Must you have the newest steel? ZDP-calypso?

Yes, I do have a penchant for trying out the latest ''wonder steel." And yes I did get a ZDP-189 Caly. Hasn't left my side yet.

I try new steels because I can and out of hope that each improvement will truly be better in sharpness and edge retention.

I think we all should take a deep breath and thank Sal for taking the risk he does by introducing new knives/steels. Yes, a Delica in AUS 8 would handle most of our cutting needs, but what would be the fun in that??

Thank you Mr. Glesser.

Chris :thumbup:
 
I am wondering the same thing about the latest, greatest steel. I collect mostly fixed-blade combat knives. Back in my youth, I must have broke three or four "ka-bars" (they were really Camillus combat) while stationed with the 56 Air Commandos in NE Thailand. I broke them because I was learning how to throw them. The SOG boys had these cool bowies with thick blades. When I asked one the the green beanies what was wrong with the issue combat knives, he said that some had broken in hand-to-hand combat. But these SOG bowies were also high carbon steel, only thicker. Recently I ordered a Chris Reeve "Green Beret" knife made of some new stainless V30 or 30V or some such. Is this new wonder steel really that much tougher than 440 C or 1095 high carbon steel? By the way, that green beret told me that his favorite hand-to-hand weapon was the entrenching tool. :confused:
 
Actually by most accounts 1095 is "tougher" than most stainless steels at their optimum hardness.
 
Wow. And my family always called me a knife nut. I have learned more about knives and techniques here on this forum than I have in years. So, if 1095 is better than most stainless, why buy any stainless, unless you are going diving or something? Now I understand why I can sharpen a Ka-Bar more easily than a Gerber. I have broken a few knives. They were all carbon steel. But I don't own any stainless machetes. I appreciate the comments (even the crazy ones) you guys have. Even though I have used and collected knives for 40 years, I can see I have a lot to learn. Thanks for putting up with my dumb questions. I'm just an old man who likes blades and is not ready to be a victim. I always carry a blade, and usually have a pistol nearby.
 
Victor L Ross said:
By the way, that green beret told me that his favorite hand-to-hand weapon was the entrenching tool. :confused:
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I guess it's just personal preference. The Army does consider entrenching tools to be close quarters weapons. Kind of strange but apparently it works. You can actually see the field manual here
 
Why buy any stainless.. good question. Convenience is a big one, even though the high carbon stainless can rust, they generally don't show any visible discoloration, alot of people dig that. Another is that they don't react with food when cut, which can really mess up the flavor of alot of fruits and vegetables. Some folks apparently don't have an issue with this, I do so I only use carbon steel on meats or make sure to wipe the blade with a damp rag after every cut. Stainless steels tend to be more wear resistant than a plain carbon steel, so it's concievable that you'll get better edge holding on most softer materials. For carry knives I really haven't found any need for stainless outside of folders and knives I take when going fishing (saltwater).

*edit* almost forgot to add, stainless also isn't terribly prone to rusting at the very edge, thus dulling the blade when not in use. I've had this happen to some carbon steel knives I used regularly after Hurricane Charley hit here when cleaning up fallen branches and stuff in our yard, they were still more than sharp enough to do their job(mostly limbing branches to make it easier to get in with a saw), but the shaving edge was quickly lost even in areas where the knives didn't come in contact with what was being cut.

*edit again* There's also the matter of what manufacturers are making. Most 1095 blades tend to be hardened around the 56-57 RC range, while the modern stainless are generally taken to 60-61. This creates a very large difference in edge holding on most materials. For a good example of what decent quality carbon steel is capable of with a good heat treat, you can look at the Becker lineup from camillus. To see what it can do with an exceptional heat treat you can always check out the Swamprat forums here and on their webpage.(and also Cliff's review of a Howling Rat)
 
What yoda4561 said, plus people who live in humid climates also appreciate stainless.

Some days this summer were very hot and humid. I also do some physical work on the job and on those days I tend to sweat. I saw the spine of an Opinel discolor from being in my pocket and then being stored in a warm environment. I also saw the back springs and the spines of the blades on a Schrade 34OT discolor in the same way.

These knives were pretty new and I had done a decent job with keeping them oiled. I could've been removing rust if I hadn't. I didn't expect them to develop a patina so fast.
 
I don't really care about having an exotic steel...it's cool to try out the new thing, just out of curiosity, but once that's satisfied....really, it just has to meet my standards....AUS8 or 440C and I'm pretty happy with it. I mean, I'll spend a little extra if I can get it in my favorites, VG10 and D2, but AUS8 and 440C are just fine with me.
 
