Any love for the ZDP-189 offerings?

[NoFair]

I'm pretty happy with my ZDP knives (Caly 3.5, CF Stretch and C22 Michael Walker). It does discolor a bit if you don't clean it after cutting meat etc, but I've only had light surface rust (forgot to clean my Stretch after cutting BBQ with it). The can take a very polished edge and the steel feels very hard on the stones when sharpening. Never had any chipping issues, but these aren't the folders I use the hardest.

I carry the CF C22 several times a week and it only needs a very light touch up on the UF rods once a month maybe..

 

[RipD]

I like it. Seems to stay sharp forever. Had a Stretch with ZDP-189 that came to me with a nick in the edge. Filed it out with a diamond stone and could not get it sharp. Did some reading and needed to back way off it when sharpening. Gentle touch and it was screaming sharp. Took a beautiful new edge on an Edge Pro. One of the easiest and most consistent new edges I've done.

Sold it because it was too big to EDC. Already want another one.

 

[Knifeoholic]

I'm pretty happy with my ZDP knives (Caly 3.5, CF Stretch and C22 Michael Walker). It does discolor a bit if you don't clean it after cutting meat etc, but I've only had light surface rust (forgot to clean my Stretch after cutting BBQ with it). The can take a very polished edge and the steel feels very hard on the stones when sharpening. Never had any chipping issues, but these aren't the folders I use the hardest.

I carry the CF C22 several times a week and it only needs a very light touch up on the UF rods once a month maybe..

I had a similar instance with an apple and a ZDP Stretch. Cut up and ate the apple. Went to get a glass of water, sat back down and fell asleep. (Haha guess I was due for a nap). Had some light rust on blade, but was able to clean it off just with my hands.

 

[Razor]

It sounds like it would work good on the military and Para2!

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

...
If you want equal or better wear resistance in an almost rust proof steel get S110V, it throws in poor toughness just like ZDP to boot!

With limited tools I have (DMT EEF and Spyderco UF), I can get ZDP much sharper than S110V, dry shave my without having to wash up first. S110V with same treatment doesn’t get there, needing more steps. S110V is more corrosion resistance though.

 

[SCBaldr]

I couldn't agree with you more>> I've EDCed my M390 Military for close to two years now and I have no desire to replace it as my main EDC anytime soon. There is truly something special about M390>> it takes a really wicked edge and holds it really well too. There may indeed be steels that can outperform M390 but I like it so much that I'm having a hard time even wanting anything else for an ideal EDC plain edged blade.

I've had my share of ZDP-189 blades and still own a couple of them. I do love the extremely sharp and almost straight razor type edge you can get with it. But the one thing I didn't like about ZDP-189 is that it's really prone to certain types of corrosion; especially food acids. It has hardly no resistance at all to certain food acids or certain food residues. One time I used my Burgundy Caly Jr to cut up some tomatoes I was growing>> but forgot to wash it off>> the next day it looked as if I had soaked it in a full strength, industrial acid. I had to send it back to the factory and ultimately got the blade replaced. So anytime you're using ZDP with food or anything else that has any type of acid or corrosive compound be very sure to wash it immediately!!

good to know, I wouldn't have suspected a steel with a full 20% chromium to corrode that badly. I'll keep it oiled like I do my M4 and Maxamet blades.

 

[John_0917]

good to know, I wouldn't have suspected a steel with a full 20% chromium to corrode that badly. I'll keep it oiled like I do my M4 and Maxamet blades.

With the metric butt load of carbon that is in there (3%), most of that chromium is in carbides. This is obviously good for abrasive wear resistance but limits the amount available to form chromium oxide, which is the invisible layer formed on the outside of stainless steel in place of iron oxide (rust).

Also, large amounts of chromium are counter productive to having good toughness, that combined with the tungsten present and the high hardness are why ZDP tends to me fairly brittle. It is also a reason why most high toughness steels (like 3V) don't have much chromium and in turn aren't stainless. I know the steel nerds will probably nit pick this paragraph but what I'm saying in very general, non scientific terms is true.

 

[mykel m]

Yes, I like my ZDP-189 Delica just fine.
It's one of only three Spydercos I own and my main modern knife EDC.

 

[harronek]

I carried a ZDP189 Delica as my work knife for a long time and it never let me down .
I carry a HAP40 Delica now, but I wouldn't feel under-gunned if I went back to carrying the ZDP189 .



Ken

 

[The Deacon]

I have no love for ZDP. Costs more than VG-10 and is less rust resistant. On top of that, while it does hold an edge longer, it makes up for that by taking longer to sharpen so it's simply deferred maintenance rather than reduced maintenance.

