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Zpd-189
- Thread starter L2bravo
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spyderco lover
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Well zdp-189 is an incredible high performance steel. if you're thinking about it, just pull the trigger and thank me later. That being said, it is an EXTRAORDINARILY fine grained steel, always comes hair splicing sharp and can take a beyond scalpel sharp edge. Zdp is also the hardest knife steel period, I believe spyderco runs their around 65 RC but it can be taken up to 68 if I remember right. If you let it get dull (which would take forever) its a nightmare to reprofile and fully sharpen. That being said, if you touch it up continuously, strop it, and keep that hair splicing edge, it'll be by far the most insane steel you've ever experienced. I'm told its not as good as M390 or CTS-204p, however I cannot attest to that. Only other gripe I ever hear is some people saying their ZDP rusted due to its super crazy high carbon content. I've never had zdp rust but I'm careful with knives and oil them constantly
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I have had an Endura in ZDP for about 6months. I look after it averagely well and see no corrosion issues at all yet. It came really sharp, and held that edge very well. When it became blunt with use I found it to be the most difficult steel to get back to that original sharpness. And I have a Wicked Edge sharpener. So yes, if you get one, maintain the edge as you use it rather than let it get blunt.
I like the ZDP, but prefer M390 as I find it definitely sharpens easier and better.
I'm happy with this Endura, but to be honest I would buy another M390 blade before another ZDP-189 blade.
BTW, I find my VG10 Endura more inclined to rust than the ZDP.
I like the ZDP, but prefer M390 as I find it definitely sharpens easier and better.
I'm happy with this Endura, but to be honest I would buy another M390 blade before another ZDP-189 blade.
BTW, I find my VG10 Endura more inclined to rust than the ZDP.
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Are your sure about the 65-58 RC part? That's kinda crazy hard...like RockStead hard.
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If you don't believe the hardness, just wait until you have to sharpen it. I've learned more about diamonds than I wanted to know with this steel. A light touch for finishing is needed, patience, and a new understanding and appreciation of edges will be the result once you've wrestled with this stuff. My natural stones weren't up to the task, so I got some diamonds and finally made progress. Not saying it is impossible to deal with, just prepare yourself to have to acquire better sharpening skills and plenty of patience.
That having been said, it is one great steel for slicing. I loaned my knife to our administrative assistant a few weeks ago to open a box and she was amazed that it not only cut the packing tape, but the cardboard as well, with no effort. Be careful out there!
That having been said, it is one great steel for slicing. I loaned my knife to our administrative assistant a few weeks ago to open a box and she was amazed that it not only cut the packing tape, but the cardboard as well, with no effort. Be careful out there!
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- Oct 2, 2006
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I have had an Endura in ZDP since the first year they made them. When they went to full flat grind I sold it and bought the full flat. It cuts like a laser and all I ever did to either was strop or lightly use fine stones on Sharpmaker and then strop. I really like it and have never had mine rust.
Ankerson
Knife and Computer Geek
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- Nov 2, 2002
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ZDP-189 is a good steel, high hardness usually in the 64-67 RC range with good edge retention, not as stainless as one would think due to the most of the Chromium being used in carbide development. Works well with fine or coarse edges and is very aggressive with with a coarser edge, generally used in higher end kitchen knives for the most part, however it also works very well in folders.
ZDP is hard, but I don't think that hard. Also, it's not too difficult to sharpen. I found it similar to M4 in the sharpening department.
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It is that hard. As Ankerson said 64-67, pretty close to 65-68. You can feel it immediately when you put whatever sharpening device to it. And in my experience M4 is pretty easy to sharpen and ZDP-189 is a bear. Nothing has come close to ZDP in sharpening (re-profiling).
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Wow...guess I'm getting a ZDP-189 dragonfly!
