Rockstead Knowledge Thread

Finally got my Higo-JH-ZDP in after two and a half weeks of waiting!

My first impression was actually "wow, this kind of feels cheap" - the Higo is super light, and the aluminum scales are quite slick. But after handling and inspecting it more, it becomes pretty clear that it is of superb quality.

The action is fantastic, even smoother than any of my Sebenza's. The blade is obviously super sharp and cuts quite nicely, although because it is a convex grind it retains more thickness behind the edge than some hollow or full flat grinds. I presume the previous owner used it a little bit because the blade has some scratches, which shows that the high hardness of the ZDP doesn't mean it's impervious to scratching.
 
Misanthropia said:
Finally got my Higo-JH-ZDP in after two and a half weeks of waiting!

My first impression was actually "wow, this kind of feels cheap" - the Higo is super light, and the aluminum scales are quite slick. But after handling and inspecting it more, it becomes pretty clear that it is of superb quality.

The action is fantastic, even smoother than any of my Sebenza's. The blade is obviously super sharp and cuts quite nicely, although because it is a convex grind it retains more thickness behind the edge than some hollow or full flat grinds. I presume the previous owner used it a little bit because the blade has some scratches, which shows that the high hardness of the ZDP doesn't mean it's impervious to scratching.
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Congrats!

I'll be honest, the duralumin handle on my Chi gave me the same impression at first. But like you said, that feeling went away upon further inspection.

ZDP definitely will show scratches (as you noticed), I have quite a few on my DLC coated models too. The mirror polish hides them pretty well though. Contrary to belief, the mirror poilsh doesn't look messy after some use and acquiring some scratches. However, it shows fingerprints and smudges very easily.

Glad to hear you like it so far:thumbup: Keep us posted on how it treats you over time.
 
Congrats and enjoy! Couldn't be happier with mine :thumbup:

Misanthropia said:
Finally got my Higo-JH-ZDP in after two and a half weeks of waiting!

My first impression was actually "wow, this kind of feels cheap" - the Higo is super light, and the aluminum scales are quite slick. But after handling and inspecting it more, it becomes pretty clear that it is of superb quality.

The action is fantastic, even smoother than any of my Sebenza's. The blade is obviously super sharp and cuts quite nicely, although because it is a convex grind it retains more thickness behind the edge than some hollow or full flat grinds. I presume the previous owner used it a little bit because the blade has some scratches, which shows that the high hardness of the ZDP doesn't mean it's impervious to scratching.
Click to expand...
 
Misanthropia said:
Finally got my Higo-JH-ZDP in after two and a half weeks of waiting!

My first impression was actually "wow, this kind of feels cheap" - the Higo is super light, and the aluminum scales are quite slick. But after handling and inspecting it more, it becomes pretty clear that it is of superb quality.

The action is fantastic, even smoother than any of my Sebenza's. The blade is obviously super sharp and cuts quite nicely, although because it is a convex grind it retains more thickness behind the edge than some hollow or full flat grinds. I presume the previous owner used it a little bit because the blade has some scratches, which shows that the high hardness of the ZDP doesn't mean it's impervious to scratching.
Click to expand...

Congrats!!!!

You really should post some pictures when you get the chance.
 
Day 2 of carry: I'm liking the Higo even more, it feels like an even more refined Sebenza. I'm getting used to the slickness of the handle and manipulating the knife. I don't particularly like the thumbstuds, they have a habit of getting caught on my pocket when I'm withdrawing it. The blade is still mesmerizing and it's quite easy to strop with the honzukuri grind.

It's definitely making me want another, the only problem is I don't find any other Rockstead's very attractive, at least in terms of price/features. The the handle of the Shin is kind of goofy looking to me, and the Tei is astronomically expensive in comparison. I would be very excited if they did another Duraluminum framelock like the Higo.
 
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Misanthropia said:
Day 2 of carry: I'm liking the Higo even more, it feels like an even more refined Sebenza. I'm getting used to the slickness of the handle and manipulating the knife. I don't particularly like the thumbstuds, they have a habit of getting caught on my pocket when I'm withdrawing it. The blade is still mesmerizing and it's quite easy to strop with the honzukuri grind.

It's definitely making me want another, the only problem is I don't particularly find any other Rockstead's very attractive, at least in terms of price/features. The the handle of the Shin is kind of goofy looking to me, and the Tei is astronomically expensive in comparison. I would be very excited if they did another Duraluminum framelock like the Higo.
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Have you taken a look at the Chi? The blade on the Chi is pretty amazing in my opinion.
 
Dddrees said:
Have you taken a look at the Chi? The blade on the Chi is pretty amazing in my opinion.
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Yeah unfortunately I'm not much of a small knife guy. I really like the Chi aesthetically, but I know the size of it would never appeal to me.
 
Misanthropia said:
Yeah unfortunately I'm not much of a small knife guy. I really like the Chi aesthetically, but I know the size of it would never appeal to me.
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I thought the same thing, but once I held it I fell in love:D

I also was not impressed with the "other" Rockstead models when I got my Higo-X, but as time passed, my curiosity got the best of me... Just give it some time, it's only day 2:D:p

I'm pretty sure the Higo won't be your last Rocky!
 
