Brief review Kershaw Cyclone Ti/ZDP

gull wing

gull wing

Joined
May 4, 2002
Messages
2,536
This is the best Kershaw I haver had. High quality materials and workmanship.
Looks - This is a very eye apealing knife, the black blade with the gray titanium is just the right contrast. The blade shape is quite pleasing and looks to be strong. Handle has a nice hump on the back. Even the clip is beautiful.
Works - Opens and closes easily and smoothly. Lock snaps in place surely and positively. It's easy to unlock as well. There is no wiggle in the blade when locked. Blade parks dead center. The speed Safe works perfectly, that takes me to the ON/OFF switch. What a great feature, I will probably keep mine switched off most of the time, as it opens so easily.
Feels - Great in the hand, because the Ti frames are well rounded and smooth. You can see the attention to detail all over. As the washers are bronze, of course the titanium frames are nice and thick, the knife feels hefty but not too hefty.
Cutting - Now that takes me to the only thing I can find falt in. In two words "too thick". Yes, the knife was hair cutting sharp when I got it and it cut paper like a razor, the problem came to be when I tried to cut cardboard, wood, small tree branches. It skid right over the wood and got hung up in the cardboard. I found a reading of .030" at the "sholder" of the cutting edge.(Spyderco Calypso=.012", CalyIII=.015", Manix=.020") Now this is too thick for a 3" knife, just not necessary. So I set to work reprofileing useing my Edge Pro "Green" setting(18deg). I got the edge down then whisked it on my Sharpmaker. Now it cuts much better, have not tested it yet, but cut some fruit tree branches easily. I will check it out later. See pics of wide edge band. I have only one other ZDP knife and am saveing it so I am looking forward using my "first" ZDP knife.
 
Nice write-up! That ZDP is something else. When you take the time with the green setting, it'll be an even better something else.
 
gull wing said:
I found a reading of .030" at the "sholder" of the cutting edge.(Spyderco Calypso=.012", CalyIII=.015", Manix=.020") Now this is too thick for a 3" knife, just not necessary.
Click to expand...

It is actually not even necessary for a 10" bowie unless you are using it to baton through thick knotty wood, on a small folder it is absurd. This is especially a problem with ZDP-189 as it is so hard to grind. The solution for most people is to then apply a large relief grind which takes a lot of time and then ends up producing a very wide edge which is time consuming to maintain. Send it to Krein for an optimal grind and get maximum cutting ability, edge lifetime and ease of sharpening. He was charging retardly low prices last I checked.

-Cliff
 
Serves me right for not double-checking my EdgePro. I meant orange, but as tax-evader Wesley Snipes suggests, "Always bet on black."
 
Cliff Stamp said:
It is actually not even necessary for a 10" bowie unless you are using it to baton through thick knotty wood, on a small folder it is absurd. This is especially a problem with ZDP-189 as it is so hard to grind. The solution for most people is to then apply a large relief grind which takes a lot of time and then ends up producing a very wide edge which is time consuming to maintain. Send it to Krein for an optimal grind and get maximum cutting ability, edge lifetime and ease of sharpening. He was charging retardly low prices last I checked.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more, Krein does magic on knives. I am kind of surprised the edge is that thick from the factory, that is the exact same thickness that my Dad's full size Cyclone has, I would have thought they would have changed the geometry some on the smaller ZDP knife. Either way, I would still send it off to Krein even if it was thinner, as all of the Krein reground knives I have are tremendous cutters that sharpen up almost instantly. Plus, he can do most any grind you want and get right to whatever edge thickness you desire. Plus, the price is right.

Mike
 
gunmike1 said:
I am kind of surprised the edge is that thick from the factory, that is the exact same thickness that my Dad's full size Cyclone has, I would have thought they would have changed the geometry some on the smaller ZDP knife.
Click to expand...

They seem to be ignoring geometry/steel dependence so it doesn't surprise me that geometry/knife is ignored as well. Of course they are not the only ones, there are a lot of silly combinations on the market. Most knives tend to be CAD/fad designs. Hopefully Krein does some collaborations with Spyderco so he can get his name out in the production market aside from mods. A small utility folder, 13C26 at 63/65 with a full hollow grind and 0.005/8-10 degree final edge. Then a small fixed blade, same steel, flat grind, 0.010/10-12 degrees for wood working. He has some nice larger blades as well, might as well make it a complete set.

-Cliff
 
Thank you for the help. I have an e-mail out to Krein.
After testing the knife today (no science here) it does cut MUCH better.
I cut small oak branches easily and whittled thru a 2x4 and still shaves, looks like it may live up to expections.
Good thing here because I was going to be very disappointed with an otherwise GREAT knife. This knife is a lot like my Sebenza(almost). I say almost - When I am cutting hard, the lock lug goes over 90%(but still locked) of course I can close/open and the lug goes back to "normal" 50%. I guess that is ok???

Oh, I "pressed" the thumb stud back in. You must remove the stud to use the Edge Pro(gets in the way).
 
gull wing said:
When I am cutting hard, the lock lug goes over 90%(but still locked) of course I can close/open and the lug goes back to "normal" 50%. I guess that is ok???

