Spyderco Forums

okay, let's have it out, seems that H1 causes more controversy than any other steel....so what is the problem with it?

I have a Salt Pacific and a Salt Aqua, I really don't see the downside to H1, if you sharpen your own knives it is no big deal that it doesn't stay as sharp as long as VG-10.

I sharpen my kitchen knives (VG-10) once a week or so , I run my H1s over a stone at the same time, a few minutes every couple of weeks.

To me, there's no real problem with it, and I have a Salt that I keep in the glovebox of my car. On the other hand none of the knives it is used in are ones I normally carry. But that's true of most steels Spyderco uses other than VG-10, and it's not because I have any particular preference for VG-10, just for the models available in it.

I dunno about controversy, it just seems like some people pigeon hole this steel into a role of "won't rust...and that is the only reason to use it".

Truth is, the steel is really tough and seems to stand up to a lot of abuse. Saying that is is only warranted for use in highly corrosive environments sells it short.

It holds an edge pretty good depending on what you use it for. I find it to be quite easy to sharpen as it seems to respond well to ceramics, diamonds, and strops.

I think the controversy must stem from those that want to compare this steel to other exotics that put a very high premium on edge holding.

I suppose if your knives can go a week between sharpenings, H-1 is fine. When S90V doesn't last past lunch without a touch-up, H-1 's only draw is rust resistence. When S90V needs a touch up at lunchtime and you live 1500 miles from salt water, H-1 is pretty pointless. My biggest problem with it is simply that I get tired of people asking for it in everything. It isn't the be-all and end-all of knife steels.

H1 also has less appeal for those of us who prefer FFG.

Check out my "H1 vs a shoe" thread. There's nothing wrong with H1.

- best wishes, Jazz.

Hookpunch wrote:okay, let's have it out, seems that H1 causes more controversy than any other steel....so what is the problem with it?

I have a Salt Pacific and a Salt Aqua, I really don't see the downside to H1, if you sharpen your own knives it is no big deal that it doesn't stay as sharp as long as VG-10.

I sharpen my kitchen knives (VG-10) once a week or so , I run my H1s over a stone at the same time, a few minutes every couple of weeks.

Ignorance.

I could explain with more words but that sums it up. :)

Hookpunch wrote:okay, let's have it out, seems that H1 causes more controversy than any other steel....so what is the problem with it?

I have read numerous threads regarding H1 steel and "work hardening". Some people believe it's a bunch of nonsense & BS and others insist their H1 knives become sharper with use. I will keep looking for the threads, I know they exist, just not having any luck finding them.

Not really a controversy, IMO just response to how H1 is blown out of proportion for its advantages. Sure it won't rust and really tough, but for most people there's really no need for that much rust resistance and toughness.

Jay_Ev wrote:I have read numerous threads regarding H1 steel and "work hardening". Some people believe it's a bunch of nonsense & BS and others insist their H1 knives become sharper with use. I will keep looking for the threads, I know they exist, just not having any luck finding them.

OK, now that would be some amazing nonsense! I can imagine claims like that would draw some controversy.

I'm really skeptical about the harder/sharper per more use thing, but i guess if the science behind it is factual then it's hard to argue. For me and i think for a lot of other people, the high rust resistance just isn't a big enough deal vs. another steel that holds an edge better and is easier to sharpen (such as VG10 or S30V etc). I've never had anything more than very small specs of surface rust on my blades when used in general EDC uses. Even my Victorinox knife that stays in my fishing tackle box year around and NEVER gets cleaned doesn't have a spec of rust on it and it gets put away wet almost every time it gets used. Maybe if i lived closer to the ocean or somewhere that rust/moisture was a bigger issue i may feel like H1 is more "necessary". I do wanna try one out though, i just have a lot of knives on the list before anything offered in H1.

Evil D wrote:I'm really skeptical about the harder/sharper per more use thing, but i guess if the science behind it is factual then it's hard to argue. For me and i think for a lot of other people, the high rust resistance just isn't a big enough deal vs. another steel that holds an edge better and is easier to sharpen (such as VG10 or S30V etc). I've never had anything more than very small specs of surface rust on my blades when used in general EDC uses. Even my Victorinox knife that stays in my fishing tackle box year around and NEVER gets cleaned doesn't have a spec of rust on it and it gets put away wet almost every time it gets used. Maybe if i lived closer to the ocean or somewhere that rust/moisture was a bigger issue i may feel like H1 is more "necessary". I do wanna try one out though, i just have a lot of knives on the list before anything offered in H1.

I have VG-10 blades, and I find H1 sharpens up faster although it also dulls faster.

I see your point though, never had any rust on my VG-10 kitchen knives which are always exposed to water, although not salt water, or put them away wet.

Everybody has their own "sweet spot" determined by considerations of toughness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc. For me, once you've crossed over into "stainless" territory, you've got all the corrosion resistance you need. But I don't spend a lot of time on a boat.

Statistically, if you are a human being, you are more likely to live by the coast than not. I'd say the market for rust proof knives isn't going anywhere.

Joshua J. wrote:Statistically, if you are a human being, you are more likely to live by the coast than not. I'd say the market for rust proof knives isn't going anywhere.

Plus, as the oceans keep rising, there will be tons of NEW coastal denizens!

i live less than 100 meters from the ocean and I never have any knives naturally rust on me including carbon steel. Unless I purposely leaving lemon juice over the blade, that both ZDP and D2 rust pitted over night. Therefore H1 doesn't seem to do anything for me unless one day I decide to go for a dive or something

on the other hand, H1 doesn't hold an edge at all for my daily card board cutting task. And, most importantly, work hardening doesn't exist, ever, for both my Tasman and Pacific Salt.

yablanowitz wrote:My biggest problem with it is simply that I get tired of people asking for it in everything. It isn't the be-all and end-all of knife steels.

Exactly, H1 has ts trade-offs, like all of the other steels :spyder: uses. Pluses are exceptional corrosion resistance, toughness, and work hardening with use. Some minuses are: lower edge retention out of the box (particularly PE), not practical to flat grind in a production environment, and it scratches easily.

These trade-offs aren't significant to you, so anyone to whom they are is "ignorant"?

There are many models I wish came in VG-10, but I understand the reasons why they don't, and am okay with it.

LowTEC wrote:i live less than 100 meters from the ocean and I never have any knives naturally rust on me including carbon steel.

Really? I left a carbon steel Mora outdoors one night and it was covered with rust and I don't live anywhere near the ocean....Ontario

I'm not sh-itting you

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=14981+mari ... 0262&hl=en

Maybe there is more salt on the land over the east than the ocean water on the west hahaha

I have both my CS 1055 machete and RC4 1095 hanging on the wall right now with no sheath on, no rust

I remember seeing the thread H-1 vs a shoe. I did my own version of that called D2 vs 3 deer field to freezer. I don't want to stop and clean the knife so I can sharpen it part way through a job, or in that case, 3 jobs. So the H-1 fad skipped me without hesitation.