Had this waiting when I got back home today. A BIG thumbs up for zukuri.de who posted immediately, excellent communication and included a denim strop, metal polish tube and bandaids :) with the Rocky. I will post more pics later. Loving the Shu
DSC00339_zpsonbpuhxz.jpg

DSC00335_zpsyuysgike.jpg
 
Scotcha said:
Had this waiting when I got back home today. A BIG thumbs up for zukuri.de who posted immediately, excellent communication and included a denim strop, metal polish tube and bandaids :) with the Rocky. I will post more pics later. Loving the Shu
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Very nice, Congrats!!!
 
Scotcha said:
Had this waiting when I got back home today. A BIG thumbs up for zukuri.de who posted immediately, excellent communication and included a denim strop, metal polish tube and bandaids :) with the Rocky. I will post more pics later. Loving the Shu
DSC00339_zpsonbpuhxz.jpg

DSC00335_zpsyuysgike.jpg
Click to expand...

Beautiful!
 
Finally got a decent picture of my Higo-JH-ZDP:

20160127_122450_zpsrumucnlt.jpg


It's nice to know Rockstead will restore the finish, because mine is definitely getting scratched up.
 
Received my Higo today. I used to have a Hizen but much prefer the Higo over the Hizen and the Shu for my needs.

I am not sure if it is appropriate to post this here, if not my apologies and will remove it. I have my Shu up for sale if anybody is interested.
 
Scotcha said:
Received my Higo today. I used to have a Hizen but much prefer the Higo over the Hizen and the Shu for my needs.

I am not sure if it is appropriate to post this here, if not my apologies and will remove it. I have my Shu up for sale if anybody is interested.
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Congrats!!!


You ought to post pictures when you get the chance. Which blade and handles did you get by the way?
 
Thank you Dddrees. I will post some pics soon, work has been very punishing.
I got the ZDP189 with Duralumin handles. Have got a ironwood higo on order, really love the simplicity of the Higo. Wish could keep the Shu as well but cannot justify 3 Rockys in a month [emoji15]
 
Well I guess I can see why Blues Bender prefers the YXR7 steel, I'm getting a surprising amount of micro damage at the edge on my ZDP-189 Higo. It could be that the cardboard I'm cutting is dirty, but I kind of doubt it given that it was mostly shoeboxes.
 
Misanthropia said:
Well I guess I can see why Blues Bender prefers the YXR7 steel, I'm getting a surprising amount of micro damage at the edge on my ZDP-189 Higo. It could be that the cardboard I'm cutting is dirty, but I kind of doubt it given that it was mostly shoeboxes.
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I've heard other reports where users of Rocky's ZDP experienced micro-chipping when cutting cardboard.

As most of us know, cardboard can be really hard on an edge. There are many different types of cardboard products, and many different processes for making said products. Pulping, which is an important part of this process, has different processing methods. Basically, pulping is the separation of wood into individual fibers.

Quoted from a cardboard manufacturer:
"Mechanical pulping typically involves grinding the wood down using silicon carbide [SiC] or aluminum oxide [AlOx] to break down the wood and separate fibers."

SiC and AlOx are the same materials that some of us use to sharpen our knives (i.e. remove steel). During the manufacturing process, some of these materials are left inside of the cardboard. It's easy to see why cardboard is so tough on an edge and why such a simple material can cause so much damage on a brittle steel like ZDP-189 @ 67hrc.

Anyways, I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing damage. I'm not sure what cutting tasks ZDP-189 (specifically at 67hrc) would excell at besides cutting soft materials like rope or cloth, or being made into traditional Japanese chef knives. It's definitely an amazing steel that has exotic properties, but I personally don't think it's well-suited for someone that uses their knives on a daily basis for cutting a wide variety of materials.
 
Blues Bender said:
I've heard other reports where users of Rocky's ZDP experienced micro-chipping when cutting cardboard.

As most of us know, cardboard can be really hard on an edge. There are many different types of cardboard products, and many different processes for making said products. Pulping, which is an important part of this process, has different processing methods. Basically, pulping is the separation of wood into individual fibers.

Quoted from a cardboard manufacturer:
"Mechanical pulping typically involves grinding the wood down using silicon carbide [SiC] or aluminum oxide [AlOx] to break down the wood and separate fibers."

SiC and AlOx are the same materials that some of us use to sharpen our knives (i.e. remove steel). During the manufacturing process, some of these materials are left inside of the cardboard. It's easy to see why cardboard is so tough on an edge and why such a simple material can cause so much damage on a brittle steel like ZDP-189 @ 67hrc.

Anyways, I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing damage. I'm not sure what cutting tasks ZDP-189 (specifically at 67hrc) would excell at besides cutting soft materials like rope or cloth, or being made into traditional Japanese chef knives. It's definitely an amazing steel that has exotic properties, but I personally don't think it's well-suited for someone that uses their knives on a daily basis for cutting a wide variety of materials.
Click to expand...

I'm going to keep using it and see what happens. The cardboard I was cutting didn't feel like there were any loose particulates in it, like some really dirty cardboard that you see in bigger boxes. I'll try cutting other media and see how it holds up. I use a Spyderco UF stone on the very apex to straighten it out, it certainly helped.
 
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