What are the advantages and disadvantages of ZDP-189?

SPXTrader said:
I think ZDP is the best steel I've used to date. Remarkable edge retention, like you said Mike, you can get them stupid sharp!
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I was going to pass on the ZDP Mule but after an endorsement like that I'll be picking one up.
 
ericb445 said:
I was stripping wire at work on some heavy cable insulation cutting and prying back the insulation. That caused the chip. The broken tip on the endura was from trying to get a broken piece of a fuel fitting out of a fuel hose, of coarse from prying.
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Thanks a lot. Because it gave some idea of why it chipped and snap tip. Now to be fair - what steel did not get damage when you use it in same situation?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
CarpScot said:
I was going to pass on the ZDP Mule but after an endorsement like that I'll be picking one up.
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As long as you use the thing reasonably sensibly, (not as a prybar, screwdriver, digging your way out of a battle tank, etc), I think you will be impressed with it.
 
No knife abuse here. I have been using one of the S90V Mules as my leather-working knife, and I suspect I'll use the ZDP in a similar way.
 
CarpScot said:
No knife abuse here. I have been using one of the S90V Mules as my leather-working knife, and I suspect I'll use the ZDP in a similar way.
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I'd say it's great edge retention qualities would make it ideal for leather work. I believe that stuff can be hard on edges.
 
I had a ZDP Endura that I used the crap out of. I did manage to chip the edge once but like I said the knife when through some blatant abuse. I wish I still had it but it got tossed out the car window by a very angry girl a few months ago.
 
nozh2002 said:
Thanks a lot. Because it gave some idea of why it chipped and snap tip. Now to be fair - what steel did not get damage when you use it in same situation?

Thanks, Vassili.
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I have really had good luck with S30v
But they where all big folders. BM Mini Rukus and ZT 301 Strider SNG
Never had any chipping or tip breakage. I never really have blamed the blade material for any of my knives that I may have broken. When I know I am going to keep and use a knife I do use them.
 
ericb445 said:
I have really had good luck with S30v
But they where all big folders. BM Mini Rukus and ZT 301 Strider SNG
Never had any chipping or tip breakage. I never really have blamed the blade material for any of my knives that I may have broken. When I know I am going to keep and use a knife I do use them.
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You mean that you never have chip or tip breakage with S30V when you do same what you did with Endura ZDP189, which was:
"I was stripping wire at work on some heavy cable insulation cutting and prying back the insulation. That caused the chip. The broken tip on the endura was from trying to get a broken piece of a fuel fitting out of a fuel hose, of coarse from prying."

as well as drilling holes in outdoor plastic slides.

Is it orrect - You did same with S30V and never have similar problem?

Regards, Vassili.
 
2brothers said:
I've had no chipping on any S30V knife I have. Kershaw, Buck, ZT etc.. I'm pretty hard on my knives sometimes too.

But when someone cuts into something and then starts twisting the blade
back and forth, I don't see any steel holding up to that force on a thin edge.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=593309

mike
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I've not had my S30V knives chip either and the SnG gets used hard sometimes. I've stripped insulation from underground electric fence cable and not damaged the edge. I did snap the tip off but that was due to being stupid and prying into a bit of hardwood.

No problem with the Sebbie either.
 
nozh2002 said:
You mean that you never have chip or tip breakage with S30V when you do same what you did with Endura ZDP189, which was:
"I was stripping wire at work on some heavy cable insulation cutting and prying back the insulation. That caused the chip. The broken tip on the endura was from trying to get a broken piece of a fuel fitting out of a fuel hose, of coarse from prying."

as well as drilling holes in outdoor plastic slides.

Is it correct - You did same with S30V and never have similar problem?

Regards, Vassili.
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Pretty much yes.
I have done many of the same things with S30v and have yet to have them break.

I never said that it was a plastic slide, I have no Idea where that quote came from.
It was a plastic toy horse.
Its all good.
 
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For me, it pits very easily....much worse than any other stainless I have.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
ericb445 said:
Pretty much yes.
I have done many of the same things with S30v and have yet to have them break.

