H-1 is subpar???

[VooDooChild]

To also give specific suggestions.
Since you like the design of the knife, but not the steel, then an endura 4 in vg10 would be a really good starting point.

If you can maintain rust prone steels while at sea, and dont mind oiling the pivot, then the endura 4 will also be available in k390 steel very soon. K390 holds an excellent edge, but will not sharpen as easily as you might like.

Vg10 is stainless, pretty tough, sharpens easily, and will hold an edge better than pe h1.

S30v might also be good for you. But you might have to look at different models for that.

[legOFwhat?]

I don't splash about in the water very often, but I'd imagine if I was always going to be in a life or death situation I would always have a back-up knife. If I had to depend on cutting through, heavy rope, seatbelts, fishing line or kelp to safe a life, I would prefer a serrated knife (hawkbilled especially).

YMMV

[The Mastiff]

Basic carbon steels really have little going for them when it comes down to carbides and wear resistance. I'm not real sure which steel Hultafors uses in it's knives but I doubt it has much more wear resistance than PE H1 in mediums like rope or cardboard which need carbides to have any lasting slicing abilities. I'm wondering about OP's sharpening technique and equipment. The serrated H1 as stated will outcut the PE by a considerable amount and I'd suspect it would do the same with simple carbon steel.

My real issue is I have a difficult time motivating myself to help someone with little knowledge AND a big attitude. I'd bet there are a bunch of real experienced and knowledgeable people here who normally would have offered their help and advice who are sitting back and waiting to see what happens. :)

Joe

[sal]

one million H1 knife users can't ALL be wrong.

sal

[elena86]

From time to time guys with no extensive real life experience regarding H1 alloy and H1 blades in different configurations would come forward and make bold statements. You guys just listen to what Sal has to say about the subject ... he allways nails it... his style. He owns both the experience and the global data so to speak. Spyderco took a brilliant executive decision when they decided to give H1 to the knife world. In simple words I myself need to reafirm, from my real world extensive experience with H1 spydies, what has been told so many times :
1. H1 in spyderedge keeps an edge for a loooong time, longer than the average user would really need, longer than many other steels in both plain or spyderedge. The SE Pacific Salt in the folders line and the Jumpaster in the fixed blades line are the undisputed champions IMHO.

2. H1 in plain edge is a more than decent performer for the average user and the fact that it sharpens like a dream and can be touched up in a few minutes is just a bonus. Enough said.

[Wartstein]

Just my 2c:

I would not even need the total rust proofness of H1 at all (VG10 IS already "totally" rustproof in my use), but still I absolutely love the performance of my SE Pac Salt.

Though I certainly trusted the folks here on the forum, I still had to experience the amazing edge holding capabilities of H1 in SE myself before I could really believe in them. To be honest, I still don´t fully comprehend what is going on in that "work hardening process", but it sure works.

So, OP, with all due respect: If one of the main advantages of H1 (rustproofness) is NOT what you´re looking for anyway, why not give another huge plus of that steel a try: Great edge holding in SE?
Plus: I can´t claim having experience with working on a boat professionally, but from all my various knife use I´d say Spydercos serrated blades should generally be perfect for your needs, be it in H1 or another steel...

[Pancake]

I agree with Warstein.

I have not managed to rust a knife blade, even REX 45 or K390 (yet), so I am fine with tool steels. Still, I carry my Pacific Salt SE as my main work knife, when I want to cut all sort of things. And I have to say, no matter how sharp is your plain edge, or how low grit sharpening you used, you will not match Spyderedge. Just the nature of teeths ripping through any material is just awesome. Even sharp plain edge can skip on cloth or something similar. SE will not!

I have no experience working on boats or cutting rope, but statement: serrated edge are for rookies, veterans are using plain edge only, is kinda silly to me. To each his own, but I would rather use ,,rokie,, equipment, which works better, than veteran equipment, which is worse.

