Spyderco's H1 Steel Observations..

C

Curse

Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
102
Hey, so I was curious if anyone could back up my observations on the 2 Spyderco H1 knives that I have.
I have a Serrated Tasman Salt and Caspian 2 Salt - obviously both with H1, and they are hands down my sharpest knives. From the factory, the Tasman will shave hairs without coming near the skin, and the serrations on the Caspian will do the same.
The plain edge section of the Caspian did need a bit of work from the factory, but literally 2 minutes with a strop and it is just as sharp as the serrated section - scary :o

Comparing this to my 154cm BM Grip, I can't even get it as sharp :x Does it seem to you guys that Spyderco's H1 steel, in addition to being rust-impervious, is very easy to sharpen to a very fine edge? I really haven't gotten enough use to tell how it holds it - my Tasman is an EDC but its a "Carry often, use little" knife, I think I'm going to pick up a Pacific Salt soon..

Thoughts?
 
I have a Salt I that I have carried for 2 years now. It is scary sharp. Of course, I keep it touched up quite frequently. When I lived abroad for a year it was my EDC and I still love it today. H1 does not seem to retain an edge for as long as other steels, but comes back fast on my Sharpmaker. One of my favorite knives.
 
It's difficult for me to say. I think my I've been able to get my Emerson CQC14 sharper than I was able to get my Pacific Salt when I still had it. Since I was able to whittle hairs with both, it gets tricky trying to tell the difference.
 
H1 is relatively soft. Sal said it's similar, performance wise, to AUS-6, which is on lower-mid level knives, and usually around 56-57Rc hardness. H1 has some different properties, particularly that it work hardens (the actual edge, if well used, can be significantly harder), but sharpening a 56-57Rc knife is pretty easy, especially compared to highly wear-resistant steels like S30V or D2. So it's not really that H1 can be made sharper, than, say, 154CM, it's just easier to get it sharp with less skill, or #$@%ing around for hours.

The trade-off of course, as mentioned, is edge retention. There definitely is a difference between a serrated vs plain edge knife in H1. I remember Sal saying once that edge retention for a SE knife in H1 is something around 4 times better than a PE. I have to touch up my PE Tasman Salt way more often than my SE Atlantic.

But I carry an H1 knife for a specific purpose (opening bags of greasy food at work). I've also regularly carried a D2 or M2 knife (not for that purpose), and prefer a more resistant steel, despite needing more maintenance, rather than compromising performance for not requiring maintenance. If I didn't need H1 for work, I probably wouldn't bother with it. But since I do, H1 works great.
 
Planterz said:
H1 is relatively soft. Sal said it's similar, performance wise, to AUS-6, which is on lower-mid level knives, and usually around 56-57Rc hardness. H1 has some different properties, particularly that it work hardens (the actual edge, if well used, can be significantly harder), but sharpening a 56-57Rc knife is pretty easy, especially compared to highly wear-resistant steels like S30V or D2. So it's not really that H1 can be made sharper, than, say, 154CM, it's just easier to get it sharp with less skill, or #$@%ing around for hours.

The trade-off of course, as mentioned, is edge retention. There definitely is a difference between a serrated vs plain edge knife in H1. I remember Sal saying once that edge retention for a SE knife in H1 is something around 4 times better than a PE. I have to touch up my PE Tasman Salt way more often than my SE Atlantic.

But I carry an H1 knife for a specific purpose (opening bags of greasy food at work). I've also regularly carried a D2 or M2 knife (not for that purpose), and prefer a more resistant steel, despite needing more maintenance, rather than compromising performance for not requiring maintenance. If I didn't need H1 for work, I probably wouldn't bother with it. But since I do, H1 works great.
Click to expand...

While we're on the subject, how do you sharpen your SE H1 blades?
 
Curse said:
While we're on the subject, how do you sharpen your SE H1 blades?
Click to expand...

Spyderco Sharpmaker, of course. Oddly though, I tend to freehand with the rods, rather than using the V contraption. But really, the Sharpmaker is the tool to have, especially for sharpening Spyderco's serrations. It was designed for that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top