 

[sharp_edge]

I have no love for ZDP. Costs more than VG-10 and is less rust resistant. On top of that, while it does hold an edge longer, it makes up for that by taking longer to sharpen so it's simply deferred maintenance rather than reduced maintenance.

Yes - ZDP does take more time to sharpen than most other steels (s30v, s35v, Elmax, and M390).

 

[RipD]

Yes - ZDP does take more time to sharpen than most other steels (s30v, s35v, Elmax, and M390).

Seems to be stone dependent. Stock Edge Pro stones did very little. Used diamond stones to get the edge where I wanted it then finished with Shapton glass stones. The Shapton stones cut like crazy with no pressure. One of the best edges I've gotten from my EP.

Edit: fixed typos. Will also re-emphasize that I went very lightly with the 500, 1K, and 4K glass stones. I first assumed I had to use more pressure on hard steel.

 

[toxophilus]

Best Friend (Wife) has the British Green Manbug on her keychain, she uses it a lot and I've only had to sharpen it for her a couple of times in the past year; my users are in the Stretch FRN model and I like it so much that I'm having scales made for it.

 

[SCBaldr]

I have no love for ZDP. Costs more than VG-10 and is less rust resistant. On top of that, while it does hold an edge longer, it makes up for that by taking longer to sharpen so it's simply deferred maintenance rather than reduced maintenance.

That depends pretty heavily on your setup. If you've got good quality diamond stones you might not notice the difference in material. In my experience, my wicked edge will cut through 1055 in about the same time as M390. The only difference I've noticed was going from 1055 to maxamet. ( I did an old mild carbon chefs and my Maxamet Manix 2 LW, one after the other on the wicked edge) Even then it wasn't a huge difference, and that might have been due to the fact that when I do maxamet, I use very very light strokes. But if I take the 1055 and m390 to my waterstones and switch, I notice a very big difference in time and effort.

 

[jpm2]

Years ago I gave my sister inlaw a vg10 delica. She would ask me to touch it up every couple of months. She lost it a little over a year ago and I gave her a zdp delica. I ask everytime I see her if it needs touching up and so far she's said it's fine.

 

[brownshoe]

I have no love for ZDP. Costs more than VG-10 and is less rust resistant. On top of that, while it does hold an edge longer, it makes up for that by taking longer to sharpen so it's simply deferred maintenance rather than reduced maintenance.

I don't have a Spyderco ZDP, but do have a William and Henry with a ZDP core and that's not been my experience. The exposed edge portion doesn't rust or chip. I use it in the kitchen and it gets wet. I've cut the back out of chicken many times, cut lemons/limes and let it sit. At the end of use, it routinely gets washed with hand soap, rinsed off and dried with a paper towel. I've touched up the edge a few times on the Sharpmaker or sandpaper, but not really because it needed it and I've had it for more than a few years. For me, it's truly a wonder steel. From my experience, if one's ZDP blade chips, rusts or gets so dull that sharpening it is a pain, then it's been abused or the heat treat is significantly softer than what is done by William Henry.

 

[hank_rearden]

"Deferred maintenance.."

 

[Yonose]

I have to admit I’m bought both of my zdp knives more for the design and the way it felt in my hand. My stretch in zdp is probably the only blade more useful than a delica(to me.—not trying to get burnt alive for heresy). The fact that it’s in such a hard steel makes me more careful not to be careless with the knife. And it definitely gives me a sense of pride, knowing that it will just keep cutting and cutting. My caly 3.5 is for black tie functions where frn would not be welcome.

 

[tiguy7]

I don't have a Spyderco ZDP, but do have a William and Henry with a ZDP core and that's not been my experience. The exposed edge portion doesn't rust or chip. I use it in the kitchen and it gets wet. I've cut the back out of chicken many times, cut lemons/limes and let it sit. At the end of use, it routinely gets washed with hand soap, rinsed off and dried with a paper towel. I've touched up the edge a few times on the Sharpmaker or sandpaper, but not really because it needed it and I've had it for more than a few years. For me, it's truly a wonder steel. From my experience, if one's ZDP blade chips, rusts or gets so dull that sharpening it is a pain, then it's been abused or the heat treat is significantly softer than what is done by William Henry.

I agree completely. My William Henry ZDP knives sharpen up quickly on the Shaptons. There is nothing in the alloy that is harder than 67 HRC, and the Shaptons are harder than that. The non-Damascus San Mai W/H blades are clad in 420 SS which is one of the most corrosion resistant stainlesses in the 400 series. In use, I see more corrosion on the bread than on the bologna. The rust is easily removed with a fingernail. I have 6 or more of these knives used over a dozen years. I have never seen the slightest chip.
I have 3 ZDP Enduras which have seen limited use, and I haven’t sharpened them yet. I got the Enduras because the W/H knives have short blades (3 1/8”).