Should I try H1?

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Josh Crutchley
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Should I try H1?

#1

Post by Josh Crutchley »

I have been looking at rust proof steels for a while and not sure which to try. It seems like Lc200n is taking over the salt line up. I personally like plain edge but it's been said H1 doesn't do as well with pe. Should I just pass on H1 and get Lc?
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Re: Should I try H1?

#2

Post by The Meat man »

I'd take LC200N over H-1 in either edge configuration.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#3

Post by Woodpuppy »

My opinion, go LC200N for sure for PE. SE H1 has quite a rep, but if you’ve followed the Caribbean torture thread I think you’ll agree SE LC200N is also great. There seems to be a cost difference to consider, and color choices in some cases too.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#4

Post by Doc Dan »

I haven't tried LC200N yet. I have used H1 and the reputation for lousy edge retention is over blown. Plain edge is in the BD1/AUS8 range, I'd say. The serrated edge stays sharp much longer. However, beyond edge retention, H1 is very tough and rolls rather than chips. It is easy to sharpen. It cannot rust, ever. All of those things are good reasons to try it.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#5

Post by vivi »

In PE I would go LC200N hands down.

In SE its more of a toss up, depends on your priorities.

The LC200N SE knives have superior geometry being full flat ground, but that's the only advantage they have. H1 matches or exceeds SE LC200N's performance in all aspects.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#6

Post by ladybug93 »

the answer to this question is always yes. however, i would agree that you should go with se h1. i think everyone needs a se h1 salt in their lives. i actually prefer h1 to lc200n because it's a real workhorse and people should try serrations more and get past this weird prejudice the knife community has against them. they're great.

if it absolutely has to be plain edge though, go with lc200n. the new salts in lc200n with plain edges should make excellent edc knives.
keep your knife sharp and your focus sharper.
current collection:
C253GBBK, C258GFBL, C101GBBK2, C11GYW, C11FWNB20CV, C101GBN15V2, C101GODFDE2, C60GGY, C149G, C189, C101GBN2, MT35, C211TI, C242CF, C217GSSF, C101BN2, C85G2, C91BBK, C142G, C122GBBK, LBK, LYL3HB, C193, C28YL2, C11ZPGYD, C41YL5, C252G, C130G, PLKIT1
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Josh Crutchley
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Re: Should I try H1?

#7

Post by Josh Crutchley »

vivi wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:32 pm
In PE I would go LC200N hands down.

In SE its more of a toss up, depends on your priorities.

The LC200N SE knives have superior geometry being full flat ground, but that's the only advantage they have. H1 matches or exceeds SE LC200N's performance in all aspects.
I decided to give SE a try with a Byrd Hawkbill in 8cr and I didn't really care for it. I just like how easy it is to sharpen PE knives. That's why I'm asking if it's even worth getting H1 PE.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#8

Post by Josh Crutchley »

ladybug93 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:08 pm
the answer to this question is always yes. however, i would agree that you should go with se h1. i think everyone needs a se h1 salt in their lives. i actually prefer h1 to lc200n because it's a real workhorse and people should try serrations more and get past this weird prejudice the knife community has against them. they're great.

if it absolutely has to be plain edge though, go with lc200n. the new salts in lc200n with plain edges should make excellent edc knives.
I'm stuck on PE for now.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#9

Post by vivi »

Joshcrutchley1 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:24 pm
ladybug93 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:08 pm
the answer to this question is always yes. however, i would agree that you should go with se h1. i think everyone needs a se h1 salt in their lives. i actually prefer h1 to lc200n because it's a real workhorse and people should try serrations more and get past this weird prejudice the knife community has against them. they're great.

if it absolutely has to be plain edge though, go with lc200n. the new salts in lc200n with plain edges should make excellent edc knives.
I'm stuck on PE for now.
Wanna test drive an old beat up SE Pacific Salt 1?
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Josh Crutchley
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Re: Should I try H1?

#10

Post by Josh Crutchley »

vivi wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:25 pm
Joshcrutchley1 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:24 pm
ladybug93 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:08 pm
the answer to this question is always yes. however, i would agree that you should go with se h1. i think everyone needs a se h1 salt in their lives. i actually prefer h1 to lc200n because it's a real workhorse and people should try serrations more and get past this weird prejudice the knife community has against them. they're great.

if it absolutely has to be plain edge though, go with lc200n. the new salts in lc200n with plain edges should make excellent edc knives.
I'm stuck on PE for now.
Wanna test drive an old beat up SE Pacific Salt 1?
That's very tempting it would give me a chance to check out H1. I originally wanted to pick up a Tasman Salt but lost interest after I got the Byrd Hawkbill.

