To all H1 fans: tell me why do you love it

[bh49]

Help me out guys/girls.
I never had a knife with H1 blade and never felt that I need one. All my EDCs have VG10 or S30V. But I see a lot of love to H1 on this forum. Please, share your thoughts.
All what I know about H1 is
1. great stain resistance, blade will never rust.
My thoughts: I live about 20 mile away from the ocean and never had a staining issues with any of my knives.

2. Initial hardness is few points below than Vg10 or S30V, so it is easy to sharpen, but edge retention not up to the level of VG10/S30 plus blade get scratch easy. But H1 is work harden, so with use edge retention will get better.

My thoughts: I do not like extra scratches on the blade and why should I wait for edge retention to improve, if I can have it good since day one?

3 H1 cost more than VG10.
My thoughts: I do not need to pay extra money for something which will not be better for me.

So, it looks like that H1 blades target people, who spend a lot of time near the water to benefit from stainless properties of this steel and I do not really need any H1 blade. But I started to have doubts if I am correct, may be I am missing something. In 2009 Spyderco is offering 11 models with H1 blade steel, almost as many as in VG10, probably they have a good reason for the, which I do not know yet.
So, please share your thoughts.

[Peter1960]

I fully agree to your thoughts, but I life in an inland. I think Spyderco offers a lot of H-1 blades due to the fact they have less competition in this niche market. Just my 0,002 €-cents

I would give H-1 change for EDC if I would find a full flat grind blade; unfortunately wishfull thinking so far.

[clovisc]

serrated H1 is absolutely amazing... my favorite serrated edge, and stays sharp longer than any other spydie serrations. the "work hardening" properties of H1 are pretty unusual and incredible as well.

even if you're not outside around saltwater and constant rain like i am... :D ... you'll find H1 extremely convenient. because rust and corrosion are never issues, you don't have to worry about drying your life. it's a lot easier to care for. it's much more forgiving of substances you might get on it... especially in the kitchen. you don't have to worry as much. H1 was hugely helpful to me when i worked in a cafe / kitchen.

i'd say... get an H1 knife, even if you think you don't need one! as an EDC workhorse/user knife, a pacific or tasman is just about the best thing imaginable...

[Lord vader]

My main EDC is my pacific salt,I love the H1 blade because it`s a good all around useful knife.I use it to open packages,Cut rope, and i do alot of salt water fishing as well as fresh water with no problems of any rust or staining.I have used my knife enough now the blade has become work hardened and now holds an edge very well now i have the best of both worlds,So thats the added benefit of having an H1 blade.

[fishtale]

As a poster suggests, just get one of the H1 blades and use it. It really is surprising in performance. Don't let anyone try to convince you the H1 doesn't hald a great edge. Edge holding is on par (if not better) than VG10.

I have a black Salt1 PE and love it. The greatest thing about the Salt is it's simplicity. There are very few parts and not too many nooks and cranies to collect gunk. I use it for just about everything and carry it everywhere. When I shower, it goes on the bottom of the tub near the drain and gets washed...that's it.

I rarely have had to remove material by sharpening. I simply touch up the edge with my kitchen steel. Funny thing happens after a while...more time in between touch-ups. Maybe it's my imagination but I think the steel actually helps work harden the edge. H1 has replaced VG10 as my favorite steel by far. I just wish it was available in more knives...especially smaller (Dragonfly sized) knives.

[Lord vader]

I agree with that totaly, And yes it does get work hardened.

[tasmanH1salt]

It is true that the hardness is a few points below that of VG-10 but it performs just as well and like clovisc said it only gets better with time. As far as the scratching it really does not scratch up too too bad nor do the scratches I have on it bother me (Lets face it VG-10 scratches up with use too). I also love the fact that the entire knife is corrosion and rust proof which means no worries ever. Therefore with it being a very carefree knife with good steel and the SpyderEdge working amazing it is a great EDC. I carry a combo of different :spyder: but one is always an H1. Right now for H1 have a pacific salt SE in black and my first :spyder: Tasman Salt also SE. Both great EDC's alone and together.

[ChapmanPreferred]

I prefer H1 to be serrated. That being said, I also love my Rock Salt. But I EDC a SE Pacific Salt in my back left pocket. I have not experienced work hardening on my knives, yet. Good question to start the thread, and let us know if you break down and buy some H1. :)

Cheers.

[dirtpig67]

I just ordered my first H1 blade a few days back (the now discontinued H1 Mariner). I work as a wildland firefighter and have had a lot of rust issues in the past (S30V and VG-10 Spydercos) as you sweat a lot on fires and end up sweating all over the knife in your pocket. This usually leads to spots of rust after about 1 day of work. The only way I found to prevent this is to put a light coat of oil on the blade every morning or rubbing all the little rust spots off at night if you forget.

