Spyderco byte May 2022 - EDGE-U-CATION

Spyderco byte May 2022 - EDGE-U-CATION - Meet H-2​

Meet H-2​

Since its introduction in 2003, Spyderco’s best-selling Salt® Series has set the standard in ultra-corrosion-resistant cutting tools. The key component of that series was H-1, a remarkable blade material that offers an exceptional balance of cutting performance and extreme corrosion resistance. Although H-1 was later joined by other steels that are also incredibly resistant to rust, it remained the primary blade material of our Salt Series—until now.

It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impact on all aspects of the world’s industry and economy. As the third largest steel producer in the world, Japan has been particularly hard hit and has been forced to restructure its steel industry. One of the consequences of this change is that H-1 will no longer be produced. Where there is challenge, however, there is also opportunity. Through close cooperation with our manufacturing partners in Japan, Spyderco has helped drive the development of a new ultra-corrosion-resistant steel, appropriately named H-2.

In simple terms, H-2 takes the time-tested alloy composition and manufacturing processes of H-1 and refines them even further. The result is a steel that retains all the extraordinary qualities of the original, while being readily manufacturable.

Like H-1, H-2 is an austenitic steel that does not go through the traditional hardening and tempering processes of traditional martensitic steels. Instead, its austenite structure is transformed to hard martensite through intense rolling and cold-working processes. H-2’s finely tuned alloy composition rebalances all the original elements of H-1 and also adds a small amount of copper. The result is a steel that faithfully delivers the impressive strength and toughness of its predecessor while actually enhancing its extreme corrosion resistance—especially for use in saltwater environments.

To better understand the rebalancing of H-2’s alloy recipe, here is an element-by-element summary of the calculated changes made and their desired effects on the steel’s performance:

• Carbon - reduced from 0.15 to 0.09 percent: Carbon in steel promotes the formation of carbides and increases the steel’s vulnerability to corrosion. Reducing the amount of carbon in H-2 further reduces this risk and therefore helps enhance its corrosion resistance.
• Chromium – reduced from 14.00-16.00 to 13.73 percent: Chromium in solution in a steel increases its corrosion resistance by allowing it to form a protective chromium oxide layer on the surface. The slight reduction of chromium was possible due to the reduction in carbon, but still ensures a high amount of chromium in solution.
• Copper – 0.17 percent added: The addition of copper in austenitic steel enhances its precipitation hardening properties and increases its corrosion resistance, especially in seawater environments and against exposure to sulfuric acid.
• Manganese – reduced from 2.00 to 0.32 percent: Manganese improves the hot-working properties of steel and increases its strength, toughness and hardenability. Like nickel, it is also an austenite-forming element. The reduction in manganese is largely balanced by H-2’s increase in nickel and its substantial increase in molybdenum.
• Molybdenum – increased from 0.50-1.50 to 2.24 percent: Molybdenum increases a steel’s strength, hardness, hardenability, and toughness. It also improves its machinability and resistance to corrosion. When added to chromium-nickel austenitic steels, molybdenum improves resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion, particularly in chlorides and environments containing sulfur—like seawater.
• Nickel – increased from 6.00-8.00 to 8.25 percent: Nickel’s ability to form austenite gives austenitic steels great toughness and strength. It also greatly improves resistance to oxidation and corrosion.
• Nitrogen – reduced from 0.10 to 0.06 percent: Like nickel, nitrogen is an austenite-forming element. It increases the austenite stability of stainless steel, improves its yield strength, and enhances its resistance to pitting corrosion. The adjustment to H-2’s nitrogen content is balanced by its increase in nickel content.
• Phosphorous – reduced from 0.04 to 0.027 percent: Phosphorus improves machinability and increases the strength of austenitic steels; however, it can also have a detrimental effect on corrosion resistance. Reducing H-2’s phosphorous content helps enhance its corrosion-resistant qualities.
• Silicon – reduced from 3.00-4.50 to 2.63 percent: Silicon is the most common alloying element in steel. It helps purify the iron ore during the smelting process by deoxidizing it and removing impurities. The fine-tuning of the volume of this element is based on the needs of the smelting process.
• Sulfur – reduced from 0.03 to 0.001 percent: Small amounts of sulfur improve a steel’s machinability; however, like phosphorous, it is detrimental to corrosion resistance. Reducing H-2’s sulfur content further contributes to its corrosion-resistant properties.

All the active models in Spyderco’s Salt Series that previously featured H-1 blades are currently being transitioned to H-2. The availability of specific models with H-2 blades will depend upon the exhaustion of current H-1 stock.

Spyderco is extremely excited to launch our H-2 Salt Series knives. Based on our extensive in-house testing, we are supremely confident that this remarkable new material will continue to provide our customers with an exceptional balance of Reliable High Performance™ and fearless corrosion resistance.

Spyderco, Inc.
820 Spyderco Way
Golden, CO 80403

800-525-7770 (T - Toll-Free)
303-279-8383 (T)
303-278-2229 (F)

SPYDERCO.com​