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the best metel made by spyderco
- Thread starter zeping
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2006
- Messages
- 5,610
Zeping, Spyderco doesn't make the steels used. They come from steel mills. The best used by Spyderco is a difficult one. Spyderco uses different steels for different use knives. This will be even more apparent in the future when they bring out more specalized knives designed for chopping, outdoors useage etc.
Even similar use steels like BG42 and S30V will have those that will pick one or the other and will have real, legitimate reasons for their choices.
One thing we will all agree on is that Spyderco selects the very best components available for their products, whether knives or sharpening equipment.
Personally I like BG42 and ZDP189 the best for my typical uses in knives. Joe
Even similar use steels like BG42 and S30V will have those that will pick one or the other and will have real, legitimate reasons for their choices.
One thing we will all agree on is that Spyderco selects the very best components available for their products, whether knives or sharpening equipment.
Personally I like BG42 and ZDP189 the best for my typical uses in knives. Joe
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2006
- Messages
- 5,610
Geronimo, the ones you mentioned havung used are/were all good steel. ATS 55 isn't used much any more. VG10 is top of the line in many peoples eyes and far from obsolete. The majority of my Spydercos are probably VG10.
ZDP 189 is a very high tech hitachi steel that has properties that amaze people the first time they use it. Like any other steel though it has it's uses and limits. BG42 is an older steel making a kind of resurgence. It's a hall of famer in my eyes. It is currently featured in a sprint run of the Military model that I can't reccomend highly enough.
The ZDP 189 was only available in test sprint runs ( some still in stores). It worked out so well that the Spyderco management has decided to use it more, perhaps a permanent model. It's a plan ahead type steel as I heard it takes 9 months from placing the order to delivery, and is expensive. Sal putting out the models he did at the price they retailed at is a gift from him to us in my eyes. I seriously wonder if they made their investment in it back. Sal wanted to give everybody ( not just rich people) the opportunity to "drive a car with 600 hp". Do I sound like a true spyderco fan and steel junky? Yep. and I wear those names proudly and stand in good company here.
If you need help finding one of these models which I highly reccomend just ask us. Regards, Joe
ZDP 189 is a very high tech hitachi steel that has properties that amaze people the first time they use it. Like any other steel though it has it's uses and limits. BG42 is an older steel making a kind of resurgence. It's a hall of famer in my eyes. It is currently featured in a sprint run of the Military model that I can't reccomend highly enough.
The ZDP 189 was only available in test sprint runs ( some still in stores). It worked out so well that the Spyderco management has decided to use it more, perhaps a permanent model. It's a plan ahead type steel as I heard it takes 9 months from placing the order to delivery, and is expensive. Sal putting out the models he did at the price they retailed at is a gift from him to us in my eyes. I seriously wonder if they made their investment in it back. Sal wanted to give everybody ( not just rich people) the opportunity to "drive a car with 600 hp". Do I sound like a true spyderco fan and steel junky? Yep. and I wear those names proudly and stand in good company here.
If you need help finding one of these models which I highly reccomend just ask us. Regards, Joe
It is not an empty statement to say that all of these steels are VERY GOOD. Yes, I think that it is possible to notice differences between the steels, if you pay attention to it, but all of them will serve anybodys purpose just fine. I am a steel junky and I just love to try out steels, and I have my preferences, but to really say VG-10 is better than S30V (or vice versa or ZDP-189) I wouldn't do anymore, because they are all so damn good. Its like asking: Which is the better car: Ferrari or Porsche. I mean you may have personal preferences but we are not talking about run of the mill cars nor are we talking about run of the mill steels.
My personal preferences are S30V, ZDP-189 and BG-42 (all from Spyderco). S30V, because I can get a very nice edge on it and I am less likely to "over polish" it, so the edge maintains just a tiny bit of bite (although most people would consider it already as highly polished). ZDP-189 I love because it sharpens like an HC steel. I could put an edge on ZDP-189 with both eyes closed and hands tied behind my back (well not really but you get the idea). And BG-42 proves itself more and more in my use as the greatest edgehold of them all, and running against S30V and ZDP the is REALLY saying something. Now I very much like VG-10 as well, but I prefer the other ones. ATS-55 I would rank a little behind those four. But honestly, if someone gave me a knife with ATS-55 I would not complain. And finally there is H-1 and while I don't think it beats the others in cutting/edgeholding etc. performance, the fact that the stuff is completly rust proof easily outweighs what ever slight disadvantages it might have. I holds and edge like a knife steel should and takes a very nice edge aswell. While different than the others, it ranks for me right up there with S30V, ZDP-189 and BG-42.
My personal preferences are S30V, ZDP-189 and BG-42 (all from Spyderco). S30V, because I can get a very nice edge on it and I am less likely to "over polish" it, so the edge maintains just a tiny bit of bite (although most people would consider it already as highly polished). ZDP-189 I love because it sharpens like an HC steel. I could put an edge on ZDP-189 with both eyes closed and hands tied behind my back (well not really but you get the idea). And BG-42 proves itself more and more in my use as the greatest edgehold of them all, and running against S30V and ZDP the is REALLY saying something. Now I very much like VG-10 as well, but I prefer the other ones. ATS-55 I would rank a little behind those four. But honestly, if someone gave me a knife with ATS-55 I would not complain. And finally there is H-1 and while I don't think it beats the others in cutting/edgeholding etc. performance, the fact that the stuff is completly rust proof easily outweighs what ever slight disadvantages it might have. I holds and edge like a knife steel should and takes a very nice edge aswell. While different than the others, it ranks for me right up there with S30V, ZDP-189 and BG-42.