William Henry Quest.

[Halfneck]

Saw this knife at the Blade show and it seemed like a nice knife. The articles I had read on this made it sound like some sort of stout knife for outdoor survival skills but it did not feel that way to me. I have a William Henry that is 1 of my fancy "church-going" knives and I like it a lot but I can't see taking a Quest and relying on it like I would my Al Mar SERE 2000 or Emerson CQC-7.

 

[shaldag]

I have one of those. While it does hold an edge quite a bit longer than does a knife with a standard S30V blade (for example my BM switchback), I would not classify it as an outdoor survival knife. I read the articles, and I am sure that Tom Brown knows more about wilderness survival than I do--BUT I have been out in the woods/desert/jungle quite a bit, and I would rather have something with a little more oomph to it than a WH. If I could only take one folder, for example, a MT LCC / Spyderco Chinook or Manix come to my mind, as well as the ones you mention. Yes, they weigh a lot more. However, I would put up with the extra weight of the knife and trim down somewhere else.

Maybe I'm too reliant on heavy, large folders. So be it. Anyway, I niver carry only one knife anyway.

Back on topic--the Quest is a nice little knife, and does it's job quite well. Is it worth the price for this steel? Up to you.

 

[brownshoe]

Nice knife, kind of pricey for a production, but that's William Henry. One thing about it being a "survival" knife, why trust your life to an unproven steel when there are plenty of other steels with long excellent histories of performance?

 

[knifetester]

I am very interested in trying the ZDP189 steel, and hopefully Spyderco will give us that chance in a Claypso jr type knife.

Steel with these properties (extreme hardness) make excellent light use utilty knives with very thin edges. The high hardness translates into high strength. This means a thin edge won't roll (deform), and if the steel is not too brittle won't chip bady on light use (carbaord, meat, rope, etc).

For a "Survival" folder, I think a rucksack is ideal since it offers a broader scope of work (saw, pry with opener, awl, etc), and I think the BM 710 in M2 is a directly better knife for that application.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Steel with these properties (extreme hardness) make excellent light use utilty knives with very thin edges.

Much of the promotion of ZDP-189 is that it retains toughness at a high hardness, or at least doesn't get brittle. The statements are usually fairly vague, but they do seem to be promoting it more as a general use steel rather than how Alvin describes uses of his knives of similar hardness. Personally I would not want that steel in a wilderness knife for many reasons, unless I had other knives and that one was left for light use only. I would take the two you mentioned pretty directly. I think a lot of the guesswork will be taken out of ZDP-189 when Spyderco puts it into production.

-Cliff

 

[knifetester]

Much of the promotion of ZDP-189 is that it retains toughness at a high hardness, or at least doesn't get brittle.

Yes, it is an interesting steel given the claims that have been made. Like you, I am waiting to handle one from Sal before buying any of those claims. As you indicate, the claims are vauge. If the claims about toughness were that is is decently tough compared to a good tool steel like A8 or even a simple carbon steel, that would be a whole other ball game. As it is, my guess is that it will be less than 154cm class toughness, but at very high hardness.

Sounds great for a light use knife though.

 

[Halfneck]

I am critical of high hardness steels for extended field use. Case in point was a soldier in my unit that had a Spyderco Military model that he had gotten as dull as a butter knife cutting line of fire stakes. Having only a small Spyderco double-sided ceramic hone I only got it so-so sharp, and that took some time. I mostly carried a Spec-plus Air-crew knife in 1095 backed up with a SOG Paratool and my Emerson CQC-7. All of those were easily kept sharp if I dulled it. Honestly the Spec-plus Air-crew knife was just along as my beater knife.

As for the Quest being a field knife it strikes me more as something to use to open your MRE's/Freeze-Dried meals, food prep, cut/slice rope/fishing line, and get splinters out.

Still put some nice Ironwood or Redwood Burl scales on it and I would be happy with it as a nice EDC.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I am critical of high hardness steels for extended field use. Case in point was a soldier in my unit that had a Spyderco Military model that he had gotten as dull as a butter knife cutting line of fire stakes. Having only a small Spyderco double-sided ceramic hone I only got it so-so sharp, and that took some time.

Just apply a small microbevel, don't work the entire edge. When you get back home, or have some time, recut the primary edge with a x-coarse hone. You can just carry a field grade one made out of x-coarse sandpaper on a piece of wood, plastic tray, piece of glass, etc. .

If the claims about toughness were that is is decently tough compared to a good tool steel like A8 or even a simple carbon steel, that would be a whole other ball game.

Yes, it would also be quite a wonder, personally I don't expect any great toughness to come of it and think they whole promotion is just asking for problems. If this is pushed as a hard working and tough steel, the problems with edge damage are likely to open the flood gates quickly. Put it on a nice very thin profiled blade and promote it on a high sharpness and edge retention. The edge bevel better also be narrow and acute or you are asking for sharpening problems as well.

-Cliff

 

[LarryLuana]

And the reason I bought it was to see all the hype of ZDP-189 steel, and also knew it would make a great gents folder, and fairly sheeple free And the other reason the blade is so similar to my Kershaw Shun kitchen paring knife I have in the kitchen that figgered it would make a good "folding" paring knife as well when out camping, etc. It has a blade that is thin like my Kershaw kitchen paring knife, and about the right length at 3 1/4" for the blade.
With all this in mind as has worked out very well for those purposes, and even for it's size it solid, and more heavy duty than I expected but I also always have a 2nd knife on me that is more for the heavy duty cutting.
I am impressed at this point with this steel, and cuts very well, sharp as the dickens, and seems to hold an edge very well.
I am glad I got it, and very happy with it although as everyone is saying it is pricey but I was lucky enough to get mine off the for sale forums at a great savings so did not have to buy at normal higher price.
Just my .02 cents .

Larry