ZDP-189 or ELMAX?

I think this has been said more than once in the above responses...
ZDP probably the better choice, but not nearly as rust resistant as ELMAX. In "real" world/actual use you probably won't see any significant difference. Potentially ZDP being the stronger/harder steel, should hold an edge "better". (That however is all relative and will depend on heat treating/tempering and many other variables. Also then, harder = less chip resistance))
I much prefer carrying something that doesn't need constant care in order to avoid oxidation.

Regarding comparisons in terms of similar form factors... I suppose the closest would be a PM2 in ELMAX VS Stretch in ZDP...
 
I've had one knife in ZDP, and was unimpressed, I have many in Elmax, and it is one of my favorite steels. I too, had issues with the ZDP not wanting to hold onto a fine edge, I have no issues with Elmax.
 
In my first experience with elmax on a 0566, I experienced a very slight chip in the edge with some minor cutting on cardboard at work. I thought the horror stories were true after seeing it, but since I've sharpened it out and now I can't seem to duplicate the problem. I've beat on it very hard and it's pretty amazing. I don't know if it was just a fluke with the factory edge, but it's holding up amazingly well now, to the point it has become my favorite steel and seems to far exceed any of my other steels. And of all the knives I own, elmax takes the most unbelievably sharp edge of anything else. It takes a very scary sharp edge. I think you will love the 0566.
 
I have a Alan Davis custom folder made to my specs with Elmax. I sharpened it for the first time the other day and OH MY GOODNESS! SCARY SHARP!!!! I like Elmax. Good Luck! Kevin :D
 
David Lowry said:
I have yet to see anyone super thrilled by ELMAX.
Click to expand...

I'm super thrilled with Elmax, and so are my clients who've tried it. :) As Ankerson mentioned, the only drawback to it is that it's sometimes hard to get.
 
I think ELMAX is a MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better choice for a folder and I think that for general usage folding knives that it is one of the finest choices available. While some earlier ELMAX knives had some issues (much like how S30V had some chipping issues when it was brand new and makers had not gotten the HT down 100%), most ELMAX knives made today yield outstanding performance and significant toughness that most other common knife steels cannot match (there was a recent thread where a member dropped an ELMAX folder edge-down on concrete and the blade sustained almost no damage at all!!!) If someone wants a steel capable of multi-tasking and filling any and all roles it may be needed for, the great edge holding, great toughness, and great corrosion resistance of steels like ELMAX, CPM-S35VN, and CPM-154 are the finest choices around IMO.

I'm not a fan of ZDP-189 either. In fact, I like it less by the day. It doesn't have the greatest toughness, it can sometimes be brittle, it is a pain in the ass to sharpen, it is a huge pain in the ass to sharpen if you need to do something like remove a chip, it has really poor corrosion resistance that stains easily & pits quickly, and there are newer super steels with (often dramatically) better wear resistance, better toughness, and better corrosion resistance. For the Delica, I think the VG-10 steel is a much better steel overall than ZDP-189, and especially if the knife is being used in a fashion in which toughness or corrosion resistance is a desirable trait. SuperBlue is a great steel, but there is more upkeep involved with it than VG-10 because it is very reactive.

While no test is 100% conclusive, this illustrates why I do not like ZDP-189 very much. In 2006 when it first came to affordable folders, it was the shizz. But now with CPM-M4, CPM-S90V, and M390 being common, and S110V gaining popularity, I think it is harder to justify because a steel like M390 more or less improves upon ZDP-189 across the board and by a pretty pronounced margin. Also, as this test shows, ELMAX is no slouch at all when it comes to being able to hold an edge.

So in summary of my personal opinion, the increase in edge-holding of ZDP-189 is not that big of a gain over ELMAX as it may seem, and it does not justify the tradeoff of a huge loss in toughness and a huge loss in corrosion resistance, plus the greater time in upkeep involved. To me, ELMAX is a far-superior choice in steel for a folder. And while consensus on these topics rarely exist, many Knife Makers have strong likings for steels like ELMAX, CPM-S35VN, CPM-154, etc., which says something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top