- Joined
- Aug 1, 2006
- Messages
- 1,506
I'm a big fan of Spyderco and wanted to verify the claims and rumors that have been circulating around the blade community about the new H1---supposedly rustproof---steel. I ordered a Pacific Salt with a yellow FRN handle and a fully serrated edge. As the theory goes, due to the fact that H1 is a precipitation (work) hardened steel, according to Tactical Knives, the fully serrated blade will hold a better edge from the factory due to the extra work that is required during the fabrication of the actual tooth pattern. I could not tell you this is the case, as I have not had a plain edge H1 blade, but the edge holding is impressive, and, in my experience, to be better than VG10. There is also a claim that the Rockwell hardness and edge-holding ability will increase with resharpening; I have seen reports of dramatic increases up to 66 on the Rockwell scale. I have yet to thoroughly resharpen or test mine, but I will post reports on that as well.
The Pacific Salt came from the factory with a REALLY sharp edge already on the knife, it easily shaved the fine hair off my arm and sliced through the really thin magazine paper of cheaper publications. It cut through parachute cord and some junkyard-retrieved seatbelts without a problem; the serrated edge sliced through tomatoes and onions in the kitchen with surprising finesse, and the rounded tip has good functionality. The blade is hollow ground and offers great performance.
I melted snow into a Nalgene bottle up to the 16 ounce mark and filled the bottle with two tablespoons of salt. I submerged the Pacific Salt in the water for twenty-four hours and left it sit on a paper towel (without doing any maintenance) for another twelve before touching it. No rust was on the knife; all that remained was some salty gunk in the lower inside of the handle, which was easily cleaned out, and some evaporated crystals and light marks on the blade from evaporated water. The corrosion resistance of this steel is truly remarkable.
I have carried the knife for a week since and have yet to notice wear on the black-coated titanium pocket clip.
The handle is identical to that of the Endura3 and is very comfortable and grippy; no hot spots and the knife is in no way slippery. I do, however, wish that it had steel liners like the latest Endura/Delica (4) series; these would have to be titanium or H1 to keep the knife completely rustproof though. The yellow is a great color for a rescue or forest knife. I dropped it while pheasant hunting the other day and it was a snap to find on the trail back to the fields.
I highly recommend that you all pick one of these up to carry on rainy days or in humid environments. If you require little-to-no maintenance, or hate cumbersome everyday care, or even get annoyed by a little corrosion like I do, this is the blade for you.
They're available at a great price, $47, from Savson at www.savsonswordsandknives.com. They're also readily available from other dealers, from Spyderco directly, and on eBay but that's the best price I've found.
The Pacific Salt came from the factory with a REALLY sharp edge already on the knife, it easily shaved the fine hair off my arm and sliced through the really thin magazine paper of cheaper publications. It cut through parachute cord and some junkyard-retrieved seatbelts without a problem; the serrated edge sliced through tomatoes and onions in the kitchen with surprising finesse, and the rounded tip has good functionality. The blade is hollow ground and offers great performance.
I melted snow into a Nalgene bottle up to the 16 ounce mark and filled the bottle with two tablespoons of salt. I submerged the Pacific Salt in the water for twenty-four hours and left it sit on a paper towel (without doing any maintenance) for another twelve before touching it. No rust was on the knife; all that remained was some salty gunk in the lower inside of the handle, which was easily cleaned out, and some evaporated crystals and light marks on the blade from evaporated water. The corrosion resistance of this steel is truly remarkable.
I have carried the knife for a week since and have yet to notice wear on the black-coated titanium pocket clip.
The handle is identical to that of the Endura3 and is very comfortable and grippy; no hot spots and the knife is in no way slippery. I do, however, wish that it had steel liners like the latest Endura/Delica (4) series; these would have to be titanium or H1 to keep the knife completely rustproof though. The yellow is a great color for a rescue or forest knife. I dropped it while pheasant hunting the other day and it was a snap to find on the trail back to the fields.
I highly recommend that you all pick one of these up to carry on rainy days or in humid environments. If you require little-to-no maintenance, or hate cumbersome everyday care, or even get annoyed by a little corrosion like I do, this is the blade for you.
They're available at a great price, $47, from Savson at www.savsonswordsandknives.com. They're also readily available from other dealers, from Spyderco directly, and on eBay but that's the best price I've found.
