Hap-40 performance thread

[awa54]

Since rebevelling the Delica it hasn't left my pocket... two friends have gone to test it by shaving arm hair and have stopped short, as it goes for flesh unless you use very light pressure. Almost a week of light daily cutting (opening mail and packages, cutting some salami and some plastic packaging) hasn't caused any noticeable dulling.

Not at all scientific, or demanding, but I can safely say that it beats VG10 and I'm quite pleased with my first Delica.

[toomzz]

Ahum......sprint Caly 3.5.......ahum....... :rolleyes:

[Holland]

Bump!

Hap40 has been out for a while now, I'd be interested in hearing more thoughts on the steel.

So far my unscientific impression is that hap40 is similar to SuperBlue but holds its edge slightly longer and takes skightly longer to sharpen.

[SuckSqueezeBangBlow]

My most used knives are the Native 5 with s35vn and the Delica 4 with Hap40. I would say the same - hap40 has better edge retention and I can get it sharper but takes a bit longer

[harronek]

Delica Hap40 , Gary Graley book corner sharpness test .
Push cut , no slicing , sawing or anything unusual , just a straight down push cut in one single motion .
This test is just that its a " test " , your knife has to be properly sharp to do this .
Of all my Delica's different steels that I've tried this test with , the Hap40 felt the sharpest .



Ken

[Bloke]

Delica Hap40 , Gary Graley book corner sharpness test .
Push cut , no slicing , sawing or anything unusual , just a straight down push cut in one single motion .
This test is just that its a " test " , your knife has to be properly sharp to do this .
Of all my Delica's different steels that I've tried this test with , the Hap40 felt the sharpest .



Ken

G'day Ken

That's awesome! I recently bought a Delica HAP40 also. First Delica and first HAP40 blade. It didn't arrive very sharp and a light strop helped. The knife will only be used for light tasks so I was thinking of setting the bevel at 25 deg and a 30 deg micro bevel. How is your knife sharpened?

[Surfingringo]

G'day Ken

That's awesome! I recently bought a Delica HAP40 also. First Delica and first HAP40 blade. It didn't arrive very sharp and a light strop helped. The knife will only be used for light tasks so I was thinking of setting the bevel at 25 deg and a 30 deg micro bevel. How is your knife sharpened?

Hi Bloke, I'm sure Ken will answer but I thought I'd offer my 2 cents. I resharpened my hap40 Delica to 10 dps and added a light microbevel. No issues at all with edge stability in light to medium EDC work. I even did some pretty rigorous rope cutting tests on hard polypropylene rope and had no problems with the edge. You should be fine at 25.

[Bloke]

G'day Ken

That's awesome! I recently bought a Delica HAP40 also. First Delica and first HAP40 blade. It didn't arrive very sharp and a light strop helped. The knife will only be used for light tasks so I was thinking of setting the bevel at 25 deg and a 30 deg micro bevel. How is your knife sharpened?

Hi Bloke, I'm sure Ken will answer but I thought I'd offer my 2 cents. I resharpened my hap40 Delica to 10 dps and added a light microbevel. No issues at all with edge stability in light to medium EDC work. I even did some pretty rigorous rope cutting tests on hard polypropylene rope and had no problems with the edge. You should be fine at 25.

G'day Surfingringo.

Thanks mate, I figured it should be OK, but I noticed you whittle hair with a 40deg micro bevel. I'll try to sharpen it to whittle hair but it's something I've never attempted before. I sharpen my laminated Mora's so that I empty the tobacco out of a cigarette and leave an empty tube that they slice cleanly with a flick of the wrist. They are a Scandi grind and I finish on a translucent Arkansas and green Dialux on leather strop.

[Surfingringo]

G'day Ken

That's awesome! I recently bought a Delica HAP40 also. First Delica and first HAP40 blade. It didn't arrive very sharp and a light strop helped. The knife will only be used for light tasks so I was thinking of setting the bevel at 25 deg and a 30 deg micro bevel. How is your knife sharpened?

Hi Bloke, I'm sure Ken will answer but I thought I'd offer my 2 cents. I resharpened my hap40 Delica to 10 dps and added a light microbevel. No issues at all with edge stability in light to medium EDC work. I even did some pretty rigorous rope cutting tests on hard polypropylene rope and had no problems with the edge. You should be fine at 25.

G'day Surfingringo.

