H1 toughness

gine

gine

Joined
Sep 2, 2007
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1,169
H1 is known to be tough for a stainless steel.Does anyone know what steel it would compare to??

thx gine.
 
INFI. H1 appears (from some extreme testing) to show very good toughness properties, even taking 90 degree bends without cracking or breaking. Of course, it's permanently bent afterwards.
 
Sounds more like S7 with the permanent bend. Although 12c27 can bend to 90 deg as well.
 
Somewhere, Sal said it had tested to at least 40% tougher than VG-10. That's pretty impressive, especially for anything [completely] stainless. It certainly qualifies as a hard use steel.

BTW, the edge hardness does increase with use/sharpening, at least on the plain edge knives (the serrated blades are already work hardened), so you end up with a differentially-hardened blade. :thumbup:
 
Well, I will be glad when my Pacific Salt starts to harden. I have the plain edge and am a bit disappointed in it's ability to hold an edge. It's quite an amazing steel though just spray clean and snap shut without worry of corrosion.
The other thing that's amazing and I don't mind this too much is how easy it scratches. I use mine in a restaurant so as well as some food prep it's other use includes opening cardboard boxes and such. It's got some pretty good lines on it and I really don't know what caused them.
In hindsight I do wish I would have bought the serrated version just for that extra bit of edge retention but other than that it's light, durable, nice colour (yellow) and a keeper.
 
Any steel will bend to 90 degrees, depends on the geometry and the hardness. Also, with the same geometry, every steel will flex the same amount, it is when you get beyond this range that you get into bending or fracturing, depending on hardness. Bending is for strength (hardness), not toughness. Toughness is impact resistance.
 
hardheart said:
Any steel will bend to 90 degrees, depends on the geometry and the hardness. Also, with the same geometry, every steel will flex the same amount, it is when you get beyond this range that you get into bending or fracturing, depending on hardness. Bending is for strength (hardness), not toughness. Toughness is impact resistance.
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You're saying that a H1 blade and a VG-10 blade, both at the same geometry, will take the same bend? :confused:
 
I know the edge is very tough. I've chopped through hardwood limbs a 1-1/2" thick and it never harmed it. (or the rest of the knife, for that matter) I've seen the same treatment ruin the edge on another brand.
 
From what I gather it's very close to VG10 in hardness/edge holding.

Some give points to VG10 in regards to edge, ease of sharpening, etc but I would say most tests give them very close results. It's definitely not a balsa wood steel. :)
 
If it gets harder the more it's used/sharpened, is it that the H1 at the edge is softer at the surface, and as it's worn away, more of the harder, inner steel edge is exposed? Because it doesn't seem likely that just the action of the sharpening itself would be enough to work-harden it.

edit to add:
I was using my SE Tasman, and accidentally hit the table with the tip. The fine tip bent a tiny bit, and I used the white Sharpmaker rod to lightly try to work it out. Now I can't tell anymore that the very tip had actually bent. Either it straightened out, or an almost imperceptible bit came off, but the tip looks no worse for wear. So it does bend rather than chip.
Jim
 
James Y said:
If it gets harder the more it's used/sharpened, is it that the H1 at the edge is softer at the surface, and as it's worn away, more of the harder, inner steel edge is exposed? Because it doesn't seem likely that just the action of the sharpening itself would be enough to work-harden it.
Jim
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No, it's magic. :)

Someone with a much more technical answer will be along shortly.
 
James Y said:
If it gets harder the more it's used/sharpened, is it that the H1 at the edge is softer at the surface, and as it's worn away, more of the harder, inner steel edge is exposed? Because it doesn't seem likely that just the action of the sharpening itself would be enough to work-harden it.

edit to add:
I was using my SE Tasman, and accidentally hit the table with the tip. The fine tip bent a tiny bit, and I used the white Sharpmaker rod to lightly try to work it out. Now I can't tell anymore that the very tip had actually bent. Either it straightened out, or an almost imperceptible bit came off, but the tip looks no worse for wear. So it does bend rather than chip.
Jim
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Sal says it a "work hardening steel". My guess it has to do with molecules, protons and crap.

It is not a laminated/layered steel. Just more complex than I can understand (which I'm ok with).
 
My guess it has to do with molecules, protons and crap.
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Yep.

From Wikipedia-

Work hardening, strain hardening, or cold work is the strengthening of a material by, macroscopically speaking, plastic deformation (which has the nano-scopic effect of increasing the material's dislocation density). As the material becomes increasingly saturated with new dislocations, more dislocations are prevented from nucleating (a resistance to dislocation-formation develops). This resistance to dislocation-formation manifests itself as a resistance to plastic deformation; hence, the observed strengthening.
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That clear it up for you? Me neither:D
 
if this steel work hardens wont that cause the metal to become more brittle.am i incorrect in thinking work harden goes hand in hand with increase in stress.i think this is reason that springs eventually break.
 
DennisStrickland said:
if this steel work hardens wont that cause the metal to become more brittle.am i incorrect in thinking work harden goes hand in hand with increase in stress.i think this is reason that springs eventually break.
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The beauty of H1 is that the edge work hardens. Serrations have Rc'ed out at 63+ while the spine is still 40-50. It's like a stainless steel with a differential heat treat.
 
Josh K said:
INFI. H1 appears (from some extreme testing) to show very good toughness properties, even taking 90 degree bends without cracking or breaking. Of course, it's permanently bent afterwards.
Click to expand...

Are there any pics of that?
 
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