. . . for . . . cutting what ?
That is the question. Some steels shine at a polished edge for cutting cleaner stuff like ZDP-189. Some steel shines at cutting old dirty fibery stuff such as rope like S110V does. Some steel shines at resisting edge damage like 3V does.
and some steel is just the best period like M4.
Oops . . . did I say that ? Yeah I'm all gog gah about M4 (and ZDP-189 for that matter). The Ankerson tests say I'm full of stuff and don't know sht . . . but then I don't cut much rope. I have a few S110V blades. Give my M4 any day . . .
. . . for cutting the stuff I cut.
What stuff do you cut ?
Well, I work in the city--in an office--mo office so I am free to have the knife of my choice on me, and as many knives as I want without worry of getting snitched on (I used to work for local government and I actually go in trouble because a co-worker, frightened by one of my blades told the boss--I can understand had the snitch been a woman, but it was a man--a p***y.
I always have a knife--or two or three--on me because i just love them. What I cut is--on a daily basis is--what ever I eat; kitchen work (and I have a couple of excellent chef knives--one made of super blue by Takeda; and the other White number 1 by shiraki--both top notch and both achieve razor edges--but I don't walk around town with my chef knives--so folders is where the present interest is)--lately, I have been doing my kiitchen work with my folders just to see how they do. I open boxes, occasionally cut rope, and, i love to cut newspaper just to watch a blade that can do it really well. I used to live in the country where i used to prepare daily cook fires. I needed to prepare kindling--baton work and stuff--out of mesquite wood which is a very, very hard wood to work with. for those kind of jobs, I always used my camp Fowler knives out of 52100. I tried dozier D2 which is the best--but it was too brittle. Nice edges, though.
I also whittle as a hobby--i carve small sculptures out of mesquite wood. Mesquite might as well be stone. I have a folder with blades made of 52100, but I wouldn't dare use my spyerco zdp blade because I think the blade will chip out. But for city work, ZDP is marvelous. So, I am looking at what might even surprise me more.
The only other consideration that is worth keeping in mind is ease of sharpening. With ZDP you need diamond stones. In my daily environment, it's not a problem because I have them. In the country, I used to touch up my Fowlers with a smooth rock from the ground--beautiful. With all the new, fancy alloys that are coming out, it can be an issue--this sharpening issue. ZDP, although notorious for being difficult to resharpen, is not a problem as long as the blade is maintained and never gets too far away from optimal condition. That said, try and maintain it with a natural stone--good luck.
I hope I am making myself somewhat clear.
I have a GB spyederco in M4--i bought it from him. For some reason, I haven't paid much attention to it. And, I have a spyderco in zdp-189--a calypso Jr. I bought long ago when they first came out with zdp--this is the folder I have become obsessed with--the edge on it is so fine, that I just love it. But the blade is very small--so, I am looking to buy a new one and I find find that there is so much out there, that it's a tough choice. Spyderco makes an endura with a nice blade length in zdp--it's a candidate, but before I buy it, I am trying to see what else is out there. I do not take the approach of just throwing money at it, as in, "just buy them all!" Perhaps I eventually will; but for now, I want the best steel for the best edge--relatively speaking, of course.
