Dan, I have noticed that, unlike Jerry, you like to experiment with steels.
Did you ever consider doing a diving knife with H1?

Given the fact that it will not rust, it would make a perfect match for res-c handled diving/water sports knife. You'd have a knife that has perfect grip in wet conditions and steel that will not be at risk of loosing its properties in any environment.

Is the steel too expensive for Scrap Yard business approach? Spyderco's models in H1 are at reasonable prices, it might be an option to consider

You have ever considered making a 'water' knife?

Thank you in advance for your answer.

With all the shark attacks down under lately, I don't blame you for wanting a knife in the water

A Scrap Shark. Great idea.

Or WaterDog or SeaDog

Shark Dog?

This is a Japense "steel" (not sure it can be officially classified as a steel), which makes me believe that the manufacturer will not sell it in bar/sheet/etc. form.

It has some very interesting properties and does not require heat treat but will work harden over time.

I do have a personal theory that batoning it (or otherwise treating it roughly) could turn it brittle in places and lead to failures.

a salty dog.

I like it.

Or Pickled Dog
But seriously, I'm sure that if Dan was to contact the maker (Hitachi ?) about supplying SY with x amount of bars in specified size they would not object. I don't think Spyderco gets the blades in 'ready' shapes, at least not for free.
Pricing might be an issue, but it is business for them...
It is vapor hardened IIRC.
And you will not be pounding on smallish purpose build knife, will you?

And it is meant to get harder wit use.
You too have a lot of wet & damp places in US, and heaps of folks here like fishing, kayaking and diving.
And who knows, might be some military orders for frog type units too...

I STILL wonder how a 3/16" thick, 8" long Elmax blade would do; now THAT would make an interesting "dive knife" if the steel would not be too brittle! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Elmax has pretty good rep, and it's been around for a while...
Remember a thread on BF of someone making quite large knife from Elmax to customer specs and soaking the offcuts in salty water without the steel not rusting...
My point though is that with res-c handle after diving there's going to be water under the res-c and steels in strict sense (iron+carbon) will eventually rust.
H1 will not because it doesn't have any carbon in it.
Plus sea water is not the same as tap water with some salt in it...