M4 vs. ZDP vs. XHP: Which one holds the fine edge longest?

I have a Spyderco Military in both M4 and XHP, as well as a Delica ZDP (saber grind), I feel like M4 holds its fine edge the longest.
 
From the knives i own (m4 Ritter , zdp caly3 & delica , xhp manix 2) Thr xhp remains useful the longest ... It just keeps that aggressive toothy edge better than zdp which seems to do better with a finer edge ! As for m4 I'm not impressed with my benchmade ....
 
softrockrenegade said:
From the knives i own (m4 Ritter , zdp caly3 & delica , xhp manix 2) Thr xhp remains useful the longest ... It just keeps that aggressive toothy edge better than zdp which seems to do better with a finer edge ! As for m4 I'm not impressed with my benchmade ....
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i dont have much experience but ive seen people say other companies do their m4 a little harder than bm does so the edge lasts a ltitle longer
 
Where's ankerson? : ) I heard BM runs there m4 at a lower Rockwell than spyderco...love my Gayle Bradley's m4 so I'm gona say that with xhp rite behind it...to be fair to zdp I've had problems with my endura I think I got a soft batch
 
I can't really see XHP as a contender, ZDP is going to win due to higher hardness with M4 nipping at its heels. Fine grain structure and high hardness = longer fine edge retention.
 
i don't own XHP, but i do own M4 and ZDP, i would probably put M4 over ZDP, but it really depends on what you are cutting.
 
M4 @ 62.5

Same:

zdp-189 @ 65
xhp @ 60+


Didn't test for fine edge retention, just overall.
 
knifenut1013 said:
I can't really see XHP as a contender, ZDP is going to win due to higher hardness with M4 nipping at its heels. Fine grain structure and high hardness = longer fine edge retention.
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ZDP has higher hardness but M4 has harder carbides and is more impact/chip resistant. it really depends on what you're cutting.
 
Yes and no, fine edge retention is what it is. Carbides are for wear resistance so for a fine edge they are not a factor, the toughness however of M4 and its ductility have better edge stability than high hardness ZDP.
 
I've heard M4 has a better working edge retention. The very fine edge dulls but it maintains a very sharp working edge for a long time. I used my GB at work almost everyday, cutting industrial ply cardboard, heavy duty zip ties, etc. and all it took was a stropping about once a week to maintain a killer cutting edge. Not to mention, I let my dad take it to work, he is a welder/pipefitter and I know he used it hard.
 
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