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Jpm2, did you Rockwell test yours?
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Spyderco HAP40 Thread
- Thread starter SpeedHoles
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Yea, just checking again. Maybe you had them tested since last time.
(Shrugs)
(Shrugs)
If by testing you mean, using, sharpening, scratching against other knives ... yeah, they were tested before our 1st conversation.
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How did you come to the conclusion that hap40 is soft? Elaborate so I can replicate your testing to see if I get the same results
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I don't know what hardness my hap40 Spydercos are at but I would not choose to change anything. These knives are a perfect balance of edge retention, edge stability and ease of sharpening for me. An extra two points of hardness might positively affect one of those characteristics while negatively affecting the other two. Were I having a custom knife made in hap40, I would be content to use the exact ht recipe that was used on these. Sometimes you can get more than you are bargaining for when pushing hardness.
Ok, I worded this wrong, don't want readers to get the wrong impression.
Again, I think Spydercos hap40 is excellent as is, just curious how it would perform if harder.
You can test relative hardness by attempting to mark/scratch/gouge the blade, below the laminate line, if applicable.
I know this method is frowned on, but curiosity gets the best of me.
edit - Also, the sus410 laminate might be a limiting factor in how the blade is heat treated, and to what hardness? Think this might have been mentioned before?
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I'm still impressed with my hap40 delica, it's my edc and I would be bummed if I lost it. My vg10 chipped like vg10 does, and my super blue is discolored a dark gray now and is dull and I haven't had the patience to sharpen it again. The hap40 gets sharper (finer edge) than both vg10 and super blue, and retains it MUCH longer. I use it to open boxes and lots of vegetable processing at the farm. I only have to strop once a month to keep it nail biting sharp. It's a steel that deserves all the praise it's gotten. I'm looking at getting a hap40 kitchen knife now...
wire edge
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I love HAP40 in the thin stock that's used on the Ladybug and Delica. I've used them quite a bit and I've found HAP40 to hold a sharper edge longer than a lot of steels, and it touches up so quickly on a Sharpmaker. The corrosion resistance has been excellent in my usage. It's right up there with my favorite steels!
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I've finally bitten the bullet and purchased a BNIB Hap40 Delica which I should have by the end of the week .
I'm interested in trying to get some patina on the the Hap40 edge . Any suggestions as to what really gets the process happening ?
Mustard , Lemons , Vinegar ?
A lot of the reason I've held off buying one , other than the silly price that they cost down here in Australia is the handle scale colour doesn't really appeal to me from all the photos I've seen . I have blade swapped a few of my other Delicas so if it doesn't take my fancy when it arrives the blade will probably go into some different scales .
ZDP189 is my favourite Seki steel so far so it will be interesting to see how the two compare .
I've been on a Delica buying spree lately and my Kahr that I bought a couple of weeks ago is my new favourite , but man I wish it came in ZDP189
Ken
I'm interested in trying to get some patina on the the Hap40 edge . Any suggestions as to what really gets the process happening ?
Mustard , Lemons , Vinegar ?
A lot of the reason I've held off buying one , other than the silly price that they cost down here in Australia is the handle scale colour doesn't really appeal to me from all the photos I've seen . I have blade swapped a few of my other Delicas so if it doesn't take my fancy when it arrives the blade will probably go into some different scales .
ZDP189 is my favourite Seki steel so far so it will be interesting to see how the two compare .
I've been on a Delica buying spree lately and my Kahr that I bought a couple of weeks ago is my new favourite , but man I wish it came in ZDP189
Ken
ejames13
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This steel seems pretty corrosion resistant for an HSS. I cut up an apple the other day and saw zero signs of a patina beginning to form. I haven't tried to force it tho.
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Hey Ken, like ejames13 said, corrosion resistance is pretty good. I have used both hap40 and m4 on the kayak and m4 does seem to fair a bit better but both are far ahead of a steel like 1095 or superblue. As far as forcing a patina, the quickest and easiest way is to boil some vinegar in a coffee mug and drop the blade in there. Should only take a few minutes to darken up. Make sure you have cleaned it thoroughly first.
I haven't used zdp-189 but from what i've heard on the forums, it can be a bit of a bear to sharpen. Hap-40 on the other hand is about as easy as it gets, takes a crazy edge and still has excellent edge retention. When you look at the relation between ease of sharpening and edge retention, hap40 has by far the best ratio of any steel I have used. Its a real joy to work with. Enjoy.
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Well, guess it might be softer, file tested the edge. I dont know what the HRC is but it does't behave like some other knives at or beyond that hardness with s small file.
the file really bites in the hap40 delica versus the s110v pm2 and the zdp 189 stretch.
the lamination doesn't effect the heat treat. the the heat treatment protocol is for the core steel. the sus stays soft after quenching due to its compostion. This is the strengthening mechanism for laminated blades.
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I think I'm going to trade my Endura in HAP40! Why? I want a Stretch or Delica in HAP40😉. The ergos of the Endura don't suit me, but I love the steel. Btw, my Endura was the very knife that Jim used in his rope cut tests. Maybe I can get it tested at work, to put a hardness with a single knife from a controlled test. Sal did mention that the maker is reporting consistent results on the heat treatment, but I don't remember the number.
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My memory is not the best, but I want to say he said around 62.
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If the C scale was not appropriate, they would go to the B scale. The machine is versatile and there are different tips. Sorry I don't remember the technical terms. My guess is it would still be on the C scale around 45-50.
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I'm not sure, but he might have been asking how you would test the hap40 since the tang has the softer laminate. I guess you'd have to test the exposed hap40 below the lamination line but it seems that would be a bit more dangerous as the steel is pretty thin there?
Yes...and I also thought the area tested had to be flat and even for an accurate measurement?
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My bad, I thought you just wanted to know the difference in final hardness between the two steels. It would be tricky, but they are doing it somehow.