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Have fun, if you have a Sharp Maker just stay on top of it and maintain it. I got my Caly 3 ZDP and decided to reprofile with a guided rod setup before I bought the Sharp Maker. That was a mistake, and it took a while to figure it out. I would go through all the steps, and have a dull knife because I never got to the apex. Now I have a micro bevel with the SM and maintain it. It takes a very fine smooth edge, the end result (not the getting there part) is similar to what VG-10 has always ended up for me. I am glad I didn't give up on it and plan someday to get a CF ZDP Stretch. A thin little Dragonfly in that steel will be awesome.
FCM415
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I never had difficulty sharpening ZDP (EP/SM). My first few times, I was expecting the worste after reading all the feedback about it being hard to reprofile/sharpen. It does take longer to finish like other premium steels Ive sharpened. I own all the ZDP's in BRG except for the Delica and I have all the Stretches in ZDP. Owned a Caly3 but 'upgraded' to the 3.5 in ZDP. It happens to be my most carried steel by way of the knives it comes in and is one of my favorites. One full vote of confidence from me, no science mumbo jumbo. Just experience from using it often. It holds a laser beam edge for a very long time.
So will the diamond rods on a Sharpmaker cut this steel decently? I have them, and they make pretty good work of whatever I put on them. Then again, they haven't tasted ZDP yet.
With another thread I have going about Super Blue, how are these two different? I don't mean metalurgy makeup so much as I mean performance. Cutting, sharpening, edge retention, and more than that, that you guys know about.
With another thread I have going about Super Blue, how are these two different? I don't mean metalurgy makeup so much as I mean performance. Cutting, sharpening, edge retention, and more than that, that you guys know about.
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- Sep 2, 2007
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ZDP holds a thin edge very well. It is a bear to sharpen if edge the is to thick. I wouldn't really want a blade out of it if it was thicker then .015 behind the edge. It performs really well ground down to .010-.005 range behind the edge, since it's a slicing type of steel.
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- Jun 7, 2002
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yep! it's hard to bring a dull zdp endura back to factory sharpness (amazing how spyderco sets its factory edge as a sharpness standard.)
after the first sharpening, i was honing and stropping nearly once a week trying to make it hair-splitting sharp again. i was getting frustrated as zdp 189 was tauted as the seldom-sharpened-stays-laser-sharp knife steel. after several mad scientist attempts using a glass slab, an old belt, metal polish, micron aluminum oxide powder, etc. i discovered what i was doing wrong: stropping. the edge invariably convexes during freehand sharpening. so stropoing at the sharpening angle will only make the edge touch the leather with pressure. what i did was raise the angle until the edge 'bites' the leather and strop gently at that angle. now my endura splits hair without new stropping for weeks at a time.
after the first sharpening, i was honing and stropping nearly once a week trying to make it hair-splitting sharp again. i was getting frustrated as zdp 189 was tauted as the seldom-sharpened-stays-laser-sharp knife steel. after several mad scientist attempts using a glass slab, an old belt, metal polish, micron aluminum oxide powder, etc. i discovered what i was doing wrong: stropping. the edge invariably convexes during freehand sharpening. so stropoing at the sharpening angle will only make the edge touch the leather with pressure. what i did was raise the angle until the edge 'bites' the leather and strop gently at that angle. now my endura splits hair without new stropping for weeks at a time.
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they will sharpen and perform much differently. I'm mostly regurgitating here, but SB will sharpen up much easier than ZDP, it should also be able to take a much shallower and finer edge than ZDP. ZDP of course will have much more abrasion resistance and will be more brittle.
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- Oct 11, 2011
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It depends on the HT. It should be at least 64-66 as in the A.G. Russells Acies2. But the Al Mar Eagle HD Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive has the ZDP-189 at only Rc 57-59 (I assume its not a typo). I deleted it from the shopping cart after seeing this Rc.
Last edited:
spyderco lover
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I was actually going to call about that tomorrow, I know they almost always use AUS-8 so I'm curious if it was just a carry over from using the specs for the normal HD Eagle