.
Click to expand...

thats why i sent mine back,it pinched my finger when it closed all the way when used - the ti leek had perfect lockup when i had one-

it appears the backpart of the blade was cut too much with not much angle,add in a lock bar thats flat and you have the reason they slip to full or almost full lock when used-

i just hope they have it figured out so the replacement isnt the same
 
Thumb Stud:
On a flat surface = an oak block with a 5/16" hole.
Another oak block, stick, dowel - to set on top of stud.(as a driver)
Hammer the oak dowel.

You can also place these items in a vice and push, push, push.
Good luck.
 
gull wing said:
Thumb Stud:
On a flat surface = an oak block with a 5/16" hole.
Another oak block, stick, dowel - to set on top of stud.(as a driver)
Hammer the oak dowel.

You can also place these items in a vice and push, push, push.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I think I will try the vice first, but it sounds like the block and dowel technique might work better.


Mike
 
Cliff Stamp said:
Hopefully Krein does some collaborations with Spyderco so he can get his name out in the production market aside from mods. A small utility folder, 13C26 at 63/65 with a full hollow grind and 0.005/8-10 degree final edge. Then a small fixed blade, same steel, flat grind, 0.010/10-12 degrees for wood working. He has some nice larger blades as well, might as well make it a complete set.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

Those would be some really sweet blades. We can only hope.

Mike
 
Cliff
I understand what you are saying, and am sorry that we can't seem to quite get it right with any of our products in your eye's.
You have made yourself crystal clear how you feel about Kershaw in a bunch of threads, and we hear ya.

A little sensitivity in the future would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance Cliff.
 
Curious Thomas, I didn't see his comment the least bit condescending, yet you continue to imply he has ...

His comment referenced mfg. blade thickness and grinds in general, not an attack on Kershaw.

Give the man and his ideas credit where due.

If you'd ever handled a finely ground blade in a thin blade you'd know what he was talking about, especially in a steel as fine as ZDP189 ...

His comments referring to Kreins refinements should be taken a bit more constructively.

Beginning to think you need to change the filter in which you're hearing his message.

NJ
 
Thomas W said:
You have made yourself crystal clear how you feel about Kershaw ....
Click to expand...

It is issues with geometry/steel Thomas, though as always you try to spread misdirection on the topic. I have made those specific measurement qualifications long before you or Kershaw were even mentioned on the forums. This was in fact discussed by Alvin as far back as 1998 on rec.knives. He is also FAR more blunt that I am. Try telling him about using a folding knife with a 0.030" thick edge and watch what happens, the stock he uses to make knives is only slightly thicker than that in the spine.

gunmike1 said:
Those would be some really sweet blades. We can only hope.
Click to expand...

Forget hope, start emailing Sal/Krein. Maybe instead of the direct Spyderco line they introduce a collaboration with the Byrds, they are using a similar steel and doing a solid heat treatment so maybe something like this :

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=197

http://www.kreinknives.net/tk_3.htm

http://www.kreinknives.net/tk_10.htm

Yeah I know I just suggested a liner lock but Joe isn't reading this thread so it is ok and this is for a small precision cutter so high stability in torques/impacts isn't a critical issue. Not that exact design of course, just that general size for the small folder.

The TK3 is perfect as is, the TK 10 would need some minor changes for wood working. Remove the swedge, upsweep and enclose a tapered tang. He has also done a custom blade in the past which is very close to ideal (would still like an enclosed tang) :

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=338320

If the Byrd line come true you could get mass experience with Krein's style in really affordable prices. That would be nice to introduce to the public in a sensible steel and heat treatment which actually matches the grind. Not that I would be upset with a full Spyderco collaboration either.

I'd also like to see Krein do a "master" collaboration with Swamp Rat for similar knives. Again, excellent steel choice and heat treatment for his type of grind. He could do a wood pair there as well, 2-3" blade and then a 7-12 blade.

-Cliff
 
Native Justice said:
Curious Thomas, I didn't see his comment the least bit condescending, yet you continue to imply he has ...

Give the man and his ideas credit where due.

If you'd ever handled a finely ground blade in a thin blade you'd know what he was talking about, especially in a steel as fine as ZDP189 ...

Beginning to think you need to change the filter in which you're hearing his message.

NJ
Click to expand...

Native Justice,

Thomas did not get his job at Kershaw because he went to college, and sells well.

He got his job at Kershaw because he knows, in the big picture, more about knives than the vast majority of people out there, and he has an over 20 year background in .......yes.....knife sales.

Cliff gives Thomas virtually no credit, and takes shots where and when he can. While Cliff destroys knives, and casts aspersions on character, Thomas is busy driving Kershaw to new limits of output, and creativity. How many companies are using ZDP, anyway, 3?

Do you think the profit margin on these knives is so high that everyone would like to be doing it? I know from personal experience that Thomas has to fight at the highest levels to get the green light on these projects, they are time and resource consuming, low margin endeavors.

Your comment about Thomas handling a "finely ground blade in a thin blade" is so sophomoric that it defies reason. I would dare say that Thomas has handled over 100,000 knives in the 30+ years that he has been around knives, and some of them would have been..yes...."finely ground blade in a thin blade".

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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