Spyderco Pacific Salt H1 - Thoughts on H1's Edge Holding Abilities

/ spartanjohns
Link above is where you can donate to support the channel. If you want to, of course.
As for this video:
These are my thoughts on this model and this steel after using it as an edc knife. Not testing anything, not paying attention to it.
I hope you find it useful.

[@kpfagerberg]

Nice to see some positive reviews of H1. So many reviewers are only about M390 or “premium” steels. Nothing wrong with a tough steel that it rust proof.

[@SpartanJohns]

TBH, the Pacific Salt in H1 is one of my favorites because the steel is easy to sharpen and impervious to any environment. I think that people who say H1, VG10, 12C27 are "bad steels" just lack the experience. Cutting geometry is way more important than steel or heat treatment. That said: I do love some of the exotic steels with Spyderco's heat treatment. Recently sharpened and used the Subvert Sprint(20CV) and I must say: I love it! But I would not want to hit rocks with that and have to take out the chips. I hit many rocks with this one. Fixed the edge on the spot with my DC4. Thanks for the comment!

[@cecilm3720]

Very informative. Thank you. Glad to hear that H1 really isn’t that bad as so many people say. I live in a very humid environment and H1 seems like the ‘perfect’ steel. After so many bad reviews I had removed H1 from consideration - now I can put H1 back on the list. :)

[@SpartanJohns]

It really depends on your expectations mostly. If you know how to sharpen a knife(in the field-so to say) then any steel will be ok. I honestly have no issues with it's edge holding ability. and it does come down to what exactly you want to do with it. if you are looking at something with slightly better edge retention...the Pacific Salt is now available in H1 and LC200N...for 5$ more i think.... I prefer H1 over LC200N because it sharpens up so easily. I would say: try it out! If you don't like it....one thing is for sure: It will not rust. so you can have it as a "sharp emergency knife". Not a bad investment if you need it just ONCE.

[@defenda2477]

Ive been using this exact knife for the last 2 years and its my go to. I live on a farm in rural Australia, its great having a knife i can chuck in the kitchen sink and give a scrub along with the other dishes without having to worry about rusting. Also its super light weight and feels comfortable in your pocket. Also i feel personally it holds an edge just fine.

[@SpartanJohns]

I think that edge retention of the H1 is ok too. I think the fact that it does not rust and that I can sharpen it really quickly is really great. Nowadays I do prefer LC200N but that is also because H1 has become a bit more rare online

[@Tuffer12]

I love my pacific salt, I bought it mostly because it was the last gen endura 3 model. Once I tried the steel I was impressed. Great knife that’s comfortable and can be kept sharp by stropping it on the inside of my leather belt.

[@SpartanJohns]

This is also why I like it. Impervious to the elements and easy to sharpen. Of course you can sharpen/thin out the edge to best suit your needs. I find this handle more comfortable than others. Sadly I am not a fisherman so I can't say much about it in that regard but I still like it a lot

[@joshuabriggs7114]

Nice well balanced review! Fitting for the well balanced Pacific Salt ;)

[@SpartanJohns]

Thank you. I think this knife is really ok for the price if you need a salt knife. Now...they offer it in LC200N....for about the same price...a better deal but I would not want to swap this one for a new LC200N....got so used to the handle and texture....

[@BladeObssession]

I really like that one. I wasn't aware that they made the salt series in all black. I see on Amazon that they also come in a spyderedge. Cool

[@SpartanJohns]

If you really work with it on a boat or in the water then the yellow handle(or green for the new LC200N steel models) is the way to go. For me however I prefer the black handle and black blade. Easier to "hide" in the pocket especially with dark pants/shorts. I never tried the spyderedge. Some say it is better but I am not the biggest fan of serrations for a working blade. I have a Byrd Rescue which is serrated but find little use for it except for maybe keep it in my car in case I need to cut the seatbelt off. Chances of that are slim but better safe than sorry....

[@SharpThinkingKnives]

I agree with your take on the steel. I found it to be quite an enjoyable EDC steel. Subbed 🤝

[@SpartanJohns]

Thanks! I still have it and I still like to use it. I have other steels which hold the edge much better but....i really have no complaints towards H1. What it brings to the table is impressive and of course there will always be pros and cons

[@BladeWalker77]

I agree, I have the new version and I like it. On mine the blade Is is completely off center, it bothers me, but it doesn't affect the functionality. I love the Spyderco frn, grippy and strong, I dropped it many times and I can't see were it hit the ground.

