ZDP-189... yeh or nah?

Handwrecker said:
There was a post on here from a Carpenter rep (where he didn't want to step on any toes, and was very polite) where he explained the difference between 2nd and 3rd gen. Interesting stuff. I'll see if my search-fu can dig it up.

ETA: My mistake, it was from the Spyderco forum. But I feel as if it's pertinent here. Hopefully I'm not breaking any rules with this post.

http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showpost.php?p=681034&postcount=49
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Thank you for posting the link. It was quite interesting and informative. :thumbup:

I shall endeavor to sharpen one knife of each generation to "shave ready" and attempt to determine if I can tell any difference in shaving comfort. I realize that such a test is completely unscientific, :confused: and will not serve to prove or disprove anything, nevertheless it should be an interesting challenge.:p

I fully realize that if I post my unscientific results, I may seriously offend the sensibilities of some of the engineering community here, but please bear in mind that I am an historian, not a scientist! :D
 
A definite thumbs up from me for ZDP. I only have a Delica 4 in ZDP and it is SCARY sharp. My other Delicas in VG10, ATS55 and AUS8 are all sharp, but the ZDP is something else. It's worth giving a try.
 
THG said:
I hated this steel. I don't know if it just doesn't like cardboard or what, but I had ZDP-189 in 2 different knives, and it was absolutely terrible. After a couple of cuts through single... ply (?) (I can't remember what you call the zig-zag reinforcement) cardboard, the edges of my ZDP-189 knives were completely dead. I mean flat out gone. They would barely scrape enamel off of my finger nails.

And no, I didn't have a burr. I'd sharpen them using the aligner, and they would split hair. Then after a few cuts, they'd be dead, Dead, DEAD.

Like I said, it might just be bad for cardboard and great for everything else, but this is one steel that I don't ever want to deal with again.

But all of that aside, it really wasn't hard to sharpen. It took about 2-3 times longer, but it wasn't hard because... it was hard. Meaning that the steel was hard enough on the rockwell scale that it didn't burr very easily when sharpening.
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Hi THG,

What two knives do you have in ZDP?

sal
 
i think he has an exageration in g10/ZDP, and an exageration 2 in FRN/ZDP .... :rolleyes:

more seriously, i respect his point but when you have constant feedback of a a steel performing great for everyone and 1 person that have two consecutive exemple of knives that goes from hair whittling to completely dull in 2 cuts .... i doubt ....
 
Hi Pwet,

We have a long history working with Hitachi metals. We have found them to be an excellent foundry with exceptional blade steels. They will sell and ship to us any steel they make.....................except ZDP-189. They say that ZDP must be heat treated by their trained and authorized heat treaters in order to get the best performance the steel has to offer. There are no "authorized" heat treaters in the US, so it must be heat treated in Japan. That's what we do.

It is possible that he has ZDP was not properly heat treated. If it's Spyderco that he has, then we would be obliged to replace his knives with a properly performing model. If it's a knife made by another mfr?

To assume that a material will be the same from all makers is not realistic. Like assuming that a steak will be the same in all restaurants.

sal
 
Quite so, Mr. Glesser.

I possess several pairs of knives of the same steel from your company, and your major competitor. I have found overall quality quite similar, but HT (and therefore hardness and abrasion resistance) far different.

Inasmuch as I prefer a greater amount of abrasion resistance, I now purchase Spyderco rather than your competitor's knives almost exclusively. Well done, sir!:thumbup:
 
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