Locutus D'Borg
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2012
- Messages
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ZDP-189 has an HRC of 65-67 and is considered category 4!!!! You have to be kidding. Get her a knife with S30V, a tough all round steel.
Been itching to check out the full size. Can they be de-assisted without affecting detent or anything?
ZDP-189 has an HRC of 65-67 and is considered category 4!!!! You have to be kidding.
I get that whole steel snob thing; I suffer from the same condition. However, as has been pointed out, Ankerson's list is really more of a starting point for your own investigation rather than an consensus view of how various steels compare.
That said, if you want a small knife for her, I can recommend the Dragonfly and the Ladybug in ZDP-189. Frankly, it may be a while before either is produced in M4. If you like the Ladybug size, but want some jimping, give the Manbug a look. Blade under 2" long but a nice feel to it.
If you are like me and you keep your girlfriend's knife sharp for her, then you'll appreciate a good steel. My girlfriend uses her Delica professionally as a veterinary technician (slicing through abrasive cotton bandages many times a day) and I check it every week. Often, all I have to do is use some alcohol wipes to get the goobers off the edge, then strop it a couple of times and it's back to shaving sharp. It's "merely" VG-10, but VG-10 was a super steel in its day, and I still consider it to be a fine steel.
Of course, there's always the Zero Tolerance 0777 M390....
One other point is that the cutting performance of the knife depends more on the geometry of the blade than on the steel itself. The Manbug in ZDP-189 comes in a full flat grind, which is an excellent grind for cutting performance (cue rants about preferred blade grind).
I think your other real option is to go custom where you can specify exactly what you want and maybe your maker of choice will have access to some of Ankerson's grade 1 or 2 'super' steels. Sometimes a bit iffy.
Best of luck to you and I hope she enjoys it.
Reason for wanting a supersteel:
1. Want to gift something that will still be on the cutting edge of steel technology decades from now. And I under the notion that M390 and CPM M4 are the 'best' and newest supersteels on the block.
Decades? M390 and M4 will absolutely NOT be on the cutting edge of steel technology 20 to 30 years from now..look at how far steel tech has come in just the last 5 years..steels that were thought exotic a few years ago are now quite common.
Decades? M390 and M4 will absolutely NOT be on the cutting edge of steel technology 20 to 30 years from now..look at how far steel tech has come in just the last 5 years..steels that were thought exotic a few years ago are now quite common.
Been itching to check out the full size. Can they be de-assisted without affecting detent or anything?