Thanks mate, I figured it should be OK, but I noticed you whittle hair with a 40deg micro bevel. I'll try to sharpen it to whittle hair but it's something I've never attempted before. I sharpen my laminated Mora's so that I empty the tobacco out of a cigarette and leave an empty tube that they slice cleanly with a flick of the wrist. They are a Scandi grind and I finish on a translucent Arkansas and green Dialux on leather strop.

Sometimes I'll sharpen to a hair whittling (or hair breaking) edge just for fun and to see how the steel responds but I never actually use that type of edge on any of my knives. A nice toothy 600-1200 grit diamond finish will get ridiculously sharp. It won't break hanging hairs but it will easily cut ciggie paper like you are describing and works SO much better for most any EDC task. I tend to use 600 for my fish cleaning knives and 1200 for edc. Too many folks use over refinement as a way to chase high level sharpness IMO. The latter can exist without the former. YMMV. :)

[Jazz]

Too many folks use over refinement as a way to chase high level sharpness IMO. The latter can exist without the former. YMMV. :)

Well put, bro.I only polish my woodcarving blades. If I shaved with straight razors, I suppose those blades would get it too.

Ken

Those scales absolutely look great on a Delica. Where can I get some?

[Ryno]

I wonder if I have a bad heat treat on my hap40 delica. The hap40 is a breeze to sharpen, but my SB delica definitely holds an edge longer.

[Surfingringo]

I wonder if I have a bad heat treat on my hap40 delica. The hap40 is a breeze to sharpen, but my SB delica definitely holds an edge longer.

Interesting, I have definitely seen the opposite. Have you seen this performance difference through multiple sharpenings? I only ask because i've left a weak/damaged edge from sharpening before and had that drastically effect edge retention.

[Ryno]

Interesting, I have definitely seen the opposite. Have you seen this performance difference through multiple sharpenings? I only ask because i've left a weak/damaged edge from sharpening before and had that drastically effect edge retention.

When I initially started to use the hap40, I was disappointed when the edge rolled on a zip tie, which I mentioned in another thread. The edge that rolled was a 15 dps polish I put on it. reprofiled it and have been using it since, but I'm weary of really testing it. The light testing I've done since removing the rolled edge seems like it still dulls faster than SB.

[bearfacedkiller]

Hmmm... I have extensively used SB and HAP40 both in the Delica platform and for me the HAP40 has had far better edge retention. Something doesn't sound right.

[dreadpirate]

Ok - I just HAD to hunt down and buy an Endura 4 HAP40 to add to my HAP 40 collection. Found one on Blade Forum.

[Wanimator]

I used my HAP-40 Pakkawood Endura 4 with a polished 15 DPS edge today to process Venison and it performed admirably. I'd lost the shaving sharpness fairly quickly, way better than most steels though and less drastically than S30V and seemed to have taken longer to lose it. The remaining edge was barely nail catching but cut meat and wasn't blunt. However it came back to hair whittling sharpness with the fine and ultra fine rods.

I was taking the meat from the shoulder and while following the bone with the knife, and its edge found a bolt lodged in the shoulder blade from a previously failed hunt. No chipping, extremely minor rolling and the edge came entirely back with fine and ultra fine rods. A plus in my book.

[Igi964]

I had Ladybug HAP40 last year. Carried and used it for 6 months. Great thin edge, nice patina, gets scary sharp easy. I didn't like the soft laminated sites of the blade. It's scratched instantly:( Full HAP40 would be better IMHO. Edge retention wasn't that good as I expected, though. According to steel composition it should be on par with M4. I tried all three Gayle Bradley folders from Spyderco and M4 is better in my experience. Maybe it was due to corrosion edge degradation. I'm not sure, but I am not planning to get another HAP40, or M4. I'll stick with stainless steel.Fits better to me.

[elena86]

From my experience, HAP40 has better wear resistence but less edge stability than Superblue.To each his own.

[Wanimator]

Is it ran softer than Spyderco's m4 though? I really don't mind because it rolled instead of chipping in a moment that would have demolished S30v with a thicker in my experience. I never had it degrade except where there was obvious fatigue from running edge into edge into what I assume was 420 steel (Bolt in the shoulder of a deer). I don't care about scratches, and I don't understand the safe queening, it's a pretty user. 154 CM and S30v weren't much worse as in blunted in terms of degradation with this fairly consistent testing (processing lots of meat) however HAP-40 came back with fine and ultra fine rods even when having that rough steel on steel contact, the others needed real sharpening.

[Midnightrider]

HAP40 is the only steel that actually scares me. It will cut you without you even knowing it.

Sounds like a folding oyster reef in an frn handle