H1 Steel

T

theaxel

Joined
Feb 27, 2013
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I haven't been into knives that long so I want to ask some of the very knowlegable people on this forum.
I'm thinking about purchasing a knife from g.sakai knives. but the steel is H1. the only thing i know about this steel is it doesn't rust. could someone explain some of the characteristics of this steel?? and is it difficult to sharpen?? I have a Lansky sharpening system, does it matter that its hollow ground??

The knife is one of the sabi fixed blades, I want it for edc.(spend alot of time near the coast)
 
H1 uses nitrogen instead of carbon to harden it. It does use a tiny bit of carbon, but mainly it's the nitrogen that gets the job done. By some definitions, it's technically not even steel. The benefit, as you know, is that the blade is impervious to rust and tarnish. The trade-off is that edge holding isn't the best. It's not bad; it's certainly better than 420J, titanium, dendritic cobalt, and other metals that rust-proof knives are made with. It's on par with AUS-6. Sharpening it is no different than sharpening any other blade steel. Being softer than "super" steels, it's fairly easy to sharpen. The hollow grind of the knife won't matter with your Lansky, since you'd be clamping on the flat part.

Thanks for bringing these knives to my attention, by the way. I might have to pick one up myself.
 
I'm not an expert, I have experience with Spyderco's H1 though.
A lot of people like it, optimal around salt water.
It is a "softer" steel.
Supposedly, the more you sharpen and use it, the "edge" hardens up.
A Razor edge won't last very long.
It is very easy to get sharp again on my Sharp maker, don't know about the Lansky but you should be fine.
 
From what I have read, H1 performs great with a serrated edge but I am unsure about the reasoning.
 
The serrated edge actually hits a higher hardness because H1 is "work hardened". Because of this there is a rumor that the edge gets harder every time you sharpen it but unless you sharpen your knives on a grinding wheel it is untrue.

I picked up a dragonfly in H1 recently and I love it. To me it feels similar to a lot of carbon steels, doesn't hold an edge forever but it takes seconds to get razor sharp. I carry mine when I go to the gym and even when I go swimming.
 
I think Planterz pretty much nailed it. In my experience with Spyderco's H1 knives (I've got three in regular use), the steel is fine for most EDC tasks. Edge retention isn't its strong suit, I'd rate it a little under well heat treated AUS8. It's an easy steel to sharpen.

If you are going to take advantage of its corrosion resistance, the trade off is certainly worth it.
 
It is a good steel that resists chipping even at low angles, wont rust and sharpens easy. If you sharpen the edge to your preference, either coarse or a high level finish it will perform either way. Wish more knives were available in steels with similar characteristics.

It is also a though steel in that it wont crack. So in a fixed blade....I am interested. Thanks for bringing the knife to our attention.
 
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Thanks for the information, I love how friendly the community here is.
I'll post picture if i end up getting one
 
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