zdp-189 delica

L

Locust

Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
539
A friend just gave me a zdp-189 delica as a gift. Rather surprising since she knows absolutely nothing about knives. The thing is I'm a little worried about the steel.
1: I'm still a novice when it comes to sharpening. I have a Sharpmaker but my results vary. Sometimes hair shaving sometimes duller than when I started. I don't have any diamond rods at the moment or a strop. What will be the best way to maintain the edge and sharpen it as time goes on? Also what is the factory angle of this model?
2: I know zdp has great edge retention but that a downside to the high hardness is an increased likelyhood of chipping rather than denting or rolling. What can and can't the edge take? How careful should I be? I'll probably use it on paper, cardboard, plastic (ie packaging and zipties), and maybe wood. None of this seems abusive to me.
 
I maintain my zdp-189 on my sharpmaker. It will work just fine. I havent chipped mine yet or anything, what you said you'll be cutting should be perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, i was tired one night, decided to take it apart and clean it and forgot to open the blade and the backspring slammed the first 1/4" from the tip into the steel frame, and the blade came out totally unharmed. Soooo, i think you'll be fine. Just keep up on the sharpening, don't let it get too dull or you'll cry.
 
The heaviest cutting I've done with my ZDP Caly so far is a bunch of cardboard and I have to say it holds it's edge better than steel I have (S30v, 154, VG-10) in a pocket knife. I just touched it up on an old Schrade HoneSteel. No fuss, no muss.
 
I have heard it holds it's edge very well. I was planning on slowly working my way up through the food chain of steels to get a more full appreciation of their properties. Looks like I'll be taking a bit of a jump forward.
 
ZDP 189 seems to love stropping on leather...
My ZDP Walker loves it !

Cheers
 
Thanks. How does it fair against corrosion what with that 3% carbon. I'm not planning on taking it to the beach but was thinking more along the lines of food stuffs like fruit, peanut butter, meat, veggies, jelly, etc.
 
It should be fine. Mine is actually sandwiched between a softer steel (420J2) but it should do fine. I've had no rusting of mine at the edge of anything.
 
I use my sharpmaker and strop on mine and it works fine. I think people really overplay the sharpening difficulty with ZDP--maybe they let theirs get really dull.

My biggest suggestion would be to make a strop--all you need is an old leather belt and some chromium oxide ("green polishing compound") and you're set--attach one end of the belt to something and pull the other end taut. Make sure you use the non-shiny side and rub the compound on like a crayon. I find shiny leather doesn't really work great, but the rough side is perfect.

Since I got my strop, I use it way more than my Sharpmaker, simply because I'll strop my knife after basically every day of use. That way the edge stays beautifully fine and even, and I don't have to worry about putting a new edge on usually, unless I go a while without stropping, or have to do a really unusually large amount of cutting

BTW--Right now I only have a Caly 3 in ZDP (laminated), but I have a Stretch CF on the way, plus a Michael Walker coming next week! w00t w00t!
 
Locust said:
So whats too dull? No longer hair shaving?
Click to expand...

IMHO on an EDC knife like a Delica: yes.
Not losing that level of sharpness is mandatory.
(but I know some people who got dull knives and enjoy them... as said Bob Terzuola "If your knife is not dull, it means you don't use it enough"... So losing sharpness and restore it is really an important side in enjoying your knife.)

The good news is: ZDP won't lose the razor edge quick.
The bad news: resharpening ZDP can be longer than less exotic steels.

My own experience with ZDP is excellent. I was even able to "cure" chipping edge (not on Spyderco though) on a 66,6 HRC ZDP Blade without much problem.
Also with my ZDP Michael Walker, I cut a lot of cardboard (reprocessing boxes) and ZDP seems to be impervious to this tricky material (cardboard contains some sand which is harder than steel and dulls it very quick).

As the Delica grind is flat saber ground you should be able to keep razor juste by refreshing the edge gently (always a light hand) on the sharpmaker flat white ceramic (15 times on each sides alternatively) and then a 50 passes on leather.
You are not obliged to add chromium oxid each time you strop.
IMHO the dry compound works better than fresh compound anyway.

Locust said:
Thanks. How does it fair against corrosion what with that 3% carbon. I'm not planning on taking it to the beach but was thinking more along the lines of food stuffs like fruit, peanut butter, meat, veggies, jelly, etc.
Click to expand...
I would like ZDP to stain as it got some very nice bronzish reflections. But really you should not have any issue with that steel. Again stropping (on the flat side of the blade) will "clean" anything.

BTW you got a very nice friend with a sure taste for knives. :thumbup:
My friend Jur once call his Delica ZDP "The Perfect EDC" !
I do understand him.

So, keep it sharp (even by stropping it on cardboard) and enjoy your knife !

Cheers !
 
Last edited:
I have been thinking of getting a strop for a while. This would be a good excuse. Would a full 8" double sided paddle strop be best or could I get away with a 6" single sided hand strop? The portability of the smaller one is attractive.
 
Locust said:
I have been thinking of getting a strop for a while. This would be a good excuse. Would a full 8" double sided paddle strop be best or could I get away with a 6" single sided hand strop? The portability of the smaller one is attractive.
Click to expand...

I got a 6" bought on a garage sale. (It's very old one... which has been cut by the previous owner who did not use it propely...)
It's not really a paddle. there is a loop of leather and a long screw for the tension and a wood handle.
I even strop my machette with it (OK just for fun and in this case the strop goes to the blade and not the blade goes to the paddle...)...;)
 
Last edited:
paddle.jpg


It's even only 5 inches of leather...
Aftermath3.jpg
 
my father uses his delica zdp189 on anything it needs to be done in construction working
and by that, i mean anything, cutting all kinds of materials,even scrapping
he mostly gets a working edge on it by sharpening on blocks of cement
IMG_2921_resize.jpg

IMG_2922_resize.jpg
 
jacktrades_nbk said:
my father uses his delica zdp189 on anything it needs to be done in construction working
and by that, i mean anything, cutting all kinds of materials,even scrapping
he mostly gets a working edge on it by sharpening on blocks of cement
Click to expand...

Wonderful ! My uncle does the same with his VG10 Endura...
But here we got a ZDP Delica and this is good to see how that steel can be used very very hard !
Blocks of cement should provide a toothy edge, should'nt they ?:D
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. The delica had never really caught my eye but after having one for a week I can see why they have lasted almost 21 years and four generations. I can even overlook the lack of a true choil.
 
Last edited:
You mean 21 years ?
Delica and Endura were the first FRN Lightweight clipit ever ! :)
 
If you are going to get a strop, I would go with the double sided strop. Black compound should be used before green as it will help with developing a more refined edge. I would also suggest not using a free hanging strop. Free hanging belt strops work best with straight razors and well developed convex edges. Solid back strops work best with knives that have a bevel. You will be amazed at how easy it is to keep an edge hair popping sharp with a few strops. Even after some serious use you can usually put the edge to black and then green and have it be like new again.
 
@ Nemo: Yea I just realized that I messed my math up...badly. I was hoping to sign on and change it before someone noticed, but no such luck.

@Tony8179: Where do you find strops with two sueded sides? Most have one sued one smooth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top