Need some opinions

L

L2bravo

Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Messages
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Hey guys, new to the forum, and geting back into the knife game again. I have always loved Spideys, and now upon my return, there is a crapload to choose from! I just picked up an Endura, with the hollow grind. I really like this knife, but have a few questions.

I understand the difference of hollow and flat grinds. But what difference in performance will it make, and what different characteristics will they have?

Also, what is the nearest comparison to the VG-10 steel? Is it good stuff?

Thanks for the help guys.
 
Many will say that the full flat grind will offer better slicing performance. Frankly, I have never seen much difference in cutting performance. In theory, a hollow grind blade is stronger due to the greater area of blade thickness near the spine. Again, I have never seen any practical difference.

VG-10 is an excellent steel that seems to have nailed a fine edge, ease of sharpening and toughness, coupled with excellent resistance to corrosion. The closest steel to VG-10 that I am aware of is N690Co.
 
Thanks APF, I am certain that there are always "theories" that sound like they should work, but don't always go the distance in practice.

Devil, I appreciate the info on the steel. So would it be fair to say, that VG-10, is on the upper end, in the "mid grade" steels?

Thanks for the help guys.
 
I have alot of Spyderco knives. The VG10 are the sharpest and easiest to keep that way. Get an Endura, either hollow or FFG will serve you well.
 
VG-10 and 154CM are both good mid-level steels, as stated. As is N690 (made by Bohler, an Austrian company). Nothing wrong with 'em. I would say, though, that you could do a bit better with CPM-154, which is Crucible's lovely version of 154CM. However, it isn't widely available and it's not used by Spyderco. I have one knife in it, a custom, and if treated and sharpened properly, its excellent stuff.

I am actually a big fan of S30V - as treated by Spyderco! I find it to be an excellent all-round steel - for my purposes, if you keep it sharp. Other than that, I don't think there is a heck of a lot of choice in readily available Spydies, other than ZDP-189, which is another superb steel (Endura), and CPM-M4, which is the king daddy of tool steels IMO (Gayle Bradley). Its just very tough, relatively easy to keep sharp and it gets insanely sharp! However, it is definitely NOT a stainless steel and needs looking after.

Other than that, M390 is a fantastic all-round stainless, but its not widely available. Spyderco have used it in a couple of sprints only, unfortunately, and as you might have gathered from some recent threads, the sprints are not that easy to come by.

I would say, if you like the Endura, then definitely investigate the ZDP-189 version, and compare it with your VG-10. I think you'll find it interesting!
 
I have resharpened this knife (brand new), and am impressed with it. You are correct Hump, the VG-10 sharpens nice, and it's a razor as of now. I'll be interested to see how long it stays that way, and what it's like on the next sharpening. Thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it.
 
This is where the better steels shine, they simply hold an edge longer. However, it also means they can be more difficult to sharpen. I would guess most people like the mid range steels because they are relatively easy to sharpen. Not being able to sharpen a knife can be VERY frustrating. Been there, done that!

L2bravo said:
I have resharpened this knife (brand new), and am impressed with it. You are correct Hump, the VG-10 sharpens nice, and it's a razor as of now. I'll be interested to see how long it stays that way, and what it's like on the next sharpening. Thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it.
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