If you could buy only one H1 Folder??

goodeyesniper · Dec 19, 2009

Looking to get one of these famous H1 blades, I just can't decide which. Now, my spydie collection is all starting to look quite similar and repetitive, at least to people who don't care about knives. So I'm looking to mix it up a bit, which means I'll opt for serrated over my regular plain edge, and probably a yellow handle....

This knife might be used for just about anything, some fishing, working around the yard, camping/hiking, etc... but mostly just around the home and at work EDC chores which aren't that demanding.

Now, the Hawkbill style blade looks nice, and I could see a serrated Tasman being a decent EDC choice, but I have no experience with hawkbills. I could see the more traditional Pac Salt's blade being great, too....

Why does Spyderco have to have so many darn choices! ha.

Now, what would YOU pick, and why?

elkins45 · Dec 19, 2009

I wouldn't buy a folder. If I could only have one H1 knife it would be the Aqua Salt. It's a great fixed blade that can handle anything.

I know you asked about a folder, but the Aqua is better than any folder.

goodeyesniper · Dec 19, 2009

I love fixed blades.... only problem is they get pretty much no use out of my home, since I can't legally conceal one in California... So folders it is! Thanks though

I already have plenty of fine knives that see only shelf time because I can't carry them.

yablanowitz · Dec 20, 2009

The use you describe sounds like a prescription for Spyderhawk H-1 (the Tasman's big brother

)

It's a workhorse, especially in SE.

The Deacon · Dec 20, 2009

If you're looking for something different from what you have, it depends on what you have. The two extremes, hawkbill and sheepfoot blades would be the obvious candidates. So, Tasman or Spyderhawk at the one extreme, Saver or Atlantic at the other. All are available in yellow with a serrated edge. Personally, I'd go with the Saver, but which of them would prove most useful to you depends on what you normally do with a knife.

Paul

My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

goodeyesniper · Dec 20, 2009

Well, what I usually do with my knife is carry it

after that, they usually only see relatively light cutting chores. However, I think I'd have to make myself put this one through some hard work...

But, I do find myself needing to do some light piercing on a daily basis, and like a nice tip for that. So sheepsfoot blade might be out, whereas the hawkbills seems to have a workable tip, but have never used one. Looking at it, looks like I might actually prefer a hawkbill style for piercing, traditional upswept blades make me have to rotate my wrist forward/down, whereas something like my Centofante 4 with the Wharncliffe blade has a much more natural motion with the tip being lower, in line with the flat blade...

The Deacon · Dec 20, 2009

Hawkbills are ideal for piercing, ripping, and anything where a gathering cut would be used, such as free hanging rope and plant stalks. They're less well suited to food prep and wood working. However, as with all blade shapes, folks who like them tend to figure out how to do all manner of things with them.

Paul

My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

JD Spydo · Dec 21, 2009

For me it would definitely be the Tasman Salt. I carried the plain edged version along with my Burgundy Caly Jr for quite some time and I had very good luck using both knives together.

Now if I were to get another job like I had when I worked on a wetland project like I had about 2 years ago I would go for the H-1 Spyderhawk.

I'm finding that H-1 Hawkbills are the best of both worlds in many cases.

I do wish that they would offer this upcoming Native IV in H-1>> that would be an H-1 folder I would be using a lot. They truly do need to consider having one of their stalwart, standard blade folders like the Native in H-1.

Reeek · Dec 21, 2009

I used my Salt 1 in the Pacific while snorkeling far off shore in Maui this November. I was in the water for well over 2 hours and all I can say is the knife is everything it's said to be. The only rust I got was on the LASER etching on the "1" as expected. I like the Salt 1 a lot. The reason being is that the design makes it just as suitable for EDC as it does for specialty salt water use.

gunmike1 · Dec 21, 2009

I have to agree with Yab on this one with the Spyderhawk SE. I have a PE Pacific Salt, but until I had Tom Krein regrind it to a full flat grind with a splinter picker tip it certainly wasn't good at piercing, though it does cut and pierce WAY better after the regrind. The edge retention at this point though on that PE knife isn't in the realm of VG-10, but it isn't horrible and it does take a real nice edge real quick. The Spyderhawk though has great piercing from the factory, and a SE hawkbill is just a tremendous slicing machine that can work all day long and keep it's edge incredibly good compared to PE H1. It takes a little time to get used to a hawkbill, and my Superhawk broke me in on the goodness of hawkbills, but once you use a hawkbill you find it does most everything but food prep extremely good. Yard work like cutting vines or other work like slicing rope is stuff the Spyderhawk just eats up. It is tremendous how good a SE Spyderhawk can pierce and slice, and due to work hardening due the grinding in of the serrations the edge retention of SE H1 goes way up (I read somewhere that the edge is 3 points higher on the Rockwell scale compared to PE H1), to the point where SE H1 is comparable to SE VG-10 in edge retention.

Mike