optimum edge holding?

SpartanSaint

SpartanSaint

Joined
Jun 17, 2010
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I'm looking to put a high end folder on my short list, and I'm wondering who offers exotic steels with a slice happy profile at really high hardness

I know wh runs their zdp at like 67, but they're considerably smaller than I care for.
 
ZDP is nice and hard, but I'm more impressed with steels like M390 at lower hardness which holds an edge longer. Still, the steel can hold an edge, and it's not quite as brittle as I expected it to be. Try one of Yuna's hard series. My Mini Hard 2 has been doing good, with a surprising amount of cutting edge for a 3 inch blade.

The Spyderco Para2 in S90V and carbon fiber also cuts and keeps cutting, though peel ply carbon fiber doesn't feel quite as good as the smooth variety.

I'm expecting an R.J. Martin Overkill in S110V coming in, and I doubt you can get much more high end than that(titanium framelock, carbon fiber inlay, micarta backspacer, thrust bearing, flipper, hollow ground, recurve).

I believe William Henry has some bigger selections in ZDP as well, but the price tag would be even higher than what I paid for the Overkill(they're just weird like that).

Aside from that, maybe keep a lookout for a Scott Cook Lochsa in S90V in the exchange?


SpartanSaint said:
Yes I have, but who works with the more exotic steels?
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Farid makes the t1000 folder and uses steels like S125V. I'm just too stuck on flippers to get one:D.
 
Head over to the custom knifemaker's forums and ask around.

Ray Laconico and Les George, off the top of my head, could probably make you a knife with a super steel at a high hardness for a reasonable price.
 
SpartanSaint said:
I'm looking to put a high end folder on my short list, and I'm wondering who offers exotic steels with a slice happy profile at really high hardness

I know wh runs their zdp at like 67, but they're considerably smaller than I care for.
Click to expand...

First, I would suggest Dozier with his special D2:

Dozier-Custom-001.jpeg


Then Sniper Blade Works with differentially treated 1095:

Sniper-LPC-08.jpg


Then Yuna with ZDP189. His Japanese heat treatment contractor run it bit low 65HRC and Spyderco Delica with 67HRC outperforms it, but still good edge retention
and probably better toughness.

Yuna-Hard-II-003.jpg


Do not bother about CPM S90V, CPM S110V, CPM M4, Elmax and M390 - they only have good hype around them but just a little bit better then average performance.

You may check Hinderer with CTS-XHP, but I did not try it out, only may say Manix 2 with this steel shows very good result, but it became not available
even before it hits market.

Thanks, Vassili
 
spartansaint, what are you looking to do with the knife? how much do you want to spend?

what about the spyderco gayle bradley? great looking knife with good fit and finish. it's blade is M4 hardened to 62+ HRC.

you could also buy an S90V military or para-military off the secondary markets.


SpartanSaint said:
Yes I have, but who works with the more exotic steels?
Click to expand...

farid.
 
He did say "high-end", so I assume the Gayle Bradley is out of the question. The Para2 in S90V is fairly high end in regards to the handle material, but doesn't look and feel as such(it's light as a feather yes, but the texture simply feels like standard G10).

I'm guessing titanium is a must. Hinderer's XM-18 simply isn't good for slicing with that spanto grind. It's just the tyranny of physical reality that says that such a fat blade will not cut well:thumbdn:.

I would also hesitate to put non-stainless steels in a high-end folder unless you want rust on the blade from your sweat alone.

Mock M390, S90V, and S110V if you wish, but I haven't found D2 or CTS-XHP to have as impressive a level of corrosion resistance as those steels. My job doesn't always allow the luxury of washing and wiping my blade clean and dry after every use, and my Dozier Buffalo River Hunter had some pretty deep rust spots afterwards. My Manix 2 in CTS-XHP also has some spots near the pivot where not all of the water dried off after washing the blade.
 
