What Spyderco is in your pocket today??

[sv4]

Wharncliffe Wednesday : Rescue 93mm from 2003, with indexing cutout.

[Jeb]

Wharncliffe Wednesday is my new Endura4 with the SE blade. Really nice knife, solid lockup on this knife.

[Skylark427]

indeed

sounds like this may be your first H1 PE knife, and if so I'd check out this video:



H1 is an awesome steel but PE polished edge retention isn't so hot compared to S30V, much less todays edge retention kings. I found the edge could last multiple months of EDC if I used a 200-600 grit finish though.

Thank you for the video! It's indeed my first H1 blade. When I heard of an austenitic stainless that was cold worked into a knife blade that was basically rust proof, it really caught my attention. I've experimented with 316 stainless in the past, cold deforming it in an attempt to do similar things, I've read a few studies that put 316 at around 48Rc with about 40% work reduction. I tried this on the 150 ton press at work, and completely maxed out at 150 tons per foot, it only took 1/4" thick × 2" × 5" down less than 1/16". So I have been thinking of ways of going about that in my free time.

However, I do have a few carbide free knives I've taken to very low angles at work, my favorite is a no name $6 3Cr13 (420J) knife at 54Rc that I zero ground (3.5°~ inclusive) starting with 36 grit ceramic sandpaper glued to a block of wood, and finished with 60 grit ceramic glued to a block. You can feel the individual teeth on it, and it's been cutting nearly 3 years through 2 and 3 wall corrugated board bolted to shipping pallets (though I do need to be careful not to hit any staples or nails or the boards). It still will rip through my 100% cotton work uniform with only the lightest draw of the blade. Geometry really cuts!

I had similar plans but probably not quite as crazy with this specific knife. I'd wanted the original volcano grip, uncoated blade, I planned on wearing out the factory edge first, then dropping it to 8-10° per side, starting with 80 grit and finishing with 250 and seeing how well it performs .

The idea behind the steel is just incredibly unique. And the idea of a basically rustproof maintenance free knife is really appealing in the metalworking field. I absolutely had to try the original, especially at the price I got it ($70). So far, I'm really liking the ergos of it. But I think it'll outperform my cheapie knives pretty well that I've got at work already .

Thank you for the video and advice, hopefully I can get a few more H1 blades in the future, it's truly a unique steel

sounds like you've got the right idea!

I hear you on geometry. I tested some no name $2 bait knife recently and it surprised me how much cardboard it cut. It was really thin stock so despite the soft mystery stainless steel it kept going and going.

Pacific Salt 1's are really cool knives. They can handle anything a folder should, have a nice full sized grip, and only weigh 3oz. Only a pivot screw, one body screw and the clips barrel bolt to keep tightened down. Super low maintenance.

I've got about 10 of them. I bought a lot of pre-need back-ups when they got discontinued.

Yeah, I think this cheapo knife was about 0.106" spine thickness, something like that. With it being at such a low hardness, (54Rc) and also being 420J, I figured I had nothing to lose as it dulled pretty quick on corrugated board (the stuff I cut anyway). Once it was appropriately thinned down to its primary bevel only, it just required a bit of minimal shaping to get it decently sharp, even with something as dumb as 60 grit sandpaper. And like I said, you can see the individual teeth and feel them to this day


It's definitely not pretty, but like I said it still zips through 2 and 3 wall corrugated board, the heavy duty type that is literally bolted to pallets. I do need to saw, but it's amazing what geometry really does for a blade.

