any resolution on the ZT Elmax doubts?

Ulf Krogstad said:
I saw somebody else doing egde retension tests on rope with zt elmax and also didn't end with good results. Which is making me think there is something to that. What it is idk. Never used the steel so can't say for sure. But it's strange that it's happening in more than one person's testing of it. I thought i heard something about zt elmax chipping too recently. I was actually looking at zt's in elmax but these edge retension videos have kinda stopped my search. I've heard good things about other companies using elmax though. You"ll never really know for sure until you use it.
Click to expand...

I can't really see chipping happening with ELMAX except under extreme circumstances honestly. Here is the reason...

I have a .098" thick ELMAX custome hardened by Peter's to 62 HRC. This is a lot higher than the production knives will be ran, so chipping should be MORE prone. On top of that, this blade was ground to 13 degrees PER SIDE. It is extremely thin at the edge, perhaps .010" at the smallest-measure-segment.

Yet beyond this, when I ran it into a saple in some wood that I thought was a splinter.... And continued to CARVE a steel staple off with only a dent... That kind of makes me doubt a chipping issue. I basically have a blade in ELMAX taken to the highest reccomended hardness, and at an extremely acute angle and it is tougher than snot.

I can't say a lot in regard to edge retention. I use mostly simpler steels like 1095 and 14C28N. It makes those seem like butter knives with how much longer it will hold an edge. I've only had S30V done by Benchmade to compare to, and it holds an edge much better than that in my opinion.
 
I have a few ZT Elmax blades. 0560 (sn: 1128), 0566 (sn: 797), 0770 (sn: 812). No problems with any of them. They all perform very well.
 
Well in my defense, I'd say a video captures something that happened in reality and on Earth, not planet Pluto. So there's that.

To all those who replied impartially, thank you for your feedback. Looks like I'm going to find out for myself.

To those who were pissed off, sorry for even asking.
 
^^ No reason for being sorry for asking....just remember, though you may find "several" threads about elmax issues as well as a couble videos. Tens of thousands of ELMAX blades have been produces. Mass production of anything will esult in some flaws, its all about how those flaws are addressed by the manufacturers. I think you will find any issues presented to manufactures via warranty repair have been satisfactorily addressed in one way or another.

Personally I have worked on dozens of elmax blades, i have only ever seen one issue and after a re-profiling of the edge it was good to go:-)
 
evosbu1 said:
Well in my defense, I'd say a video captures something that happened in reality and on Earth, not planet Pluto. So there's that.

To all those who replied impartially, thank you for your feedback. Looks like I'm going to find out for myself.

To those who were pissed off, sorry for even asking.
Click to expand...

You asked a valid question, there is no reason to apologize.

There were documented cases of Elmax getting burned, it wasn't a problem purely with Zero Tolerance. As to how widespread it was is anyone's guess, but more than once is enough to raise questions. Then again, there tend to be problems whenever a new steel is introduced on the market.

Ultimately, it's your money and your decision.
 
I've have knives with Elmax from the earliest releases and have had zero problems with any of them. Several have been through passarounds and I don't recall any complaints.
 
Ultimately, the answer is to find examples of a new steel, or new anything, working well. In other words, what it can actually do, and then you may have a picture of why it might fail, or if the failures are even significant.

If all you look for is failure, though ...
 
Kai Corp. said:
I'm not seeing any problem with Elmax. Lots of plans for it in the future. Great stuff for sure.
Click to expand...


A little off topic, but I hope you guys have more plans for B75P too. This 0600 is freaking awesome and a lot of that awesomeness is the steel itself. Very impressed, more than S110V that you guys put out. No joke.
 
gpo1956 said:
But wait a minute. He implied that Smokeeater908 possibly didn't know how to correctly sharpen Elmax and that there might be a proper technique required. You say there is "no special anything required". Which is it?
Click to expand...

There isn't any special technique required - I just spent almost two hours sharpeing my 0801. Three small diamond stones, 200, 400, 600, a spyderco fine ceramic (1000-1600), regular black buffing compound, and mother mags aluminum polish. It will push cut phone book paper, nothing more than regular free-handing and stropping. :)

Sorry the pic's so dark! :o

GS3Y83s.jpg
 
Has anyone else noticed weird YouTube adds on Smokeeater908's channel lately?
I was trying to watch a video about the Edge Pro Apex and before the video, there was a 90sec ad of a guy taking bong rips!! >_>
 
9blades said:
There isn't any special technique required - I just spent almost two hours sharpeing my 0801. Three small diamond stones, 200, 400, 600, a spyderco fine ceramic (1000-1600), regular black buffing compound, and mother mags aluminum polish. It will push cut phone book paper, nothing more than regular free-handing and stropping. :)

Sorry the pic's so dark! :o
Click to expand...
Are the band-aids there in case you cut yourself on that sick edge?
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Ultimately, the answer is to find examples of a new steel, or new anything, working well. In other words, what it can actually do, and then you may have a picture of why it might fail, or if the failures are even significant.

If all you look for is failure, though ...
Click to expand...

Exactly correct. :)
 
Morrow said:
I've have knives with Elmax from the earliest releases and have had zero problems with any of them. Several have been through passarounds and I don't recall any complaints.
Click to expand...

Same here, I worked with it early on too, nothing wrong with the steel at all IMO.
 
If I recall, most of the complaints were about ZT not hardening the steel as high as they could, but Spyderco does the same with their steels (as in make their steels as hard as possible without making them completely brittle) but they don't get nearly as much flak for it. As for me, I have a 0801, and am looking forward to getting a 0770CF.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top