[ladybug93]

i'm curious how many other people in the world work in the harsh and unforgiving conditions of a boat, dealing with constant life and death situations that depend on having the right cutting tool at the ready at all times, but also have a hang-up where they refuse to use serrations (the absolute and obvious right tool for the job) so instead use cheap carbon steels because they are more effective on the open ocean than a knife that doesn’t rust.

i’m too busy saving lives by desperately sawing through ropes on the high seas with my trusty rusty plain edged tool steel knives to read what people with real experience have to say on the internet.

i suspect we’ll be seeing this thread pop up again in another six months with a repeat of the same story.

[VooDooChild]

Im going to give wankywank the benefit of the doubt right now. He did take the time to respond to a thread he made 6 months ago.

I will assume he can sharpen and is good at it.
I will assume his cutting needs exceed those of the majority of more "casual" knife users.
I will also agree with him that I also think plain edge h1 is not very good for edge holding, as I have already done a couple times. If I had a lot of cutting to do, it would be low on my list given other options.

It seems as though regular old carbon steel works well for him. So he does make a good point. Why doesnt spyderco have a regular old carbon steel blade option in one of its production folders?

I think there can be alot more going on here outside of edge holding/ ease of sharpening. Some people on ships are literally hammering the spine of the blade with something forcing the edge through ropes. While any edge can roll or chip I would not be suprised if pe h1 rolled much more than carbon steel if you were doing that. I think some of the really expensive high tensile rigging, like used in racing, at this point requires a saw, but I think thats getting off topic.

Wankywank if you like the design, I would encourage you to give spyderco another shot. Their folder designs are very good. Also switch to a different steel offered by them which I think you will do.

You spent a lot of money on a product that you hoped would perform well and instead performed quite badly for you. It would have been nice if someone at the time could have told you to go with a different option for your needs. Unfortunately we cant turn back the clock.

I hope someone can chime in here and tell you a comparable steel offered by spyderco that will perform closely to the carbon steel that works well for you.

I understand reserving the right to complain about a product or service that was not good. But if you are still using that product that you hate, after 2.5 years, then thats on you.

[JRinFL]

Spyderco makes a selection of fixed blade knives in serrated H1 & VG-10. The Enuff Salt FB31YL should fit the bill and last several lifetimes. If H1 serrated is not a runner, how about a the Enuff in VG-10 FB31SBK serrated or plain edge FB31PBK. The Moran in VG-10 would work as well, much better than plain carbon steel. Model # is FB02.
The Waterway FB43G in LC200N is also a good choice and the designer uses it for Ocean Kayak fishing.

[legOFwhat?]

Just wanted to quote this from Spyderco's website about the Spyderhawk and offer up another option for a folder.

"Hawkbills are deeply curving blades, an invention of necessity out of the marine and commercial fishing industry. Fishermen are partial to curved blades because they cut in a position where they're pulling downward at arm's length away from themselves separating and freeing lines and netting. The curved tip grabs and pulls what's being cut into the sharpened cutting edge. It didn't take long for boaters, white water rafters and knife enthusiasts to warm to the functionality of this blade shape. The perfect union for cutting in or around water would be a Hawkbill blade made of H-1 non-rusting steel.

Spyderco's SpyderHawk Salt is it. This Hawkbill is 100% rust free; it has a hollow-ground H-1 blade, rust-free internal components and a titanium pocket clip. Also geared toward water applications, the handle is easy to see Marine Yellow FRN (fiberglass reinforced nylon) with Volcano Grip™ texturing. Handle texture supports gripping the knife wearing gloves or in wet, slippery conditions. Left/right pocket clip carried tip- up and a piped lanyard through the handle is just waiting for a thong or cord to doubly attach the folder to you in water."

Really hoping for a new Sprint of this!

[Notsurewhy]

To also give specific suggestions.
Since you like the design of the knife, but not the steel, then an endura 4 in vg10 would be a really good starting point.

If you can maintain rust prone steels while at sea, and dont mind oiling the pivot, then the endura 4 will also be available in k390 steel very soon. K390 holds an excellent edge, but will not sharpen as easily as you might like.

Vg10 is stainless, pretty tough, sharpens easily, and will hold an edge better than pe h1.

S30v might also be good for you. But you might have to look at different models for that.

If he's okay with scale color, the "teal" s30v endura sprint is still available at bladehq and other sites. Great knife, good steel. Should hold an edge longer than carbon and surely longer than plain edge h1.