From what I've seen of farid's work, its not my style. That rj martin is gorgeous...750 might take a while to save up. And I'm looking for my sebenza's replacement. I don't need a hard work folder. Just wondering what's out there in this niche

From what I've seen of d2 I like it. The corrosion hasn't been an issue really, though stainless would be preferred. I've heard fantastic things about Murray carter. I'd like that kind of performance in a folder

I love ray's work, does he do true custom order stuff? I guess I'd like to tweak his designs a bit and use a more fancy steel. Nothing wrong with what he uses, I guess I just want exotic for The kinda money I'm looking to set aside for this one.
 
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Ray does custom work, but I haven't heard anything about him using anything more "exotic" than S35VN. I know Andrew Demko says he can work with M390, but his backlog is pretty full(same story with just about everyone including R.J. Martin and Scott Cook).

If custom made isn't a requirement, I believe the Kershaw Tilt will satisfy your needs with a titanium framelock, carbon fiber scales, ball bearing flipper, Vanax 75 nitrogen steel(with 20% chromium and 9% vanadium), and an affordable price at around $230. Also seems like a pretty large knife from the pictures.

And again, my Yuna Mini Hard 2 has done a great job kicking my Sebenza out of my pocket.
 
I work at a plant nursery with ungodly rusty well water no matter how much I backwash . My blades are constantly getting covered in this water and I have never had a rust issue on my xhp manix(will take a pic of the orange pond in the back from the runoff. 2moro). Something else has to be a factor then leaving some water on your blade.I have not used s110 or s90 but I would take zdp or xhp over m390 . I do plan on getting s110 strider soon though.
 
SpartanSaint said:
From what I've seen of farid's work, its not my style. That rj martin is gorgeous...750 might take a while to save up. And I'm looking for my sebenza's replacement. I don't need a hard work folder. Just wondering what's out there in this niche

From what I've seen of d2 I like it. The corrosion hasn't been an issue really, though stainless would be preferred. I've heard fantastic things about Murray carter. I'd like that kind of performance in a folder

I love ray's work, does he do true custom order stuff? I guess I'd like to tweak his designs a bit and use a more fancy steel. Nothing wrong with what he uses, I guess I just want exotic for The kinda money I'm looking to set aside for this one.
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I would say S90V, S110V, S125V or M390 for stainless and 10V or 15V for non stainless and ground really thin at MAX hardness would suit your needs very well.
 
Ankerson said:
I would say S90V, S110V, S125V or M390 for stainless and 10V or 15V for non stainless and ground really thin at MAX hardness would suit your needs very well.
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Agreed, but who offers what in those steels? I doubt benchmade's offerings in m390 are at max hardness. I have the 390 tsek but it doesn't have the sebenza like wow factor. As far as I know, wh doesn't have anything approaching 4". If they do please correct and direct me
 
SpartanSaint said:
Agreed, but who offers what in those steels? I doubt benchmade's offerings in m390 are at max hardness. I have the 390 tsek but it doesn't have the sebenza like wow factor. As far as I know, wh doesn't have anything approaching 4". If they do please correct and direct me
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You are just gonna have to go the Custom route to really get what you want on this, steels and Blade grind are going to be tough.
 
Which brings me back to who works with these steels? I've got no problem going custom, its just sad how backed up some of these guys are
 
Contact Andrew Demko, Brad Southard, Ray Laconico, the list goes on. There are tons of awesome makers out there, that is just 3. You are in a position that many would envy, what a dilema. ;)
 
SpartanSaint said:
Which brings me back to who works with these steels? I've got no problem going custom, its just sad how backed up some of these guys are
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I know the wait times will be long, I would PM or Email STR or Andrew Demko and or post in the Custom forum to see if you get any bites.

Sometimes to get what you really want you just have to wait.
 
I wouldn't envy my situation too much, I'll be forced to liquidate most of my collection to get this, Which is why I hesitate to wait seeing I'd be without a friend for a while :(
 
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