Cyclone or Lahar

B

BRASMAN

Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
358
I am torn between two Kershaws and will eventualy get both but I like the Lahar and the Cyclone. I never liked the Cylcone until I held it the other day and now I like it a lot. In fact I would get the Cyclone now instead of the Lahar but I have read so any good things about VG10. Is 13C26 comparable?\

Thanks for any info. :D
 
I checked out the Cyclone and the Lahar while at Blade and had them side by side. I decided I liked the profile of the Lahar. It's a bit understated in the bling dept but that's what I like about it. It's made with good materials and it's solid as a rock. Tim G did a good job on the design and it fits my medium/large hand perfectly. I also like the price of the Lahar. Found one for just under $50.

I still want a Cyclone, but I'm happy with the Lahar for now.

As for the difference in steel. I'm happy with the performance of the VG10. I haven't gotten to really test it up against the new 13C26 steel. Maybe others will chime in!
 
Of the 2 I like the Lahar. It has some nice G10 handles. You might want to add a SG2 Blur to your list too. They are real nice. GOOD LUCK! Kevin:thumbup:
 
I will say the Lahar will be a lot tougher to find, as we are doing only 1000-1200 pieces this year.
 
if you have it in your budget, get both at the same time (im guessing that the budget doesnt allow though) they will not disapoint you at all. from what i have heard, VG-10 is far better than 13c26. maybe someone who has both Lahar and Cyclone can chime in with test results of some sort
 
Another two cents worth ...

IMO the Lahar and Cyclone are hard to compare. First and foremost, however, you probably should decide whether a recurve will best serve your purposes, or if you do a lot of cutting where the Cyclone's non-recurved blade will be better suited.

I'm very partial to Kershaw's 13C26, in my JYD2 it has performed exceptionally. I prefer a very fine, polished edge, and 13C26 takes and holds such an edge much better than any other production stainless I've ever used when cutting materials that aren't horribly abrasive. From my limited experience Kershaw does a nice job heat treating their VG10, and the Lahar should serve you very well if you do a lot of slicing of more abrasive stuff.

I also prefer the Tim Galyean flipper like found on the Lahar over any assisted open, including SpeedSafe on the Cyclone.

The best solution, however, would be to have one of each. :) Both knives are well-made and very good values.
 
Here was a review by DoW on 13C26 in a JYDII blade as well.

Dog of War said:
Quick background stuff ... the Kershaw Junkyard Dog II (JYD2) is a medium-large liner lock folder designed by Tim Galyean, featuring a novel "flipper" opening system, grey G-10 scales, with a full flat ground 3.75" Sandvik 13C26 steel blade.

Since the JYD2 has been discussed quite a bit already in other threads on BFC, I thought I'd mostly look at edge retention of 13C26, a steel designed for use in razor blades, comparing it to a couple of more familiar blade steels at high levels of push cutting sharpness.

My test was to measure loss of push cutting sharpness, with sharpness being the distance in inches from point-of-hold on newsprint where the blade will push cut. Sisal rope was chosen as the test material, with the 13C26 JYD2 being compared to O-1 tool steel at about 61HRC (Frosts laminated blade Mora) and VG-10 at around 58-60HRC (Spyderco.)

Although the JYD2's factory edge was quite good, the blade was first reprofiled to 12 degrees/side, with a 17 deg/side microbevel added. This is the same geometry as the VG-10 blade, and close to the Mora's ~10 deg./side primary edge with 15 degree microbevel. Using only fine Crock Sticks for finishing, the 13C26 JYD2 easily takes an almost freakishly sharp edge, push cutting newsprint at 4.5"-4.6".

Below are pictures of the reprofiled blade. FYI the edge bevels are .050"-.055" wide, with a blade thickness of .020" behind the edge, measured 3/4 of an inch back from the tip:

jyd2-3.jpg



jyd2-1.jpg


On to the testing ... shortly into it, I found that significant differences in edge retention could be determined with only 30 cuts of the rope. The first round of testing found the O-1 blade retaining about 93% of its push cutting sharpness, the VG-10 about 88%. The 13C26 however would still push cut the newsprint at the same distance from point-of-hold as when freshly sharpened, 4.6"!

These tests were repeated several times, with the 13C26 blade averaging better than 98% edge retention (which I'm sure is beyond the level of accuracy of my method.) The O-1 and VG-10 blades showed average retention of about 94% and 86% respectively, over 30 cuts.

Looking at the edges under magnification, it seems clear what's going on. The 13C26 alloy, designed to have very high edge stability, looked perfect. Not even the faintest hint of microchipping, no impaction, no rolling; flawless. The O-1 blade showed just the slightest bit of microchipping, the VG-10 more still and the chips larger and deeper. So for retaining a very fine edge when working with materials that aren't terribly abrasive, 13C26 seems an outstanding choice, doing exactly what it's designed to do.

Informally ... carrying and using the JYD2 for a while now, the terrific edge holding found when testing on rope is no fluke. If you prefer a polished edge and very high level of sharpness like this, this steel won't disappoint. It's also worth mentioning that it's a delight to sharpen, it's still a bit hard to believe that the edge retention is so high, as it wasn't at all difficult to reprofile on an AO stone. The burr formed during reprofiling was miniscule, and there were no problems related to a wire edge at all ... it just takes a wicked-sharp edge, quick and easy.

Like everyone else it seems, I'm very impressed with this knife overall. Ergonomics are outstanding, and obviously a lot of thought went into the design. Even the clip plays a role in making the knife feel very good and very secure in hand. The action is smooth, and when I had it disassembled I was very impressed with the fit and finish both inside and out.

And with Sandvik 13C26 performing like this, IMO this is a great knife.
Click to expand...
 
Thomas, I'm really flattered you remember my humble review. Having had a lot more time now with the JYD2, I can say unequivocally that it's just one helluva great knife. In fact it occurred to me about a week ago that I couldn't recall the last time I'd touched up the edge, and I'm pretty OCD about keeping them very sharp.
 
Thanks for the reply everybody. Dog of War that was a very informative test. Thanks for posting it.
 
OK So I ended up with a Storm 2 this payday and I have to say I am amazed that I can still get an American made made product that is quality at a price I can afford. The ergos and shape of the blade are fantastic for me and the thing is certainly razor sharp. Eventualy the Lahar, Junk Yard dog 2, and the Cyclone will make it my way home as well and a Blur with the 13c26.
 
BRASMAN said:
OK So I ended up with a Storm 2 this payday and I have to say I am amazed that I can still get an American made made product that is quality at a price I can afford. The ergos and shape of the blade are fantastic for me and the thing is certainly razor sharp. Eventualy the Lahar, Junk Yard dog 2, and the Cyclone will make it my way home as well and a Blur with the 13c26.
Click to expand...

sweet. the storm 2 is on my short list. glad you like it. now start saving ofr the Lahar/JYDII/Cyclone!
 
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