[@SpartanJohns]

I think the FRN models are just good working blades. Like you said...i also dropped it quite a lot and i can't really see any noticeable damage. The newer versions look better, imo, but i like the feel of this one much more. It is also an excuse for me...because I already have 2 Enduras so....this one is a bit different :))

[@hornsby5533]

Wieder ein sehr schönes Video von dir. Sehr viele von meinen Messern hatten bei der Auslieferung einen (für mich) zu großen Schnittwinkel. LG Bernd

[@SpartanJohns]

Danke Bernd! :) Ja, die meisten haben ein Schnittwinkel der einfach zu gross ist. Das ist damit sie nicht so schnell stumpf werden oder die Gefahr von ausbruechen geringer wird. Aber fuer normale arbeiten sind diese dann nicht sehr gut. Normalerweise sage ich das so ein 20 DPS schnitt winkel sicher fuer ziemlich alles ist. Alerdings unter 17, mMn, faengt ein Messer and gut zu schneiden. 14 oder sogar 12 DPS mag wenig klingen aber fuer die Staehle die wir heutzutage benutzen sind diese gute Schneidewinkel.

[@ccooper8040]

Love the H1 steel on Spyderco serrated Salt 1 12 yo.

[@SpartanJohns]

i like H1 for what it can do. I also think that grind and edge angle plus the ability to sharpen your own knife is much more important than "how long it can hold a shaving sharp edge"

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

I got the serrated version of the Salt 2 because I need a serrated dive knife to cut through rope or other fibrous ghost gear. For monofilament, line, or webbing I have a line cutter. It's more of a sheepsfoot design, which means I can use it cutting people and animals out of entanglements without the risk of wounding them. For diving the serrated version is ideal, but it's a very specialized use case.

[@SpartanJohns]

I started sharpening and testing serrated edges about a year ago. In my day to day life I really do not see the advantage of having a serrated edge. I carry one sometimes and like to try to use it. Your case is really a specific one and I am fascinated by this! The advantage I see to serrated edges so far is that you can get a blade with a "softer" steel which will still help with cutting tasks especially when you can hit hard materials, like rocks, wire, sand often which would dull a fine edge much faster. When it comes to serrated edges the part I like most is sharpening. Took me a while to get the hang of it. Thanks for the comment and your input!

[@TopDog8762]

Always reported as an amazing blade steel. I need to get a knife with this steel. Not that I have a problem with rust, not even on D2 blades but I would like to try out the steel.

[@SpartanJohns]

I also never had a problem with D2 rusting. For me it was the curiosity of H1! It does a decent job at edge holding and is sharpened back to what it was really quickly. For longer cutting tasks LC200N might be a bit better. The Pacific Salt models with LC200N i have seen recently are only 5-10 $ more expensive. It is definitely worth the money. I have a Native Salt which I keep at 14 DPS...and so far...i had no issues with it. Have not used it as much as this one yet...

[@pavelconstantinescu4247]

@SpartanJohns Does the knife have washers? Are saibe cutitul? Pe forumul spyderco utilizatorii spun ca unele ar avea, altele nu. Multa sanatate!

[@SpartanJohns]

Al meu nu are. Acest model nu poate fi dezasamblat complet. Se poate scoate lama si arcul. L-am desfacut acum 1 an cred doar sa vad daca arcul a ruginit. Poate modelele vechi aveam saibe. Cele noi nu au. Seriile mai noi, cele care au manerul care seamana mai mult cu Endura/Delica nu cred ca au saibe. Toate modelele "salt" (h1 si LC200n) ai noi cu manere de FRN au fost facute fara saibe. Sincer cred ca e o imbunatatire. Sper ca ti-a fost de folos raspunsul

[@pavelconstantinescu4247]

@@SpartanJohns Multumesc frumos!

[@alinnimeni3789]

E ff fain si acesta, imi place priza insa acel sabre grind e chiar interesant desi mai sus e destul de gros dupa cum ai zis, insa pt anumite lucruri e ff ok. Interesant si varful, cred ca e ff rezistent. Pare o varianta mai solida a lui Delica/Endura

[@SpartanJohns]

Grind-ul il face sa il simti mai solid. Dar otelul e mai "moale" decat variantele de la Delica/Endura. Daca nu as fi tinut cont de scopul pt care a fost creat probabil nu mi-ar fi placut. Dar asa...am ajuns sa apreciez si usurinta cu care se ascute si faptul ca daca ai nevoie de un briceag de care sa nu ai prea multa grija si in acelasi timp sa fie capabil sa faca tot felul de chestii....acesta e chiar f bun.

