Finally starting to like H1 in PE

[LightHearted]

I’ve known how wonderful H1 steel is in SE, but I couldn’t find that same love for PE. I’ve had my PE Salt 1 for over a year, and I’m just now starting to appreciate this wonderful little blade. When I first got it, I wasn’t too impressed with its edge holding ability. It seemed like it constantly needed to be sharpened. I like to use the 30 degree slots on my Sharpmaker, and I’m usually too lazy to go to the trouble of putting on a 40 degree micro bevel. While this lazy technique has worked fine on my ZDP Delica, my young Salt blade had trouble holding that 30 degree angle for very long. Well, something has recently happened to my underappreciated little yellow knife. It has recently started holding its sharp edge for a longer time and seems to still be getting better. I know that H1 is a “work hardening steel,” but I honestly didn’t expect to see a whole lot of hardening taking place in a knife that rarely got used. You can be sure it’s getting used more now. I’m even thinking about adding a PE Pacific salt to my collection. If anyone out there has an underappreciated PE Salt knife, my advice to you is to not give up on it. With use, it will live up to your expectation. Here are a couple pictures of my new found little friend.

[ozspyder]

I love my black FRN Salt used and abused it a lot.... until I loaned/ gave it to my butcher for him to take fishing. He took it and said he's used it a bit and left it at the bottom of his fishing tackle box....no rust yet :D

I used mine for everything.... I mean everything ! Sharpening took a while to get used to. And it certainly is work hardened. Wondering why mine kept losing its edge so quickly. Then took to sharpening it more often and it is now starting to harden a bit and hold its edge for longer, and holding a finer edge at that. Now to try and prise that knife back so I can use it again..... or get another one or two more :p

[JD Spydo]

Since I learned of the Work Hardening properties of H-1 steel I took a completely different sharpening regimen with my H-1, PE Spyders. Instead of using my Spyderco sharpening equipment to sharpen the H-1 blades I use some of my high grade, high density novaculite stones ( Arkansas Stones) to sharpen them instead. Now I do use a coarse, Norton diamond stone to do the initial re-profiling with.

With Novaculite having some very unique abrasive properties I find it ideal for sharpening H-1 blades. Novaculite not only removes a small amount of stock during a sharpening process it also has polishing effects to it as well. In other words you have to work much longer to attain the same level of sharpness as you would with ceramic stones. And you can really tell a difference when you put those H-1, PE blades through a complete sharpening with the Blue-Black Arkansas ultra fine grade sharpening stone.

Now I still use the 204 Sharpmaker to sharpen my Spyderco PE Tasman Salt because it's not practical to sharpen a Hawkbill on a rectangular Benchstone irrespective of what it's made of. I truly wish I could get some "Hard Arkansas" stones to fit my 204 Sharpmaker. Because I would use them on my Hawkbill to do the finish stage with.

[LightHearted]

Thanks for the info on the Arkansas stones. I'd love to try this technique, but I'm a relative newbie with sharpening. Is is difficult to keep a consistent angle when sharpening freehand like this, or is it something that just comes with years of practice? Also, could you point me to a place where I could buy some of these high grade novaculite stones? I found some less expensive ones on ebay and online, but I wasn't sure if there is much difference in quality between them and the high grade ones you refer to. What stones do you use and in what order?

Thanks,
Ken

Since I learned of the Work Hardening properties of H-1 steel I took a completely different sharpening regimen with my H-1, PE Spyders. Instead of using my Spyderco sharpening equipment to sharpen the H-1 blades I use some of my high grade, high density novaculite stones ( Arkansas Stones) to sharpen them instead. Now I do use a coarse, Norton diamond stone to do the initial re-profiling with.

With Novaculite having some very unique abrasive properties I find it ideal for sharpening H-1 blades. Novaculite not only removes a small amount of stock during a sharpening process it also has polishing effects to it as well. In other words you have to work much longer to attain the same level of sharpness as you would with ceramic stones. And you can really tell a difference when you put those H-1, PE blades through a complete sharpening with the Blue-Black Arkansas ultra fine grade sharpening stone.

Now I still use the 204 Sharpmaker to sharpen my Spyderco PE Tasman Salt because it's not practical to sharpen a Hawkbill on a rectangular Benchstone irrespective of what it's made of. I truly wish I could get some "Hard Arkansas" stones to fit my 204 Sharpmaker. Because I would use them on my Hawkbill to do the finish stage with.