I never said that it was a plastic slide, I have no Idea where that quote came from.
It was a plastic toy horse.
Its all good.
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Thanks, sorry, I had impression that it was slide for some reason, but can not find the thread... It was 2006 after all.

Thanks, Vassili.

P.S. Ironically it was also many talks initially that CPM S30V is too brittle... I guess any new steel has to be blamed for being "too brittle" and "hard to sharpen". At least from what I remember...

P.S.S. As I remember Kershaw change blade for you to CPM S30V on that titanium Leek? How did that blade performs?
 
personally i think that the whole s30v being to brittle or chipping was due to bad heat treatments (or earlier heat treatments). most of those horror stories were from years ago. i think over the past few years the companies have found better ways of treating it resulting better overall performance. most people i talk to love s30v but everyone has a fav


as for zdp189 i personally don't have one but have a friend that does. i believe it chipped but i don't know what he was doing at the time. i think when u get any steel that hard it can become too brittle.
 
ar0maticdecay said:
personally i think that the whole s30v being to brittle or chipping was due to bad heat treatments (or earlier heat treatments). most of those horror stories were from years ago. i think over the past few years the companies have found better ways of treating it resulting better overall performance. most people i talk to love s30v but everyone has a fav


as for zdp189 i personally don't have one but have a friend that does. i believe it chipped but i don't know what he was doing at the time. i think when u get any steel that hard it can become too brittle.
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Well, I have first hand experience. And it is not brittle, at least on all what I was able to throw it in. At 65 HRC it is pretty strong.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
ericb445 said:
I never said that it was a plastic slide, I have no Idea where that quote came from.
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I distinctly remember coming across a thread in which someone had broken the Tip of a ZDP Leak working on a plastic slide. Problem is I cant remember if it was the OP, some one responding, a thread in the Kershaw Sub-forum, a thread in General, or Reviews and testing, a thread about ZDP, or a thread talking about Tips snapping off.
 
ericb445 said:
I still have the endura that I sharpened the chip out of and a zdp lum that I never had a problem with and use the crap out of, still shaving sharp and never sharpened.
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I'm puzzled. My experience is very different. I whittled a pine 2X4 for twenty minutes with my new Stretch II ZDP-189 and it is already dull (does not shave hairs) and the edge has 4 (small) chips.

The Stretch II does whittle slightly better than my $2 kitchen knife, but the $2 kitchen knife hurts my hand a lot less. I'm also suprised that after ony twenty minutes the Strech's pivot has vertical and horizontal play.

Obviously I'm not a knife nut, my only other Spyderco is a Ladybug H1 for light use.

Is whittleing pine 2X4's asking too much for ZDP-189?
Did I get a ZDP-189 with bad heat treatment and a weak pivot
Should a stretch II be saved for easier stuff like vegetables, rope, and cardbord.

Did I buy the wrong knife, would a Manix 2 be more better for general use?

Does anybody else use the Stretch II for more than a few minutes and notice the steel liners have sharp edges and really dig into your palm and pinky?

Cheers,
James
 
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James007 said:
I'm puzzled. My experience is very different. I whittled a pine 2X4 for twenty minutes with my new Stretch II ZDP-189 and it is already dull (does not shave hairs) and the edge has 4 (small) chips.

The Stretch II does whittle slightly better than my $2 kitchen knife, but the $2 kitchen knife hurts my hand a lot less. I'm also suprised that after ony twenty minutes the Strech's pivot has vertical and horizontal play.

I'm not a knife nut, is whittleing pine 2X4's asking too much?
Did I get a ZDP-189 with bad heat treatment?
Should a strech II only be used for vegetables, rope, and cardbord.

Did I buy the wrong knife, would a Manix 2 be more appropiate for general use?

Does anybody else the Stretch II for more than a few minutes and notice the steel liners have sharp edge and really dig into your palm and pinky?
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Does not shave hairs is not dull, and twenty minutes of whittling (depending on your initial edge) will dull it a bit.

How much play are you talking about? There is a slight (on all proper backlocks) amount of vertical "push" play due to the lock engaging more, and that shouldn't be bothered. For horizontal try adjusting the pivot a bit and see if you can remove that.

Have you sharpened it at all?
 
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