On the Pacific Salt 1, it was partially reading through old threads on it, and a lot of what you actually said on these threads that convinced me to get one. I much prefer the larger grip area, the solid FRN slabs, the knufe overall feels great in the hand. And it's incredibly lightweight too, as you said. I'll definitely be looking for a few more to add to the collection before no more can be found, it was luck I found this factory second one, and honestly it's in great condition, no idea why it was labeled a second. But overall, a great deal for me

I also absent-mindedly dropped it straight into a large pile of melted snow and snow salt yesterday. Out of nothing but curiousity, I just threw it back in my pocket with the blade still coated in the dirty, bluish brown melted snow water. Kept it in my pocket until the bext break, using it occasionally. Not a hint of corrosion, blew it out with my air valve at the next break, it still looks fantastic



I really can't wait until it dulls so I can drop the angle, and share more pictures as it ages. It measured an average or 58.2Rc, which is actually quite amazing for a cold deformed austenitic stainless (as I've said, I've experimented in the past try to make my own knives from 316, 304 and 309 this way, I'll figure it out one day, especially with 316 getting to similar hardness if I can find a press that's stronger than 150 tons per foot, or rethink how I compress the steel).

I think it's going to do fantastic as a work knife, I see why you like them so much

I think at 58Rc it'll perform better than 420J (54Rc) at low angles. Plus that knife likely isn't heat heat treated well, a lot of cheaper knives I've had examined had ferrite/pearlite or retained austenite in the the microstructure. H1 is something really, really unique. I almost want to get another to try and compress the edge at 150 tons per foot to see if I can raise the hardness even more, considering this steel was actually designed to be cold deformed. It'd be an interesting experiment, but I also don't want to potentially ruin the limited supply of H1 knives left in the world

[jwbnyc]

[Wartstein]

Great shot Gernot ! Dan

Thanks my friend!

I am just lucky in always having great backgrounds at hand...

[Manixguy@1994]

MG2

[Mrj]

Bodacious

[VandymanG]

And yet another hike with the best small hiking folder ever...

I totally agree with you on the knife. Great photo.

[srivats]

Microjimbo 15V today. Really like this blade shape and knife size. I am also breaking in a new pair of Carhartt double knee pants too that is taking forever

[sv4]

Throwback Thursday : Endura 3 from 2002, last of the “splinter picker tip” Enduras.

[Wartstein]

Yes, this one's definitely got solid slabs of FRN. As a side note, I see what people mean on Seki's FRN compared to other regions, it's definitely got a softer feel to it, which I really like. It's nothing glamorous, but I'm sure it'll make a great work blade.

As I told @vivi too, I'm no stranger to low angles and coarse edges on softer carbide free steels to make them perform better. Here's a quick closeup of a no name $6 420J knife at 54Rc, that I zero ground (3.5°~ inclusive) at 60 grit almost 3 years ago, and it's still cutting 2 and 3 wall corrugated board that's bolted to shipping pallets:


You can see the individual teeth even in that closeup picture, and feel them if you run your fingers down the blade. It'll still saw through that shipping corrugated board, though I do need to watch for staples, metal inside the boxes, etc. But it'll still shave right through my 100% cotton work uniform with next to no pressure (maybe the weight of the blade? Around 2-3 oz) like nothing.

I don't plan to go -quite- as crazy with this knife, but once the factory edge dulls, I'll be taking it to 8°-10° per side, probably seeing how it handles 250 grit before I try lower grit and angles . This one is just over 58Rc (58.2Rc specifically)


I think these will make a good pair today.

Having a washerless, rustproof, maintenance free knife is very useful in a metal shop with heat treatment, metal fumes, steel dust, and numerous other things going on in it. I'm very excited to put this to use. And knowing metals, something is just really, really cool about having a cold formed austenitic stainless blade as a user I'll definitely be putting this to good use, and you guys will see the evolution of it as I use it over the years. Definitely want more H1 models already!

Thank you both for everything

Can´t wait to learn about your findings concerning H1!
And I can see that you generally know a ton more about steels and what to do with them than I´ll ever do, and I am glad that you share your wisdom on this forum!

/ All the talk about the Pac Salt 1 made me carry mine again for a nice evening hike - it is just such a great folder, and I actually can´t decide if I prefer the "1" or the "2" ...

[jwbnyc]

[Skylark427]

Yes, this one's definitely got solid slabs of FRN. As a side note, I see what people mean on Seki's FRN compared to other regions, it's definitely got a softer feel to it, which I really like. It's nothing glamorous, but I'm sure it'll make a great work blade.

