So ashamed.

I thought it still had to be held at an elevated temperature but this is probably done at the steel factory and anyone that uses it doesn't have to do anything. I could be wrong about that too though. I wonder if all the new steels that are using nitrogen in place of some of the carbon will also be PH steels like the Vanax75. I know infi uses some nitrogen in it but I guess not enough to get in the PH category since they like to talk about their 40 hour heat treat. It has been a long time since I had a metallurgy class and I'm sure we just touched on the basics and that a lot of new technology has come out since then.


Apparently, they (Spyderco) don't heat treat this steel. Found this text in the description of one of the Salt knives on Spyderco's site:

"H1 is a PH steel meaning it is a precipitation-processed alloy, that's rolled hard without heat-treating and has .1% nitrogen which acts like carbon in the steel matrix, but does not react to chlorine making rust. "

Here's the link:

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=40
 
I thought it still had to be held at an elevated temperature but this is probably done at the steel factory and anyone that uses it doesn't have to do anything. I could be wrong about that too though. I wonder if all the new steels that are using nitrogen in place of some of the carbon will also be PH steels like the Vanax75. I know infi uses some nitrogen in it but I guess not enough to get in the PH category since they like to talk about their 40 hour heat treat. It has been a long time since I had a metallurgy class and I'm sure we just touched on the basics and that a lot of new technology has come out since then.

I googled "precipitation hardening h1" and came across this old BF thread (dating back to 2003). See post #33 in the thread (from Sal Glesser himself), he does mention that the H1 'comes hard from the foundry'. I'm no metallurgist, but it's still interesting reading.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239015&page=2
 
The way he talks it sounds like they are hardening it some though. He must have been talking about the hardness after the blade is made and finished, after any work hardening has been done. I wonder if they try to grind the blades more aggressively to increase work hardening?

He also said it was hard to grind but without many (any?) carbides I'm surprised. That must have been pre S90V. :D
 
I think your knife looks fine and should be used as is if it is sharp. If not, then sharpen it by hand and continue enjoying your knife. See if it is harder to sharpen by hand now that you have "worked" it on your grinder to see if the hardness at the edge is increased.

It is a good canditate for a regrind, but that would be up to you. Tom Krein does a fine job with regrinds but I see richard j also offers them.
 
Apparently, they (Spyderco) don't heat treat this steel. Found this text in the description of one of the Salt knives on Spyderco's site:

"H1 is a PH steel meaning it is a precipitation-processed alloy, that's rolled hard without heat-treating and has .1% nitrogen which acts like carbon in the steel matrix, but does not react to chlorine making rust. "

Here's the link:

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=40

Actually, most PH steels can be heat treated, though sometimes they are used without. From my reading, it appears that it is the high Nitrogen content of H1 that might make the alloy more responsive to work hardening than heat treating rather than the fact that it is a PH steel.
http://www.keytometals.com/page.aspx?ID=CheckArticle&site=kts&NM=202
http://www.keytometals.com/page.aspx?ID=CheckArticle&site=kts&NM=204

One error in that text for sure is their statement that "Carbon reacts to Chlorine forming rust." Both Carbon and Chlorine increase the rate of reaction of iron with oxygen. It is the reaction of iron and oxygen that forms rust.

One has to remember that the folks writing these descriptions are not metallurgists, so don't take them as word for word gospel.
 
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To the OP

If I were in your shoes I would keep the knife in question as a beater , learn one hell of a lesson, then buy a new one if you like the style that much.

Spyderco or any other knife company wont replace that blade for free since you did the 'work' on it , nor should they.

My two cents.

Tostig
 
That can be fixed from what I see in the pictures. Richard has already said he would fix it for you. What are waiting for?

I've had knives handed to me in worse shape than that and I was able to clean them up and get them shaving sharp in under 20 minutes.

When you grind a blade like that warranty is not an option in my opinion. If a company does fix it they are going way above and beyond normal warranty issues.
 
I was defiantly not not looking for warranty. After I was done with the bench grinder the first thing I thought was "great, gotta sent it out to Richard J" . But I am going on vacation in less than ten days, so sending it out would be in issue, as I would not be home to receive it.

I am going to leave it as is, maybe buy an other. Once I get back I will send it for a regrind most likely.

With in ten days I might try and see if I can hit the knife free hand on my tormek-like machine.

My worries are that I have lessened the curve of the edge, rounded the tip, and mangled the edge line towards the heel.

Meanwhile... await to see pictures of my Native carbon fiber (and Delica zdp) with uneven edges that I tried to do with my tormek-like machine. They are sticky sharp but the primary bevel isn't the same thickness from heel to tip.

I think I need more practice before I reprofile my paramilitary. The edges are very usable (whittle hair) but they just aren't aesthetic.
 
you can send it to me and i wont send it back until you tell me to. i'm getting quite busy with regrinds and sharpening not to mention quite a few knives i have to make. i can work it in between all i have to do.
 
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