Rockstead - Impossible to Believe

My first custom was a Yuna Mini-Hard 3 with a clad ZDP-189/ATS-34 blade hardened to RC 67. I didn't know any better so I used it for everything that needed cutting. Wire, branches, shrub trimming, etc. and never sharpened it.

I used it for three years on and off until my curiosity got the best of me and I started using others and put the Yuna in a drawer and used no more except to be taken out from time to time and admired. Since then I've used a number of other super steels, but nothing has stayed sharp longer than the Yuna.
 
Ken44 said:
I've seen him whack bamboo over and over at Blade, and the knife will still slice paper like in the video.
He was whacking the bamboo hard and often, and I was supprised there was zero edge damage.
Most all ZDP189 is hardened to 65-68. Thats what it was designed for.
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Don't know why, the edge geometry is not exactly thin and it's Asymmetrical for the most part so that would lead to a tougher edge, then take into count the high RC hardness in the 66-67 RC range that leads to a higher compression strength on top of it.

All those things combined help in minimizing edge damage.

Those guys aren't stupid, they do know how to get the most of the steels they use.
 
I own 3 Rocksteads, A Chi, Higo and TEI. The TEI is the sharpest of all of my knives, sharper than the Sebenza Insingo and WH E10 I have. The TEI is just incredibly sharp. I dont have a long history of experience with knives, just alot of collecting in a short period of time. But I use everything I have in my EDC rotation including the Rocksteads and few handmade customs.

So I can't speak to the long term edge wear and retention. But I will tell you in my opinion the Rocksteads are excellent knives all around and they should be for the price the command. The action is super smooth, the lockup is perfect, the design and attention to detail and execution is just excellent. The knives feel solid and weighty in the hand and just right all around.

My Chi is actually with Richard J sharpening right now, I wanted to see his work on the Chi. Rockstead wil sharpen the knives at no charge but you must pay round trip shipping to Japan which is about $60. When the Higo get dull, maybe Ankerson will take it for some testing....?

As far as the alum handles vs Ti - perhaps this is a matter of personal preference, I think the Rockstead handles are perfect in the hand. The sculpted machined design is pleasing to my eye and feels good in the hand. For my needs, I have no requirement for a titanium handle, (although I have small Sebenza as part of my collection).

To note, the Rockstead handles are on the large side. In terms of material density/weight, as most of you know, aluminum is 1/3 the weight of steel, however Titanium is half the weight of steel so titanium is heavier than aluminum. In other words, their current handle designs are suitable for aluminum. The handles would have to be very different if they were going to be made of titanium.
But agreed that titanium has advantages, it has a better strength-to-weight ratio than aluminum, and it does not corrode or rust, and hence doesn't need to be painted or coated like aluminum does.
 
Thanks hsc. Very good.
G10 would be a nice handle addition. I like that warm G10 feel.
I will check these knives out.
rolf
 
I have looked at the Rockstead for years. I own CRK's, Hinderer's, ZT's, and customs. I continue to be intrigued enough over the Rockstead's to order a Shin in YXR7 (not ZDP). I have never read a poor review and have seen many independent rave reviews. They also seem to hold their value well enough that it is not a huge risk if I do not like it.

Rockstead is doing something different. Different is hard in the knife industry these days. With the price of production folders (Spyderco's and ZT's) rising solidly to the $300+ range before secondary market prices and mid-tech prices in the $400-$1000 price range, $1k for a typical Rockstead is not insane to me.
 
Ankerson said:
Don't know why, the edge geometry is not exactly thin and it's Asymmetrical for the most part so that would lead to a tougher edge, then take into count the high RC hardness in the 66-67 RC range that leads to a higher compression strength on top of it.

All those things combined help in minimizing edge damage.

Those guys aren't stupid, they do know how to get the most of the steels they use.
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I've handled a few Rockstead, the edge geometry is not thick at all. It's closer to something like a PM2 or a sebenza which are reasonable and not something I would call thick.
I've yet to handle a symmetrical edge with a factory sharpening. They're always crooked.

