How receptive is Spyderco to ideas for new knives?

[singularity35]

The ARK is H1, and is a handy little thing, but I don't know if you'll want a sharp tip on a dive knife(?).

I'm personally not a fan of a sharp tip on a dive knive. I see no need for it. I'm not stabbing anything while I'm in the water. I'm not a knife fighter on the surface, I'm certainly not going to go to battle with the wildlife below.

Does grinding it down remove anything that might make it more susceptible to corrosion? Like the heat treatment... does that also create some kind of finish that would be removed by grinding it?

Did you keep track of the conversation? I was referring the the H1 ARK that you said you didn't like because of the pointy tip. Are you aware that H1 is almost totally corrosion resistant? You're trying to shoot down every suggestion that will fit your needs and you seem to be trying so hard to not accept any of the suggestions.

Or are you just bent on having Spyderco make a custom knife for you? Somehow right from the start, I knew you were heading here. I've been here long enough to have seen a lot of posts like yours.

 

[The Deacon]

Almost forgot, about 30 years ago Spyderco made something similar in shape to the Cop Tool. Here's a photo, and a description of it, from The Spyderco Story:

n the mid-1980s, Sal, a SCUBA diver himself, started designing improved
tools to be carried by a diver. The first version was the TTZ Probe, a threequarter-
pound slab of transformation-toughened zirconia\ 8 inches long and
half an inch thick, with a lanyard hole at one end and a beveled prying surface
on the other. Not in the least bit fragile, the TTZ could be thrown against a
brick wall, land on concrete, and yet suffer no damage. High cost prevented
this probe from enjoying greater demand, and only a few were ever made.

 

[Surfingringo]

If you want a folder, look at the Atlantic Salt or even better, the new H1 Assist salt. If you want fixed blade check out the H1 Enuff salt. All are made of h1 and none of them will rust, no matter how much time you spend in the water. Those three models all come with sheepsfoot or "rescue" type tips too. Fwiw, H1 is work hardened so the edge of those knives will be much harder than the center and the spine. This means the blade will be less brittle. I'm not much of a "pryer" but this would be an advantage if you plan to use your knife in that way. Member Jazz did a review of one of the salt knives years ago where he torqued the blade until it bent in half and it still didn't break. Try that with some of the high hardness stainless steels out there...or rather, don't try that.

I have a Swick in s30v and I love using it as my boat knife kayakfishing. It sees a TON of saltwater exposure and though it requires a lot more care and has several stains and corrosion spots, it's still fully functional and many many years from (rusting away). Just depends on how much you want to work at taking care of it. I'm lazy so I love H1.

 

[pathfinder74]

Almost forgot, about 30 years ago Spyderco made something similar in shape to the Cop Tool. Here's a photo, and a description of it, from The Spyderco Story:

​

Deacon... that's interesting.

Can H1 steel be bought, and if so how difficult is it to work into a knife.
Based on a video I recently watched about Spyderco, I'm guessing you'd need some pretty specialized tools to cut that type of steel.
The video I watched showed a laser cutter. Eric mentioned the steel is too hard to be stamped out, so I might be a little confused and he was just talking about for mass production of the blanks/templates.

 

[Spectre]

The Spyderco Jumpmaster is a very sturdy, fully serrated knife with a sheepsfoot blade, in H1. Jeff at Cutlery Shoppe has them for less than $150.