As I told @vivi too, I'm no stranger to low angles and coarse edges on softer carbide free steels to make them perform better. Here's a quick closeup of a no name $6 420J knife at 54Rc, that I zero ground (3.5°~ inclusive) at 60 grit almost 3 years ago, and it's still cutting 2 and 3 wall corrugated board that's bolted to shipping pallets:


You can see the individual teeth even in that closeup picture, and feel them if you run your fingers down the blade. It'll still saw through that shipping corrugated board, though I do need to watch for staples, metal inside the boxes, etc. But it'll still shave right through my 100% cotton work uniform with next to no pressure (maybe the weight of the blade? Around 2-3 oz) like nothing.

I don't plan to go -quite- as crazy with this knife, but once the factory edge dulls, I'll be taking it to 8°-10° per side, probably seeing how it handles 250 grit before I try lower grit and angles . This one is just over 58Rc (58.2Rc specifically)


I think these will make a good pair today.

Having a washerless, rustproof, maintenance free knife is very useful in a metal shop with heat treatment, metal fumes, steel dust, and numerous other things going on in it. I'm very excited to put this to use. And knowing metals, something is just really, really cool about having a cold formed austenitic stainless blade as a user I'll definitely be putting this to good use, and you guys will see the evolution of it as I use it over the years. Definitely want more H1 models already!

Thank you both for everything

Can´t wait to learn about your findings concerning H1!
And I can see that you generally know a ton more about steels and what to do with them than I´ll ever do, and I am glad that you share your wisdom on this forum!

/ All the talk about the Pac Salt 1 made me carry mine again for a nice evening hike - it is just such a great folder, and I actually can´t decide if I prefer the "1" or the "2" ...

At the first job I worked at, which I actually had to start part time in high school because my mom's health wasn't good, I started working for the company my father and grandfather both worked at. The job there that I ended up landing, while primarily was high heat furnace components of perlite machines, they worked with such a wide variety of metals for both that specific role I landed and in other parts of the machines, and sold to very big companies (US Gypsum, Armstrong World Industries, Whirlpool refrigerators even) that they put me through schooling to understand the wide variety of alloys I'd be working with (anything from high grade austenitic stainless(330, 333, 253MA), to nickel Inconel grades 600, 601, 617, 718, 740H, and HX) for the high heat furnace parts, to A11, M4, T15, even some Rex 45 and 86 I remember seeing, and numerous other metals in the actual milling equipment itself depending on the machine and final product, being a volcanic glass ore, it's incredibly abrasive to everything it touches.

With the wide variety of metals they worked with, they offered me the opportunity to go back to school for several years, and learn about them to better understand my job, and I took them up on the opportunity . I'm no Larrin Thomas, but I do have a very good understanding of a lot of these alloys in knives(I was actually just in his video asking of 3V, you might recognize my avatar ), especially because I was interested in knives going into the learning .

I'm happy to help anyway I can. I don't know everything, and will never claim to, but I know a decent amount, I've jumped around a few jobs since leaving that company, I worked at a tool and die shop about a year, and where I'm currently at I brought all the heat treatment of the simple alloys we do here at this company to in-house.

More on subject, my H1 is still doing pretty good. I really love the feel of it in hand

I do love the full FRN slabs, and I kinda like the previous owner made the tip a bit more pointy. So far it's working relatively well, so I really can't wait until the edge wears so I can put my own on it already

Thank you for the compliments, I'm very glad to be a part of this great community

Though your pictures will always look better than mine

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

[Paul Ardbeg]

[Manixguy@1994]

MG2

[JSumm]

He’s Back ! The Wild Man from Georgia ! Great shot , love it . Buddy Dan

Thanks Dan!

[zenith2]

[Wandering_About]

28F, light breeze, freezing drizzle/ice pellets, solid gray overcast. Not inspiring weather, but I went for a 3 mile walk anyway.



Para 3 Salt along for the ride

[apollo]