Lastly depending on the bamboo, it isn't much of a test. I've cut more bamboos than I care to count from practicing katas.
 
Ankerson said:
Older video....
Not really all that impressive, the steel doesn't matter as it's just a marketing show for a wow factor.
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So my Tenacious re heat treated with the right edge geometry and polished could do that. I always knew my Endura would but the 8cr13 is a real shocker. Could you explain this geometry so I can test this with my knife? I'm obviously being a smart a** here but i'm very skeptical about your statement.

I have the utmost respect for you and your knowledge but what you say seems impossible, that any steel can do this. Rockstead is using a standard high end steel and just hardening it more with a good clean edge geometry. I wan't implying that they have some magic secret. Why don't more companies do this? Even if it is "marketing wow factor" it is a major wow. By the way, isn't all marketing playing up some wow factor? Think Cold Steel Absolute Proof. Everyone likes to see what a blade can do.
 
Honed_Edge said:
So my Tenacious re heat treated with the right edge geometry and polished could do that. I always knew my Endura would but the 8cr13 is a real shocker. Could you explain this geometry so I can test this with my knife? I'm obviously being a smart a** here but i'm very skeptical about your statement.

I have the utmost respect for you and your knowledge but what you say seems impossible, that any steel can do this. Rockstead is using a standard high end steel and just hardening it more with a good clean edge geometry. I wan't implying that they have some magic secret. Why don't more companies do this? Even if it is "marketing wow factor" it is a major wow. By the way, isn't all marketing playing up some wow factor? Think Cold Steel Absolute Proof. Everyone likes to see what a blade can do.
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That's not what I posted if you read all of the thread... ;)
 
So, is there not a price to be paid for high rockwell hardness? Brittleness, perhaps?
 
Ankerson there is a video the he slices also.have you ever held a rockstead?most unbelievable knives out there for the price.I have the Chi and higo-s they are mirror shunned to the edge.get one and try one first before you think its unimpressive.he hacks bamboo like a ax and slases the hemp rope also over 600 times not just chops check out more videos.he also cuts the whole rope I see videos of people using indavidual lengths from braided rope not the whole thing with the famed s90v pm2..go try one ankerson you will believe.
 
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Rockstead Shin In Clad ZDP-189 finest, sharpest knife in my collection.
 
Rocksteads knives are great. Their heat treat is spot on. The YXR7 (M2 Mod.) is a bit tougher and run around 65hrc also.

Their geometry is interesting and pretty clever. If you strop the knife with the recommended compound it won't need sharpening for a very long time. Not magic, just good designs and a great manufacturing process.

I'd love to see a similar test with a different knife, say a Gayle Bradley to see if only push cuts through rope will have a similar effect. Sounds like a job for you Ankerson!

And yes, the bamboo test is a bit more interesting. He really works that thing over.
 
TriviaMonster said:
I'd love to see a similar test with a different knife, say a Gayle Bradley to see if only push cuts through rope will have a similar effect. Sounds like a job for you Ankerson!
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Did it already a long time ago, and with more than one knife..... Yeah the results are similar..... High polished edge and push cutting.

The reason why I posted what I did before.
 
William Henry ZDP-189 knives are also speced at 67 HRC.
In general, ZDP-189 even at 67 hrc Sharpens just fine on whetstones. For major reprofiling 120-220 grit whetstones work pretty good, although diamonds are faster. High vanadium steels are more difficult to sharpen than ZDP-189, even when hardness is 3-4 hrc points lower.

Like Ankerson said, properly done push cutting(minimize lateral loads, in other words straight down, no wobbling) isn't all that demanding on the steel. That's not to say it's a bad steel, one of my favorites actually, especially in the kitchen knives. However, in real EDC use, it won't last as the video might suggest, simply because different types of cutting will be used.
 
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