H1 Steel

Z

zenon

Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
48
I'm actually curious what the positive and negative aspects of this steel are compared to other steels used in EDCs or compared to any other marine-grade steel that exists.

Thanks :)
 
Its a strange steel. Wear resistance doesn't seem to be very high, but edge holding is not bad, quite good actually. Personally, I think S30V or VG-10 for example are better steels in terms of edge retention but H-1 is really not bad and more than good enough for my purposes. Touches up nicely on the sharpmaker and takes a very nice edge. You are not sacrificing much. But it really shines in terms of corrosion resistance. H-1 does not know what rust is....it has never seen any!!!!

So it really depends on what you want. For regular EDC a traditional modern performance steel serves you probably a little better, but if you want something for the Marine environment or something for the kitchen, that you can leave in the wet sink (for days if you want) or run through the dishwasher, H-1 is your ticket.

I have EDCed a Pacific for a couple of months until the new Caly arrived last Friday and I love it. Great knife!
 
Lets say you took a Spyderco C89 Atlantic Salt and submerged it in the ocean for a while...

Is the entire knife impervious to rust, or will some parts of it rust?

Also, is that too much for H1 to handle?

Just in curiosity... :D
 
According to FrankK's tests you could be a mermaid or Poseidon himself and you wouldn't see any rust. Both the lockbar and the blade are H-1. The pivot is specially treated against corrosion and the clip on the new Salts is Ti.....Yup, its rust proof alright, all of it. Initially some people saw some traces of rust on the clip and on the washer around the pivot in pretty sever use (like months of diving). They fixed both problems. The washer has a different coating now and the clip is now Ti, so it doesn't matter how much you bang it up.

The link that Rat gave you pretty much says it all.....
 
Is it difficult to sharpen a serrated H1 edge, such as that on the Pacific or Atlantic Salt?
 
Not with the Sharpmaker. Without, you would need slips stones. Gets pretty iffy.
 
I have an Atlantic Salt and I took the clip off and use it for kitchen duty. I wash it in the dishwasher and have yet to see a speck of rust on it. It may sit in the washer for 3 or 4 days before I remove it. Best kitchen knife I own. It also stays sharp for a LONG time. :thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top