I am looking forward to using this H1 in the woods this summer. From what I have heard, I should have no issues with rust from now on if everything I have read about this steel holds true for me.

If you are looking to get one of those H1 Mariners better get one soon as they are getting scarce out there due to them not being produced anymore in 2009.

[zenheretic]

H1 is the ultimate worry free blade steel for the man who works with his hands. As the most common suburbanite, most will never enjoy the full potential of H-1. But then again, Spydercos are so well designed and made, that the average suburbanite will never enjoy the full potential of any Spyderco knife.

I worked hard back in the day toiling in the dirt and ash like Mr. dirtpig67, I would have loved to have H-1 back then. As a wildland firefighter, you end up using a knife a lot, and like he said in just sweat you can rust a lesser steel. Also you are around water quite often, and might have to cut hose, get soaked by a tanker plane or helicopter, or wrestle a water pump at a water source.

Rust free, easy to sharpen, reliable, and safe. H-1 from Spyderco fills that need. On the ranch, in the forest, and across the oceans. :D

[FLYBYU44]

I have a Saver Salt in H-1. You can find them pretty cheap on ebay. I just bought a Tasman on ebay for $43. Personally I like the fact that I don't have to worry about the knife, not just the blade either. Since the whole knife is rustproof you don't have to worry about it at all. I clean my Saver Salt with the pressure washer at work all the time and just shake it off. I have no rust on it now.

[fredswartz]

Roman:

I have been carrying an H1 Salt for weeks now. I don't need a rustproof knife as other Spydercos that I have given hard use to have never rusted. I only bought the knife because of it's light weight and FRN scales. For some reason I find it harder to sharpen than VG10. Maybe it's just me. I also find that the blade scratches easier than a VG10 blade. Anyway, I like most everything else about the knife. Blade steels have never interested me much as everything from ATS 55 to ZDP seems to work for me as long as I keep the blade sharp. If you can believe this, I even had no problems with carbon steel as I always had an Arkansas stone nearby.

[Hookpunch]

I actually paid less for an H1 Pacific Salt than an Endura. that being said, why H-1? Well why not?

I also have an s30V native and a VG-10 native, the s30V seems the easiest to sharpen but the VG-10 is a ***** (I know the opposite of most people's experience), the H-1 lies between them.

[clovisc]

i should say, too, that i've got more user time in my EDC salt series knives than any other spydie i currently own. 3-4 years on my pacifics, salt I, and tasman... and i've carried them often and used them HARD. they just last and last and last and last and last. and get better over time, indeed. :D

[ozspyder]

I love my Salt I. Not only is the H1 steel the ultimate cut and forget knife, it does get better the more you use it.

I believe after sharpening it more than 10 times now it has held its edge a bit longer and can retain a fairly fine edge at that.

I use it in the garden, on picnics, cutting food, crying out weeds from the (soft) ground, or harvesting herbs. If I forget to clean it... well, it doesn't matter. I can get to it later :p

I really love the H1 steel. Like many I think if there can be a way found for H1 or similar 'rustproof' steel to be in FFG that would be my ultimate knife !

I'm still hunting a FFG H1 Rock Salt for the long hot days over the BBQ, which we have been having here in Sydney over the last 2 weeks.

[FLYBYU44]

I should also point out that all the FRN folder Salt models are linerless, which is a good thing IMHO. They are plenty strong and very light.

[araneae]

I like the idea that if I put the knife away dirty, I can open it up in a week and clean it up with no rust concerns.

[clovisc]

this is beginning to turn into a truly great thread that supports the idea that people really appreciate H1, and that SPYDERCO NEEDS TO MAKE MORE H1 KNIVES!

H1 blade, dragonfly-sized
H1 hard use G10 folder (military-like?)
H1 "dress knife"

and don't forget...
H1 Spyderhawk!

when i think of spyderco's H1 folders, i think of them as the start of a true evolution in knives, and what we expect from them.

[RazorSharp86]

I love H-1 at times.
I live in Canada, and we've got lots of snow, which means lots of salt all over. when I need to cut something that was exposed to large amounts of salt, I use my Tasman. rust-FREE. It's an amazing steel. A wonder in the knife world (IMHO)

[Lord vader]

this is beginning to turn into a truly great thread that supports the idea that people really appreciate H1, and that SPYDERCO NEEDS TO MAKE MORE H1 KNIVES!

H1 blade, dragonfly-sized
H1 hard use G10 folder (military-like?)
H1 "dress knife"

and don't forget...
H1 Spyderhawk!

when i think of spyderco's H1 folders, i think of them as the start of a true evolution in knives, and what we expect from them.

I second that motion. :)