My new Rockstead arrives!

rangerover_95

rangerover_95

Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,047
My second Rockstead has landed.

I just purchased a Rockstead Shin, with the ATS-34 clad ZDP189 blade and the fully convex or Honzukuri grind. It is sheer perfection!!!!

I bought it from an Austrailian dealer, and oddly enough, the knife shipped directly from Rockstead itself. The nice part is that from Osaka, Japan to Portland, OR only took 3 days total which actually caught me by surprise.

I EDC'd a Rockstead TEI-S (Shinogizukuri or compound grind), with the DLC YXR7 steel and absolutely LOVE it. I have had it for 8 months of daily service (cardboard, kitchen duties, random demos of sharpness) and have never had to do anything beyond a quick swipe on a strop to keep it screaming sharp.

Rockstead incorperates rather thick blades into their Shin and TEI knives (3.7mm or about .15"), yet managed to make them cut like a paper thin hollow ground blade. I like having a knife I can feel comfortable will handle some pretty tough cutting tasks, but will also cut with ease.... After owning several models of Strider and even a couple XM-18s (I gave it a second chance), I finally have found that perfect combination in Rockstead knives.

I have heard a lot of people quickly dismiss Rocksteads in the past because of the use of Aluminum as a handle material. They use Duralumin, a copper/aluminum alloy that is much tougher as the SHELL of the handle. The internals are all steel. The bushing pivot and stop pin are attached to steel components inside of the aluminum shell. The same can be said of the lockbar.

Again, I have owned many of the reputed "toughest" knives around, and I feel that Rockstead not only holds its ground on toughness, but trumps any of the competitors in terms of fit/finish, blade durability/edgeholding/cutting ability, and ergonomics.

I know the price seems ridiculous, but the quality is there, the performance is there, and not only are they the sharpest, they hold that edge for an eternity. Seems like a good deal to me!

Now that my Rockstead rant is over, enjoy the ehe candy!

Shin with ATS34 clad ZDP189

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TEI-S

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Shin and TEI-S

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Perfect fit and finish!

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ZDP and YXR7 DLC

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Shinogizukuri grind (top) vs Honzukuri grind

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Even a novice will notice how nice these knives are and comment on quality.
You could hand the same person a CRK and they might not even notice it.

Congrats on your new folders. It's great that you actually use them.
What a concept.
 
not sure about the handles look pretty thick ( cant really see em too easily) but the blades are amazing looking
 
Thanks for the responses guys! I will get some pictures and videos up of the Rockstead in comparison of some of my other higher end folders soon.

Thanks
 
Not knowing anything about these knives, may I ask what the purpose of the hole out on the blade is for? Or, is it purely aesthetic?
 
Purely for show, it is Rockstead's trademark , like the spydie hole... Its finished beautifully and there is not a single rough edge to be found on this knife....
 
It's also called a blood groove, I believe. Had a chance to visit with Mr. Haneda at Blade. What a humble man. Congrats your Rockstead.
 
I just threw my credit card at the computer and the picture looked at it and said "B***h please!" Fantastic knives.
 
Rangerover 95 what is the functional difference between the 2 different grinds of your Shins?

Steve
 
Nice blades. Is it rude to ask how much these cost? you've got me curious. Also, mind posting some more pics? You don't have a single one of the entire knife.
 
I appreciate the responses guys! I will get more photos up soon, waiting for some nicer weather to get them outside.

As for the price, I got the TEI for a steal at 1100, as I regularly see them in this configuration for over 1600.

The Shin I picked up for 1450, including shipping from Japan. I feel like it was a good price for the knife, as the honzukuri grind is more expensive, and the ATS-34 clad ZDP189 blade is also much more expensive.

Is this a crazy amount to spend on a knife? Sure it is, but it's what we do! I can forfeit buying a few nice knives or a bunch of cheaper knives to get what I like.

I'm not knocking on those who collect knives in that manner as I hope they don't knock on my method of collecting.
 
Beautiful knives rangerover! I'd love to have one of those TEI's; maybe I'll wait and see if any show up gently used on the exchange... :D

Wishful thinking, I know.
 
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