As usual, Sal is a class act. He listens to his customers, and alot of the time we get what we ask for(still looking for the native chief...) If that's hype or marketing gimmickry, well he's got me fooled. Among my Spyderco knives are 5 Calypso Jr.'s and 4 Calypso's. I've been Carrying a Calypso Jr. as part of my EDC stuff for years. I think they are the best designed pocket knife around. I for one look forward to lining Sal's pockets again. That's how it works in a market economy.
As usual Joe Talmadge said what I was thinking, and said it more eloquently than I could. :thumbup:
 
Well, this will sent this thread a bit of topic, but....

In any use that involves moist material (like kitchen use) the edge of a HC blade will deteriorate a whole lot faster than that of a stainless steel blade. Even if the theoretical edge holding is equal (which it isn't necessarily, the modern stainless steels are very abrasion resistant, assuming the blades are run at the same hardness) you are not getting that edge retention, because the edge simply corrodes away on you. You don't have to see major pitting or dicoloration, because the edge is so thin and has such a high surface area to volume ratio, that it will be affect before anything else. The meat industry has done some testing and even good HC steel will not hold up to mediocre stainless in that regard. And oiling the blade will protect it only so much. The oil will wipe of eventually and reoiling is not always possible, imagine you are a butcher having to process several cows, how often do you get to oil your blades in between.

So you could really say that the only aspect in which HC still rules is toughness (I seem to recall that SS blades are difficult, if not impossible to differentially harden). So it really comes down to what kind of blade you are looking for. If you are doing knife throwing or anything were toughness is paramount, HC is the way to go, I would say. For a slicer or a folding knife I'd rather have a good stainless steel.
 
Just received my Calypso Jr. today; scary sharp right out of the box. Interesting little EDC and should be an ice breaker when one is needed. :p
 
HoB said:
... imagine you are a butcher having to process several cows, how often do you get to oil your blades in between.
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Alvin found here that M2 was a massive improvement over 1095 due to the greater corrosion resistance, enough so that the burnishing action of the cutting was enough to stop the rusting apparently

-Cliff
 
Walking Man said:
I'm curious about how many of you feel the need to rush out and get a knife when the LATESTandGREATEST(tm) steel comes out.
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I don´t feel so.

Especially ZDF steel is of no interest for me.
 
If you don't like Spyderco or Sal, the best thing to do is to keep your mouth shut. Everytime someone bashes Sal, a dozen guys step up to defend him and his products. It says a lot about the man. Ya gotta love it.
 
At 67 HRC it seems like it would hold an edge for quite some time...
Of course, $375 MSRP is a lil rough. But, then again, there are those that buy Sebenzas for the same amount, and there's nothing special about them... ;)

WYK
 
I got an e-mail today from the Syperco store online and my Caly Jr. has been shipped! And yeah I like to try the newest thing. :cool:
 
I got my new burgundy caly jr today. In addition to being very sheeple friendly and a great ergonomic design, this awesome little piece easily caught hair well above the skin. I also found the it would cut free hanging single ply toilet paper as well. A knife this useful and sharp from the factory is worth 60 dollars and much more, I don't care what the antagonists say.
 
Broke down and ordered mine today. This is actually the 1st time I have been interested in a knife mainly because of the steel. All the hype I heard about the William Henry Quest sounded good but at 300$+ thats a bit steep to spend just to see. The ZDP-189 Calypso Jr @ 67$ does not hurt my wallet. Being more sheeple friendly looking will make it a good EDC at my job as a nurse.
 
No, I don't need to get the lastest miracle steel in a knife just to have it. After using and sharpening a number of steels, I still like and prefer plain ole 154CM :eek: I did want to try the new steel, if anything to see how it stood up in comparison to others. But, it was not a rush due to fanfare, just curiosity.

Plus the honey saw a pic of it and the color is one of her favorites. Since she liked the looks that means (square root X/ (log 65)- [f(x)] derivative y~mg = I CAN GET YET ANOTHER KNIFE AND SHE WON'T BUG ME ABOUT IT ;)
 
Halfneck said:
This is actually the 1st time I have been interested in a knife mainly because of the steel.
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I wanted a Spydie Military for years, but when I saw one with S30V steel, I just HAD to buy it. I had read SO much about the steel, that I had to get it no matter what. It's absolutely the sharpest and nicest EDC I ever had. :)

Now reading about this ZDP stuff and looking at pictures of these nice Caly's, I think I'm sold already...

PS. Will get a SS Police fully serrated as well. Goes nice with the plain edge Military. :D
 
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