/RH, TD/TU	Variant
C88PWCYL2	Yellow FRN	PE	Satin H-1	Dec. 2018-	$124.95 (2018)	Wharncliffe	Regular production	Hollow	Black Titanium Hourglass	LH/RH, TD/TU	Variant
C88SWCYL2	Yellow FRN	SE	Satin H-1	Dec. 2018-	$124.95 (2018)	Wharncliffe	Regular production	Hollow	Black Titanium Hourglass	LH/RH, TD/TU	Variant

Most collectible variation

Questions regarding collecting the C88

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Technical information

Measurements (mm and grams) of the C88 Salt

SKU	Length overall	Length closed	Length blade	Length edge	Hole Ø	Blade thickness	Weight
C88SYL	177mm	102mm	76mm	68mm	14mm	2.5mm	57g
C88SYL2	184mm	108mm	76mm	67mm	14mm	2.5mm	60g

Measurements (inches and ounces) of the C88 Salt

SKU	Length overall	Length closed	Length blade	Length edge	Hole Ø	Blade thickness	Weight
C88SYL	7.00"	4.00"	3.00"	2.68"	0.56"	0.093"	2oz
C88SYL2	7.25"	4.25"	3.00"	2.65"	0.56"	0.098"	2.1oz