Rockstead Knowledge Thread

Quiet said:
For the record, Olamic offers a mirror finish that's beautiful, and unlike Bumstead, they won't be like "Who? NEVERHEARD'A YA" when or if you need something repaired being a secondary owner.
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This is true. I posted a thread about an olamic edge I sharpened that was really poorly sharpened from the factory. It was no big deal, really. It happens. Eugene tracked me down and practically begged me to send the knife back, even offering all sorts of help to make it right.

I was the second or third owner of the knife but he didn't care at all.

THAT's customer service.
 
I'm so glad to see an good example of customer service! I checked out Olamic cutlery and I'm simply amazed, they hold the price, but I can definitley see why!
 
Quiet said:
Eugene is the MAN.

@OlamicCutlery will be more than glad to answer any questions you may have.
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Just checked out the rich tapestry of custom-build options on OlamicCutlery.com. Holy smokes! I've never seen so many awesome options before! It's going to take me many days just to peruse through them all to decide which ones I really want on my next fixed-blade.

Not sure if Olamic is willing to accept a request to custom-build me a REX121 blade, though... I've been wanting a small slicer/hunting knife similar to the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter design made of this exotic alloy. If he did, I would be so giddy that I am not sure what I would do with myself.

Quiet Quiet This might be a little premature for me to say this yet, but THANK YOU so much for introducing me to OlamicCutlery!

P.S. I shouldn't get my hopes up too high, though... Every time I do, it ends up a disappointment. C'est la vie... That's how it has been for me at least.
 
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So, Tanto slim neck knife from Olamic is new thing on my wishlist, I hope to get my hands on it one day...
 
-Kiku- said:
Just checked out the rich tapestry of custom-build options on OlamicCutlery.com. Holy smokes! I've never seen so many awesome options before! It's going to take me many days just to peruse through them all to decide which ones I really want on my next fixed-blade.
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Just now, after some sleep, I discovered this: https://www.olamiccutlery.com/build-your-own/
Hgak7Sa.png


Just below where it says, "Full Custom Build Request", it says "Linerlock models only". That killed my excitement immediately. There goes any hope of getting myself a custom-built CPM REX121 slicer. Another disappointment. C'est la vie...


-Kiku- said:
Not sure if Olamic is willing to accept a request to custom-build me a REX121 blade, though... I've been wanting a small slicer/hunting knife similar to the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter design made of this exotic alloy. If he did, I would be so giddy that I am not sure what I would do with myself.
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On the positive, at least I won't have to worry about not knowing what to do with myself.
 
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TRfromMT said:
This is true. I posted a thread about an olamic edge I sharpened that was really poorly sharpened from the factory. It was no big deal, really. It happens. Eugene tracked me down and practically begged me to send the knife back, even offering all sorts of help to make it right.

I was the second or third owner of the knife but he didn't care at all.

THAT's customer service.
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Yep, not surprising in the least. Eugene doesn't play around, and is a company I stand behind 100%. I consider him a friend, and what you describe has happened to me before as well. I brought a couple of my Olamics to show him at BLADE last year and he wanted to take one of my Wayfarers back due to what he perceived as a flaw. An excellent company run by fantastic people.
 
-Kiku- said:
Just now, after some sleep, I discovered this: https://www.olamiccutlery.com/build-your-own/
Hgak7Sa.png


Just below where it says, "Full Custom Build Request", it says "Linerlock models only". That killed my excitement immediately. There goes any hope of getting myself a custom-built CPM REX121 slicer. Another disappointment. C'est la vie...




On the positive, at least I won't have to worry about not knowing what to do with myself.
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Before you count things out, reach out to them and see what they say. Can't hurt, right? If you never ask, the answer'll always be no!
 
Just emailed Eugene now.

I emailed him last night, too, to inquire about other things but I have yet to hear from him. Maybe he doesn't answer emails on weekends.

Does anyone here know knifemakers who would accept custom-build requests for REX121 fixed-blades?
I tried putting up an ad in the knifemaker's subforum - "Knifemakers Wanted" a few weeks ago but had zero luck.
I even offered to go up as high as $1500 for one but no one inquired.
 
Approaching nearly 5 days since I emailed Eugene @ Olamic Cutlery. Still no answer.
Maybe his workshop's located in the hurricane hot zone and he had to evacuate?
Nope. Hurricane is currently pounding the southern central region of the US. Olamic Cutlery is located in Visalia, CA.
Wildfires, then? Not really. The nearest wildfire is approx. 20 miles from Visalia as of this moment. So I don't know...

