ZT Elmax

SirGeod

SirGeod

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Can someone please explain to me why I see a lot of people hating on ZT's Elmax?
 
This is probably the 50th post about the topic.

I'd recommend you google it.
 
Because for a lot of people, when they read something on the internet, they become a self-proclaimed expert.
 
Early models utilizing Elmax blades were "accused" of having a lower Brinell hardness than reasonably expected; discovered during the rather common process of cutting tests with rope lengths. This supposedly led to blade edges which lost their sharpness too quickly. IF that was true at one time, I don't believe that it is any more, given its great visibility.
 
My personal experience with ZT and Lionsteel Elmax has been excellent. My 0801 is of low SN: 0054. I have carried and used it for my daily tasks and it was more than adequate. Then I proceeded to do some cutting test just to test against the controversies. Both my Elmax blades (Tispine and 0801) passed with flying colors. I whittled and carved into various blocks of wood that I found in my tool shed, cut into sheets of aluminium, and different gauges of wires that I can find. Elmax performed splendidly. There were a few small chips as expected after the sheets of aluminium, but no rolls or anything. After the various materials, it had a hard time slicing through phonebook paper as expected, but it went up against magazine paper just fine. Taking care of the chips were no problem at all.
 
My personal experiences with it have been excellent and I have several knives with it all being personal favorites. Haters gonna hate especially on any company that isn't their personal favorite.
 
Hairlesstwinkie said:
My personal experience with ZT and Lionsteel Elmax has been excellent. My 0801 is of low SN: 0054. I have carried and used it for my daily tasks and it was more than adequate. Then I proceeded to do some cutting test just to test against the controversies. Both my Elmax blades (Tispine and 0801) passed with flying colors. I whittled and carved into various blocks of wood that I found in my tool shed, cut into sheets of aluminium, and different gauges of wires that I can find. Elmax performed splendidly. There were a few small chips as expected after the sheets of aluminium, but no rolls or anything. After the various materials, it had a hard time slicing through phonebook paper as expected, but it went up against magazine paper just fine. Taking care of the chips were no problem at all.
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It's too bad you didn't do a video of it because that's really where the whole thing started. It would have been nice to see it and prove otherwise. I've never had any issues with it and I've had alot of ZT knives with Elmax and I will continue to buy them.
 
I had my zt 0561 tested to see the hardness, its @ 60rc and the edge retention is horrible. Seriously, lousy as all hell. Its a shame because I LOVE the knife, I just wish their were better blade steel options.
 
xICEMANx said:
It's too bad you didn't do a video of it because that's really where the whole thing started. It would have been nice to see it and prove otherwise. I've never had any issues with it and I've had alot of ZT knives with Elmax and I will continue to buy them.
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I usually don't buy into the controversies until I see them for myself. It's the same with my beef with S35VN with CRK. My own uses keep leaves me wanting so I wondered if I had lemons, and it turns out to be common issue for the people who were wanting more.

While I was testing the Elmax, I was so into it that I had forgotten to record it, but the problem also comes with the fact that the best quality camera is off of my iPhone and the testing had actually took me about 2 hours since I was going through so many materials and comparing two different knives. I forgot to mention that I cut up cardboard as well.
 
I have put an 801 through a ton of work and I love this steel. I am used to sharpening a knife every few days to maybe a week at best. I don't get more than a week out of an edge. With my Elmax 801 I went close to a month, thats amazing for me. And even at that point I only had to do a light clean up. I don't know what other people put their knives through to base an opinion on Elmax ( in some cases I don't think they even used it). So I am speaking from my own use in regular daily EDC tasks and I will buy that steel again and again. I think its well worth using.
 
I wanted to know the community's opinions on it as I'm considering getting a 0566 but I don't want to waste my money if people have had problems with the steel. If so then I'll probably stick to my 0350M390.
 
SirGeod said:
I wanted to know the community's opinions on it as I'm considering getting a 0566 but I don't want to waste my money if people have had problems with the steel. If so then I'll probably stick to my 0350M390.
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Elmax is awesome, but M390 is darn near one of the best steel out on the market. I can't get enough of M390.
 
I've been really impressed by the Elmax on my 0560 so far. Ignore the naysaying from a tiny minority of fans of one outspoken youtube reviewer all of whom, for reasons unknown, refuse to send their supposedly "burnt" blades in for testing or warranty work and just complain instead. ZT's Elmax seems to get good reviews both here and elsewhere from actual users but if you have even a remote concern then remember ZT also has a top-notch warranty for life so give it a shot and know they've got you covered.
 
One person likes to stir the pot with certain companies and their steels , when said person got called on some of his stuff he made a goodbye thread and said he was done with Bladeforums Zts elmax is GTG...

Same person complained about CRKs S35vn and spydercos s35vn basically drama queen at its best...
 
Some people just refuse to admit that blade steel on his just just-bought-expensive knife isn't any good as it should be.

I had own both 0561 and 0560, used them both cutting lots of thing.

I have high expectation for Elmax steel since its was kind of new era super steel but even I try to deceive myself ZT's Elmax really doesn't hold an edge.

I truly believe lots complaint on ZT's Elmax isn't the bandwagon kind of thing:rolleyes:
 
No problems with mine - I've even used it as a "chopper" in a emergency and it was still fine afterwards. With each sharpening it tends to do better - meaning easier to sharpen, is sharper and keeps edge longer. So if I got the "lucky one" I'm chuffed and mine is a real value for money knife.
 
I've had no problems with my two 0551's and a 0561 - their edge-holding has been great thus far. I'd rate ElMax as good as my early Paul Bos heat treated Buck S30V edges - and a lot less of a new career to touch up. Thus far they have only required touch-ups with my Sharpmaker's white file edges. The key is to clean those ceramic files often. My m390 bladed Benchmade EDC 755 MPR and often carried 480-1 Shoki have behaved so similarly that it is hard for me to tell the difference between ElMax and m390. Of course, I am not a metallurgist - heck, I even still like Buck's old 420HC - you know it's abilities and it's easy and straight forward to re-edge.

Stainz
 
I'm considering getting a TSF Beast but the blade stock seems a little too thick, would Jim thin it out just a tad if I asked him to? The TSF Beast seems to be my grail knife :D since it's in M390 and I absolutely love that steel!
 
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