Today was a good day to baton the crap out of this knife - "for science".
My hands took most of the shock, let me tell you. There's some wood, dirt, or whatever on the blade, but it still slices paper great after beating it straight into the wood time after time.
I steeled and stropped on the leather and it's back to shaving. H1 is awesome! There is, however a small problem with the action. Where you see the blade opened to in the last pic - if you thumb it slowly, it pauses at this point - kind of like something chipped away minutely on either the lockbar or the blades lock area - and then closes and locks up very securely. If I could take it apart, I'd know for sure. I won't take it apart until I render it useless. I want to know what FRN will do it extreme cold - that's my next test.
If I destroy it, I was thinking of making some pendants with the H1 blade steel - plus I'd have a spare clip.
Thanks for looking at my highly professional scientific testing.
- best wishes, Jazz.
So what you're saying is that all the internet hoo-hah about PE H-1 blades not holding an edge can be safely consigned to the BS bucket.![]()
Paul
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
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Yessir, Paul.
- best wishes, Jazz.
Thought we covered this before
Man, if I believed everything I read I'd have missed out on some good stuff! Everyone that considers themselves serious about knives needs to do a little testing once in a while.
Thanks for sharing Jazz. I punished some H1 in the woods today with the boy. He has been whittling and carving on our hikes for 4 or 5 weeks now and it will still shave (roughly) and it has not been touched up once!
By the way FRN is cheap plastic that will break if you look at it wrong, Jazz. You shouldnt baton with it....don't you ever study up on the web?![]()
Thanks,
Ken (my real name)
...learning something new all the time.
I'm glad I have this knife I don't mind abusing. I really want to know FRN's limits - and H1's as well. And... how could I not share it? That's what we're here for. The FRN handle passed with flying colors. Still no blade play. There're a few scuffs on the bottom of the handle from being smacked into the wood it was resting on or something like that - hardly a big deal. I want to put to rest my fears of carrying, and possibly needing to baton with, an FRN handled knife in COLD weather - I want to see how cold it will crack at.
Glad you're still hiking and whittling, bro.
- best wishes, Jazz.
Thanks. I suspect that you will not break it without a hilarious effort. I could be wrong but I doubt temp will play a big role unless you get REALLY low temps. I recall some silly temps when I was working in Upper Michigan, but I did not want to spend much time out in it...let alone battening in it.
Thanks,
Ken (my real name)
...learning something new all the time.
I always walk to work (20 min. there - 20 min. back) and it gets to -40 sometimes here in Alberta - not too often, but enough. Sometimes it'll be -20-25 for a week straight. Wierd, considering it can be +38 C (104 F) sometimes in the Summer. Maybe I'll take it to work and leave it in the freezer for a while and beat on it.
- best wishes, Jazz.
Wow. The worst I dealt with was -45 (with the wind chill) for a day. There was no FLIPPEN way I was walking farther than the nearest car or building. No way I was chopping any wood.
I think chopping frozen wood will be a bigger stress to the knife than the temps of the knife...that is just a hunch though.
I enjoy the testing though. "Test" may not be the right term but it seems to work. I think we all understand reasonable expectations and limits but sometimes you can learn something worthwhile by doing something a little silly.
Last edited by unit; 10-25-2010 at 06:39 AM.
Thanks,
Ken (my real name)
...learning something new all the time.
Jazz you are right "Wharnies Rule" Never did a sneaker test before, but wouldn't hesitate to try one if some BG tried to kick me only thing is I'd be using my Rock Salt....hey it's H1...Doc
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"Always Judge a man by the way he treats someone who could be of no possible use to him"
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Hopefully your foot is still intact.
VG-10.
Others can tell you all they want and you just have to take their word for things, unless they prove it. I'm finding things out for my self and sharing with others. They are tests, but I'll call them "findings". A professional test would involve cutting and sharpening and hardness testing and what not... same as what we do on a personal level. Same things, but some people can't take them seriously. Keeps me busy, entertained, happy, and more knowledgable, so whatever.I'm not out to prove something - just having fun and discussion.
- best wishes, Jazz.
I look forward to the FRN cold tests. I just ordered an Assist, and plan to use it for work (EMT/Technical Rescue) as well as when i do Ski Patrol. It doesn't get as cold here in CO as it does further up north, but i'm sure mine will see plenty of "cold weather action".
Always like seeing photos ofs in the wild! Thanks for sharing!
-Nico
Yeah, I agree entirely. Some people get all amped up at the use of the word "test" and say that it needs to be controlled, repeatable, and measurable to be a test...but I would point out that those conversations TEST my patience and while that may be reproducible it is not always controlled or measurable![]()
I think I opted for the work "demonstration".
If you fail to break your FRN doing what you try, may I suggest getting some dry ice, liquid nitrogen, or even a CO2 fire extinguisher? Any of those items should replicate STUPID cold conditions that I (for one) would not be out using my knife in for any extended periods of time.
Liquid nitrogen is getting more and more common in the high end cooking/culinary arena...might not be too tough to find, and it usually will achieve temps low enough to make fracturing things a lot easier.
I imagine it can be broken with the right combination of shock and temperature...I have something that ought to work at any temp, but it is well beyond what any human hand could survive LOL
Thanks,
Ken (my real name)
...learning something new all the time.
Nice thread.
SFO Alumni/Authorized Spyderco Dealer (Startup)
Work EDC List
FRP: Nisjin Cricket PE, Bug
FLP: SS Cricket SE, ZDP Dragonfly2 PE
Tom Krein TK-1 neck knife carried traditionally
Agreed Indeed.
My estimation of an H1 Wharnie just elevated appreciably -- ME WANT!!
Stay Sharp --
SB
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