[@AK-xu5sj]

The VCR was ok too, but if a better option is available at the same price, like DVD why would you still buy a VCR. I'd just upgrade to or buy an H2.

[@SpartanJohns]

That is an interestint point of view. Comparing H1 to a vcr and H2 to a dvd. I don't think it applies in this case. You could make that argument for H1/2 and LC200N since they are all very resistant to corrosion and easy to sharpen. I do not hae H2. But I have LC200N and MagnaCut. However...H2 was not introduced because it was better but because of the availability of H1. They have similar properties and in some tests, like abrasion resistance, H1 did a better job. H2's composition might make it more corrosion resistant but as I have not had any issues with H1 rusting..how can you improve uppon perfection? The main point of the video was to tell you about my experiences with H1. There are some steels with great edge holding abilities but they are harder to sharpen and most of them will not do so well in a corrosive environment(except MagnaCut...which, even in the few tests I did with it, was impressive for a stainless) When H1 will no longer be available at all, if I want something similar I will have no issues getting a knife with H2 because the expectancy will be that they do the same job. You mihgt see a difference if you cut the same material over and over in a controlled enviromnemt but in everyday use...i doubt the fact that anybody could.

[@chesneyfung9341]

Maybe it’s just me. I cleaned three fish and it’s already dull. Fair enough I did cut through the rib cages. I reduced the angle and it became even worst

[@SpartanJohns]

H1 is a "softer" steel. Yes, in contact with bones and hard materials it will dull much faster than others. However that also means that it will be much easier to sharpen(or just touch-up). Depending on how much you thin it out you might be able to work with it even when it dulls. I showed this in my Manly video. The knife was completely dull but because it had such a thin grind it still cut cardboard quite well.. Softer steels definitely have an advantage when it comes to sharpening them. Any small stone or even a small stop might do the job really quickly

[@donh1572]

I love H1 since I’m around salt water often. But edge holding sucks

[@SpartanJohns]

I'd sure like you to expand on that... Nowadays there is LC200N and Magnacut which also seem to be pretty much "rustproof". That said...I took a 440C with me on vacation and treated it like I did this one. The only issue was the internals and some minor spots on the blade. However that all did not happen until i left it overnight in my wet bathing trunks. As for H1 edge holding abilities...as i mentioned in the video...1 month of use without touch-ups and it would still do a decent job. If you would use a small pocket stone to just touch up the edge every day or 2-3 days....i think you would have no issues. I sold many of my knives lately. This one I kept. Simply because I know what it can do and I would not hesitate to take it with me no matter what environment I would be in of what I would need it to do. The only thing I did "to prepare it for anything to come" was to drop the edge angle down...under 14 dps... like this it performs well and it can be easily fixed, with a pocket stone, in a few seconds

[@donh1572]

@@SpartanJohns I don’t think lc200n is much better in edge retention. I prefer my knives to be hair shaving sharp. The H1 needs constant maintenance to maintain that level of sharpness. Plus it can loose that sharpness quickly as you are using the knife.

[@SpartanJohns]

late reply but....try playing around with the blade geometry. it will open up new worlds. A "hair splitting" edge is nice for playing around with but a good geometry might come in more handy once you need to cut a lot. I talked about this, and showed it, in a lot of my videos

[@acid6urns]

@@donh1572you can get ‘hair shaving’ on a 200 grit stone if you tried. h1 performs much much better with a low grit acute edge angle, it has a LOT of toughness and can take it.

[@gfabie4901]

Short answer : doesn't hold an edge too good.

[@SpartanJohns]

That's what you took away from this video? Too bad! Here's the short version or you: It depends on what your level of expertise is and what your expectations are! As is: I think H1 holds an edge very well for any tasks you can do(If you know how to use a knife). You're welcome!

[@gfabie4901]

@@SpartanJohns wow I guess you do know how to get straight to the point after all.

[@SpartanJohns]

@@gfabie4901 i liked your first reply. Why did you edit it? "@SpartanJohns wow. Look at how superior your takeaway opinion is. Now if only your video were half as concise and less meandering." 1. Yes! My opinion is worth more than yours or that of others because....I actually tested/used the knife. 2. just because YOU don't understand something does not mean the explanation was shit....maybe...it's not me..it's you...ever thought about that? If you don't like the information i offer here, or free, become a patron and you can ask me questions. I will simplify the answers as much as you need. If not...just find another channel. This has been fun! Let's do it again sometime

[@gfabie4901]

@@SpartanJohns you’re a bore

[@SpartanJohns]

so why do you keep coming back?