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Rockstead Higo-J in ZDP189

Thank you.

It's a white polish used on any metal from stainless to copper.
 
A little update:
winter1.jpg

winter2.jpg

winter3.jpg


http://nemoknivesreview.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/rockstead-higo-j-part-iii-masamune-in-winter/

Cheers
Nemo
 
I have just read your update. Very informative, thanks! Looking forward to the next installment :)

JD
 
Thank you ! ;)

The Higo (as a Katana) is used in conjunction with the Spyderco C22 (as a Wakisashi). Same steel but different grinds.
No difference in pure performance so far. Both ZDP.
The C22 bits harder and cuts deeper but the Higo is getting the hardest works.
(The Higo is replacing my great Gayle Bradley as folding workhorse. So far so good...)
The Sprint run C22 is an amazing pocket laser...

cheers
Nemo
 
Nemo said:
Thank you ! ;)

The Higo (as a Katana) is used in conjunction with the Spyderco C22 (as a Wakisashi). Same steel but different grinds.
No difference in pure performance so far. Both ZDP.
The C22 bits harder and cuts deeper but the Higo is getting the hardest works.
(The Higo is replacing my great Gayle Bradley as folding workhorse. So far so good...)
The Sprint run C22 is an amazing pocket laser...

cheers
Nemo
Click to expand...
Have to admit, reading your review of the ZDP Michael Walker/Spyderco made me get a few. Now I'm seriously debating a Rockstead....
Course my Gayle Bradley is more than good enough... Hmm....
 
Any issues with scratches on the mirror finished blade?

I've found that mirror polished blades tend to be a fingerprint magnet, and my Tasman Salt was scratched up to hell. I haven't yet tested the mirror finish on my Manix 2 in CTS-XHP or my Endura 4 in ZDP-189, so I don't know if it's an issue for harder steels as well.
 
Nemo said:
Thank you ! ;)

The Sprint run C22 is an amazing pocket laser...

cheers
Nemo
Click to expand...

The walker is my EDC. Very good, both the lock, the handle, and the blade geometry; pleasent to use, nice to look at. But, for me, not the easiest to get really sharp. A nice challenge...

JD
 
my mirror edges in stretch zdp seem to abrade some what more than my benchmade 710-1 in m390. i'm using the edge pro on these & the bradley in m4. the japanese have some tweaks they can do on zdp that is impressive. ankerson's tests seem to indicate that zdp will perform about 65% of the uddeholm m390.however the zdp in the endura is a good value work horse.
dennis
 
Noctis3880 said:
Any issues with scratches on the mirror finished blade?

I've found that mirror polished blades tend to be a fingerprint magnet, and my Tasman Salt was scratched up to hell. I haven't yet tested the mirror finish on my Manix 2 in CTS-XHP or my Endura 4 in ZDP-189, so I don't know if it's an issue for harder steels as well.
Click to expand...

H1 tends to be a scratch magnet. My own Pacific Salt is a mess.
I love that steel but it's made for workhorses !

The mirror ZDP as you see it has been EDCed since september...
Scratches will come but so far so good ! ;-)
Not a big deal as I'm used to Jacques Mongin's folder mirror finish...;)
 
I got to handle a few Rocksteads at NYCKS, the rep was a real character, nice guy.

Build was fantastic quality as were the finishes. The blade finish is a true mirror finish, really have to see it in person to understand how finely polished they are.

They are just not in my budget for a knife...if they were, I wouldn't hesitate to own one.
 
I saw them at the NYCKS also. Precision made folders. There was a guy standing next to me who picked up one of the fixed blades. All of a sudden I see blood dripping from his hand. This blade was so sharp the guy did'nt even know he was cut till I told him.
Anyway the blades on the folders had a beautiful DLC coating. They looked like blued steel.I have never seen mirror edges like Rockstead's.
 
Nemo, thanks for the beautiful pics! there goes rockstead, right back up my to-buy list...
 
Nemo said:
I did not cut anything. But the tip may have been in contact with an hard surface without me noticying it....
The more I think about it (and when I see how I could fix it)
I think it was the very edge which rolled chaotically giving the look of a bad chipping but which could be fixed with a light sharpening (without removing matter)
The edge has touched something hard (it's happen at the tip and this could have happen without me to notice it)................
Click to expand...

Great review Nemo !:thumbup:
I spotted your post a bit too late, but I guess in time to add my opinion about Higo-J (recently gifted to me), adding some thoughts about ZDP189 against S90V.
I would start from the selling price, which at a MSRP of 745€ (lowest price I found in Europe) means 1080USD at the time I'm writing. Would I have this budget I would go for an assisted opening titanium handle with custom inlays custom knife, where I could also choose blade steel and hardness.
Or I would purchase a Lionsteel SR-1 + a Fehrman First Strike Satin (with either its custom made kydex sheath or a Spec Ops combat master molle sheath) for a grand total of 745€ as well. I guess now things appear to be quite different ;)

The three knives have been carried with me recently for a week in Tuscany, where my base location was 200mt far from seaside, and throughly used in wet (not salty water) humid environments for many camping tasks as cutting ropes, preparing tinder, cutting food and meat in particular. And allow me to say that ZDP189 confirmed to be a poor performer as far as stain resistance is concerned. HCl and H2SO4 5hrs tests say that it performs better than ATS34 but noticeably worse than AISI 440C.
My experience shown that when no mantainance is given and environment/usage is demanding, ZDP189 is as stainless as it gets. Not much more stainless than D2 or Sleipner or even CPM3V if properly mirror finished.
And at 67.5HRC its Impact Value of Charpy U-notch Test is less than 10J/cm^2 when ATS34 scores more than 20 at 60HRC (and ATS34 is NOT properly known to be resilient). Edge holding is gained by means of high HRC values, not by means of using high Vanadium (S90V) or even Nyobium (S110V) carbides which form a finer grained structure which is less prone to chipping and leaving more free Chromium to stain/corrosion resistance extents. ZDP forms Chromium carbides, thus less free Chromium...
S90V and S110V at 60HRC deliver more toughness, more stain resistance and a better edge holding when really abrasive media are to be cut. Being on par on other tasks.
I do like mirror finishing as you. Rest assured that with proper abrasive media it is achievable by hand also with S90V/S110V. Diamond paste loaded leather strop, or as I do, 6000grit tapes from EdgePro. My Paramillie 2 S90V/with carbon fiber handle is here to demostrate it.

The very last day in Tuscany my Higo-J chipped badly where it is said to have 15° angle. I purposely opened with a push cut motion a pretty hard blister pack allowing for some side load. A touch-up was not enough and I had to regrind to 2° with a 24° micro-bevel once back home. First ready-go-chip knife I ever had :rolleyes:

Bottom line.
Cutting manila ropes one million times when knife is charged with body weight and the pressure of two hands with a stable base demonstrates nothing IMHO.
Make a hook out of a manila rope keeping the ends tightly linked to a scale and then measuring the force as being into a close range from the first cut after 500cuts really tells something ;):D

Not suitable as a backup knife (SR-1 is far far better). Not even as EDC (Paramillie-2 S90V is my EDC with a LE2010 Small sebbie coming next with a couple of custom made Darrel Ralph assisted opening knives). I've already a ceramic letter-opener.......:):):D
Anyway, this knife has been a gift and as such will be kept in its deserved place as a shelf queen.
 
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