ZT 550 with Vanax 35 questions...

[Reeek]

I agree that the DLC coatings are the best. My personal experience has confirmed that with some of the ZT's I've had.

I have no complaints about the coating. I find that DLC helps a great deal in reducing drag when cutting. Besides, it's DLC as opposed to the crap on Emerson knives that easily gets rubbed off on my pants. As far as coatings go, this would seem to be the very best.

 

[Ankerson]

No one will know the answer to this question until Uddeholm releases Vanax 35.

The billets I had were from a prototype run using first generation particle metallurgy process. The production steel will use the third generation process which produces a very fine powder. In other words the steel granule size will go from granulated sugar to flour. The finer granules result in a tougher steel. The tiny granule size is one of the reasons Elmax is so tough.

I've been told of two Elmax experiences by knifemakers that demonstrate its toughness.

1) Elmax was heat treated to a finished HRC of 61. When used for chopping the steel would not chip. There was some plastic deformation but no chipping.

2) A knifemaker noticed his blade was bent after heat treating was complete and the blade was cool. He put the blade in straightening dies and bent the blade to almost 90° and the blade did not break.

In my opinion, Elmax is the toughest stainless blade steel available. It may become the CPM 3V of stainless steels.

ELMAX is very tough indeed, I pushed a Phil Wilson Blade with .010 behind the edge at 62 RC hard and saw no chipping, rolling or denting and it holds an edge extremely well. :thumbup:

Now granted it was at max hardness and very thin because it was a skinning knife, but it took it with no problem, I didn't pound on it, but did a lot of hard cutting through rope, Wood and Cardboard.

 

[Thomas W]

...I question even more whay ZT would want to coat the blade of the 0550.

I don'y like coatings but the 0550 is so compelling I have to own it anyway but the 0550 would be a 10 versus 9.5 on the desirable scale for me if they just stonewashed that blade. I wonder if Vanax 35 just doesn't respond well to a satin or stonewashed finish?

The ZT catalog was just put to bed, and the 0550 does not have a black DLC finish.

 

[Reeek]

That's good news, Thomas and thanks for pointing that out. I'm looking forward to carrying the 0550 with the Vanax 35 blade steel. You guys have really hit the bullseye recently. So much so, I'm considering selling some knives I have now to make room for more of your new products.

A hearty thank you . . .

The ZT catalog was just put to bed, and the 0550 does not have a black DLC finish.

 

[Thomas W]

...I'm looking forward to carrying the 0550 with the Vanax 35 blade steel. You guys have really hit the bullseye recently. So much so, I'm considering selling some knives I have now to make room for more of your new products.

A hearty thank you . . .

Thank you Reeek. Glad to hear we are resonating with your tastes. :thumbup:

Off to the garage now...

 

[Tony8179]

The ZT catalog was just put to bed, and the 0550 does not have a black DLC finish.

This is fantastic news! I am not a fan of coatings at all. Thomas, will this model be stonewashed as well? I am really loving the stonewashed finish on the 0551. You can not see any marks from use at all. I'm also wondering if this model will have a different colored scale on it? I personally think that a Gray or OD Green scale would look awesome on the 0550. There is definitely going to be some differences between the 0551 and the 0550 besides the steel right?

 

[Noctis3880]

The ZT catalog was just put to bed, and the 0550 does not have a black DLC finish.

Stonewashed it is then?

This might cause some confusion when I'm looking through my drawer for my 0550 and happen to pick up my 0551 due to the exact same appearance.

 

[Thomas W]

Stonewashed it is then?

This might cause some confusion when I'm looking through my drawer for my 0550 and happen to pick up my 0551 due to the exact same appearance.

Stonewashed yes, but the handle texture will be different, so no worries.

 

[RevDevil]

Stonewashed it is then?

This might cause some confusion when I'm looking through my drawer for my 0550 and happen to pick up my 0551 due to the exact same appearance.

Good thing there are numerical identifiers on the blades

 

[Noctis3880]

Good thing there are numerical identifiers on the blades

Yes, but that doesn't mean I would want to have to check it every time.

Call me lazy:thumbup:.

 

[kawr]

Stonewashed yes, but the handle texture will be different, so no worries.

Great! I already have a 0550 on preorder so I was going to get it regardless of black coating or not but this is definitly good news for me .

So from what I'm gathering this VANAX steal is kinda similar to H1? Does that mean it gets work hardened as well?

 

[Noctis3880]

Great! I already have a 0550 on preorder so I was going to get it regardless of black coating or not but this is definitly good news for me .

So from what I'm gathering this VANAX steal is kinda similar to H1? Does that mean it gets work hardened as well?

From what I can tell, Vanax should be nothing like H1. H1 is said to be a nitrogen steel, but I'm not sure that's the case. Spyderco lists a Nitrogen content of 0.10%. The only other notable feature is the nickel content at 6-8%.

Vanax 35 on the other hand has a nitrogen content of 1.9%, and Vanax 75 has a whopping 4.2%.

I believe all steels can be work hardened to some extent, it's just that it's much more prominent in H1. However, I don't believe that particular trait is very useful given that the steel still dulls pretty easily even after I've shoved the blade against my slotted paper wheels repeatedly.