Here's thing another I don't know: Rockstead KEI-ZDP.
eyJidWNrZXQiOiAiZmlsZXMua25pZmVjZW50ZXIuY29tIiwia2V5IjogImtuaWZlY2VudGVyL3JvY2tzdGVhZC9pbWFnZXMvUlNLRUlaRFBfMS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDU0NSwiaGVpZ2h0IjogNDI1LCJmaXQiOiAiY29udGFpbiIsImJhY2tncm91bmQiOiB7InIiOiAyNTUsImciOiAyNTUsImIiOiAyNTUsImFscGhhIjogMX19fX0=

Rockstead advertises the KEI-ZDP shown above as a hunting knife. That's all very nice but there are at least two things wrong with it. These are:

1. BCU Design
  • BCU = Birth-Control Ugly. The unique design of the handle also doubles as an effective birth-control device!
  • Whoever designed this handle probably wasn't very sober at the time. It's either that or he/she was visually, mentally, and/or neurologically challenged. And that's not necessarily bad - look at what happened to Picasso. A portrait that looks as if it was drawn by a hog-tied and blind-folded 6-year-old child is today worth several tens of millions of dollars!
2. No Lanyard Hole
  • KEI-ZDP is the only hunting knife I know that doesn't come with a lanyard hole.
  • Contrary to popular consensus, lanyard hole serves as an added layer of safety by helping your hand stay anchored to the rear of the handle (via paracord wrapped around your wrist) in case of loss of grip. Without it, if you lose your grip and your hand slips forward accidentally, you can kiss your fingers goodbye.

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So there you have it. KEI-ZDP is going to stay as is, complete with its faulty design that gives its user a truly visceral experience of living on the 'edge'.
 
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-Kiku- said:
1. BCU Design
  • BCU = Birth-Control Ugly. The unique design of the handle also doubles as an effective birth-control device!
  • Whoever designed this handle probably wasn't very sober at the time. It's either that or he/she was visually, mentally, and/or neurologically challenged. And that's not necessarily bad - look at what happened to Picasso. A portrait that looks as if it was drawn by a hog-tied and blind-folded 6-year-old child is today worth several tens of millions of dollars!
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This cracked me up... but unfortunatley true.

I also cannot imagine such handle being comfortable.
 
Rockstead KON-ZDP doesn't need a lanyard hole because of the protruding handguard design that effectively stops the fingers from meeting the razor-sharp edge if and when one's hand does slip on the handle. KEI-ZDP doesn't have such a safeguard, hence all the more reason for Rockstead to add a lanyard hole.

Just about every hunting knife should have a lanyard hole. Hunting knives have many uses, skinning, and gutting an animal being a prime example. Such tasks can render blood and other gooey and slimy stuff all over the knife, maintaining a secure grip on the handle somewhat of a challenge. Why Rockstead chose not to include lanyard hole on KEI-ZDP, I'll never know. I tried to make sense of it, but I failed.

I shouldn't criticize nor question Rockstead too much. According to someone in the forum, doing so is heresy. So I'll just stop here.
 
I just bought a Higo II and have two questions: (1) Does anyone make a suitable pocket clip to replace the extremely underwhelming stock clip, and (2) will switching the clip void the warranty? Thanks
 
crucialfiction said:
I just bought a Higo II and have two questions ... and (2) will switching the clip void the warranty? Thanks
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Yes, any sign of tampering, swapping, and/or modifying any part of the blade (other than occasional stropping) will VOID the warranty. And that includes switching the clip. So my advice to you is DON'T swap out the clip if:
  • you bought HIGO II from an authorized Rockstead dealer,
  • the Rockstead warranty on your knife is important to you.
On the other hand, if you acquired your HIGO II second-hand, then you can do whatever you want to your knife. Rockstead will still service it if you request it, but it won't be for free.
 
-Kiku- said:
Just emailed Eugene now.

I emailed him last night, too, to inquire about other things but I have yet to hear from him. Maybe he doesn't answer emails on weekends.

Does anyone here know knifemakers who would accept custom-build requests for REX121 fixed-blades?
I tried putting up an ad in the knifemaker's subforum - "Knifemakers Wanted" a few weeks ago but had zero luck.
I even offered to go up as high as $1500 for one but no one inquired.
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Pm inbound.
 
-Kiku- said:
I am going to guess that those who are/were interested in Rockstead are/were in it for three things: insanely high HRC, convex grind, and beautiful mirror-finish. Of these three, it's the latter that I wish to mention here. If you are into that sort of thing, then chances are you already have tried or have plans in the near future to mirror-polish a knife. Not an ordinary knife but those made of materials that are high in carbides, particularly vanadium carbide.

Just recently I decided to start my very first project - bringing that flawless mirror-finish to my M390 knife. Not just the edge but the ENTIRE blade. The spine, false-edge, and the primary & secondary bevels. So it is no ordinary undertaking, a task that I would feel better treading with the advice from those who have experience in polishing carbide-rich alloys.

There is already a thread titled, "Mirror polishing M390?" in the Knifemaker's Discussion subforum. Unfortunately, that entire section hardly sees much traffic. So I am mentioning it here in order to get some experienced knife-polishers who might happen to be frequenting this thread, however remote that might be, to contribute and hopefully pass on some your wisdom so that my very first project doesn't turn into a complete disaster.

Thanks!
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Use rynowet sandpaper. It will help massively.

Some high carbide steels will resist mirror polishing. Its not impossible. But they are are passively resisting the wear process. Meaning its gonna suck. And you will use a ton of sandpaper.

As for the vandium carbides. ZDP-189 has very few if any vanadium carbides. Its mostly chromium carbides. Which is why its not really considered stainless.

I'd still love a rockstead folder. But its more because I think they are gorgeous. Not a hard user. I'd go with the tool steel version.
 
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