Edit: After thinking the only SE knife I ever used was the Hawkbill so I guess I've never really tried a regular SE knife.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#11

Post by spoonrobot »

nvm
Last edited by spoonrobot on Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
skeeg11
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Re: Should I try H1?

#12

Post by skeeg11 »

Tastes and preferences vary according to your uses. The thinner FFG and distal taper of the serrated LC200N Pac 2 Salt blade are its best features for my uses.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#13

Post by Doc Dan »

Joshcrutchley1 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:23 pm
vivi wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:32 pm
In PE I would go LC200N hands down.

In SE its more of a toss up, depends on your priorities.

The LC200N SE knives have superior geometry being full flat ground, but that's the only advantage they have. H1 matches or exceeds SE LC200N's performance in all aspects.
I decided to give SE a try with a Byrd Hawkbill in 8cr and I didn't really care for it. I just like how easy it is to sharpen PE knives. That's why I'm asking if it's even worth getting H1 PE.
Sharpening serrated edged Spydercos is a whole lot easier to do than any plain edged knife. There is a video that Vivi has, here somewhere that shows just how to do it.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#14

Post by CPM-Greg »

I've got three H1 blades that I have used on boats and the Enuff as my main dive knife; all performed to my expectations. I cut apples and sausage during surface intervals, and cut old rope during dives. Indeed, I bought two Dragonfly H1s when they were on sale years ago. Good thing since I have misplaced my Dragonfly last week and now I have a brand new H1 to take to the beach next week. I am sh*tty at sharpening and I am not a steel aficionado; therefore H1 works well for me.

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Re: Should I try H1?

#15

Post by Evil D »

Depends on what your expectations are. If you're not cutting drywall all day and you don't mind touching up your edge at the end of each day, H1 is fine. It's a fun steel to sharpen, it's very easy to get very sharp.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#16

Post by Wartstein »

Joshcrutchley1 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:16 pm
vivi wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:25 pm
Joshcrutchley1 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:24 pm
ladybug93 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:08 pm
That's very tempting it would give me a chance to check out H1. I originally wanted to pick up a Tasman Salt but lost interest after I got the Byrd Hawkbill.

Edit: After thinking the only SE knife I ever used was the Hawkbill so I guess I've never really tried a regular SE knife.

You really should!

Sabre hollow H1 SE for brutal "separating performance";
ffg, shallow-non aggressive SE for everyday tasks ("the better PE" for me) - Endela SE, Salt 2 ffg SE or certainly Caribbean SE come to mind...
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Should I try H1?

#17

Post by ladybug93 »

everyone raves over ffg blades, but my old pacific salt se in h1 with a hollow grind breaks down boxes better than my flat ground manix. hollow grinds are not as slicey, but that really only matters in certain types of cutting. a hollow grind tends to bind less in tougher cuts.
keep your knife sharp and your focus sharper.
current collection:
C253GBBK, C258GFBL, C101GBBK2, C11GYW, C11FWNB20CV, C101GBN15V2, C101GODFDE2, C60GGY, C149G, C189, C101GBN2, MT35, C211TI, C242CF, C217GSSF, C101BN2, C85G2, C91BBK, C142G, C122GBBK, LBK, LYL3HB, C193, C28YL2, C11ZPGYD, C41YL5, C252G, C130G, PLKIT1
spyderco steels:
CPM 20CV, CPM 15V, CTS 204P, CPM CRUWEAR, CPM S30V, N690Co, M390, CPM MagnaCut, LC200N, CTS XHP, H1, 8Cr13MoV, GIN-1, CTS BD1, VG-10, VG-10/Damascus, 440C
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Re: Should I try H1?

#18

Post by M Sea »

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I have several knives in both H1 and LC200N. For me, they are lifesavers for my work knives. I honestly think you cannot go wrong with either but do agree that H1 seems to shine in a SE. I have several that I beat the crap out of working and they always amaze me. Also, the H1 SE Hawksbill is the best fishing knife I have ever owned. Its incredible.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#19

Post by Gtscotty »

My PE H1 Salt 1 is the only Spyderco I've really ever been disappointed with. It doesn't rust, but that's it, the poor edge holding reputation that PE H1 has is not a myth. Mine basically only comes out for salt water snorkeling/fishing, or when I think there's an increased chance that I might break or lose a knife and don't want to risk a knife I like.

I don't have any LC200N yet, but from the testing out there it looks like it should be a pretty good step up in performance. It's probably not a coincidence that LC200N now seems to be taking over the Salt line, less of a one trick pony, more of a generalist, that also doesn't rust.
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Re: Should I try H1?

#20

Post by JRinFL »

My experience with H1 is similar to Gtscotty's, the edge retention has been very poor for me on my H1 knives, all SE. Someone said H1 has Aus-8 level of edge holding which surprised me, as my LC200N has about the same as Aus-8 in my experience. H1 is much lower.
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