ZDP-189... yeh or nah?

If you use a ladybug, upgrading to the ZDP model is a thought. Cheap way to try out the steel. I started with the Ladybug, but within a month I had the delica in ZDP. Good stuff!

Grizz
 
I've got the Delica 4 ZDP and though it does really hold its edge I don't carry mine anymore because of how easily I found mine to rust. Also I found it to be a bit of a pain to resharpen once it did need it. So I guess my answer to your question is yes you should get one and see for yourself if it fits you or not. I know some LOVE theirs.
 
I'm thinking maybe Dragonfly to kill two birds with one stone. The wife has procured my VG10 Dragonfly, and I miss it.
 
I've taken a liking to ZDP-189. Yes, it rusts much easier than S30V--I frequently use my knives for light-duty food prep, and right after I got it, I used my ZDP Stretch to cut an onion. I left the juice on the blade overnight, as a test, and I woke up the next day to some legitimate rust spots on the blade. They cleaned up easily enough, but I've treated S30V worse (I left lemon and lime juice on it) and it had either no effect, or only a very light haze the next day.

On the other hand, if you like to sharpen and keep your knives hair whittling sharp, ZDP-189 does a very good job at keeping a fine edge for a while--it keeps a fine edge significantly longer than S30V.
 
I had a ZDP Lum Chinese for quite some time, and a ZDP Stretch. While I really wanted to like the steel, I was a little bit let down. It doesn't hold an edge that much longer than S30V, and is quite a pain in the butt to sharpen. Takes a long time of very light pressure. I have other steels that hold an edge quite a bit longer (M4, 20CP) but seem to be as easy if not easier sharpen up. In my experience, I've found CPM154 and XHP to hold that fine edge just as long and be much easier to sharpen. Also, getting a chip out of ZDP is a HUGE pain.

Not a bad steel, but not for hard use in my experience.
 
I have the Mule, and the Michael Walker in ZDP.

While I consider it a superb steel, and far superior to S30V, it is not, IMHO, the equal of S90V, CPM M-4, M390, or CTS 20CP.

OTOH, my experiences are limited to two knives.
 
It is OK stuff - have a couple of bits. Convexed a Spyderco Stretch a while ago - no real problem doing it

I prefer the general feel of VG10, though
 
Love my stretch, its actually one of the better back locks I have. No play in any direction ,easily flicked.
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I hated this steel. I don't know if it just doesn't like cardboard or what, but I had ZDP-189 in 2 different knives, and it was absolutely terrible. After a couple of cuts through single... ply (?) (I can't remember what you call the zig-zag reinforcement) cardboard, the edges of my ZDP-189 knives were completely dead. I mean flat out gone. They would barely scrape enamel off of my finger nails.

And no, I didn't have a burr. I'd sharpen them using the aligner, and they would split hair. Then after a few cuts, they'd be dead, Dead, DEAD.

Like I said, it might just be bad for cardboard and great for everything else, but this is one steel that I don't ever want to deal with again.

But all of that aside, it really wasn't hard to sharpen. It took about 2-3 times longer, but it wasn't hard because... it was hard. Meaning that the steel was hard enough on the rockwell scale that it didn't burr very easily when sharpening.
 
THG said:
I hated this steel. I don't know if it just doesn't like cardboard or what, but I had ZDP-189 in 2 different knives, and it was absolutely terrible. After a couple of cuts through single... ply (?) (I can't remember what you call the zig-zag reinforcement) cardboard, the edges of my ZDP-189 knives were completely dead. I mean flat out gone. They would barely scrape enamel off of my finger nails.

And no, I didn't have a burr. I'd sharpen them using the aligner, and they would split hair. Then after a few cuts, they'd be dead, Dead, DEAD.

Like I said, it might just be bad for cardboard and great for everything else, but this is one steel that I don't ever want to deal with again.

But all of that aside, it really wasn't hard to sharpen. It took about 2-3 times longer, but it wasn't hard because... it was hard. Meaning that the steel was hard enough on the rockwell scale that it didn't burr very easily when sharpening.
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maybe you developed a wire edge and it broke off during the cardboard cutting, who knows. i put ZDP through a bunch of cutting tests and it did very well.
 
jimnolimit said:
maybe you developed a wire edge and it broke off during the cardboard cutting, who knows. i put ZDP through a bunch of cutting tests and it did very well.
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same here, its the only knife were I grew impatient waiting for it to dull at my job partly because I wanted to see just how hard it actually was to sharpen.so I went carboard cutting crazyy and still didn't dull it haha
 
THG said:
I hated this steel. I don't know if it just doesn't like cardboard or what, but I had ZDP-189 in 2 different knives, and it was absolutely terrible. After a couple of cuts through single... ply (?) (I can't remember what you call the zig-zag reinforcement) cardboard, the edges of my ZDP-189 knives were completely dead. I mean flat out gone. They would barely scrape enamel off of my finger nails.

And no, I didn't have a burr. I'd sharpen them using the aligner, and they would split hair. Then after a few cuts, they'd be dead, Dead, DEAD.

Like I said, it might just be bad for cardboard and great for everything else, but this is one steel that I don't ever want to deal with again.

But all of that aside, it really wasn't hard to sharpen. It took about 2-3 times longer, but it wasn't hard because... it was hard. Meaning that the steel was hard enough on the rockwell scale that it didn't burr very easily when sharpening.
Click to expand...

Something definitely wasn't right with that. ZDP holds it's edge like crazy, actually beating S90V in my VERY unscientific tests. (video posted above)

And ZDP actually does form a burr, quite readily. Either your blades were off on the HT (soft) or you had a burr. Pretty much the only explanation there is for that kind of performance.
 
THG said:
I hated this steel. I don't know if it just doesn't like cardboard or what, but I had ZDP-189 in 2 different knives, and it was absolutely terrible. After a couple of cuts through single... ply (?) (I can't remember what you call the zig-zag reinforcement) cardboard, the edges of my ZDP-189 knives were completely dead. I mean flat out gone. They would barely scrape enamel off of my finger nails.

And no, I didn't have a burr. I'd sharpen them using the aligner, and they would split hair. Then after a few cuts, they'd be dead, Dead, DEAD.
Click to expand...
Something was definitely wrong! In my homegrown cardboard cutting and general kitchen duty tests it done extremely well. Even out performing my M4 Gayle in overall performance.
 
For the amount of use I give a knife, and assuming both are available in a model I like, I'll take VG-10 every time. It's cheaper, more rust resistant, and easier to sharpen. ZDP-189 may hold an edge four times as long, but it takes three times as many strokes to sharpen, and I've never had to stop what I was doing to sharpen a VG-10 blade again part-way through a project, so the effort saved is just not enough to outweigh the other factors.
 
I love this steel, I have a zdp caly 3 and it has developed a bit of pitting (black dots) I also have a gayle bradley, the m4 holds it's edge a bit longer for me, but I prefer the zdp for it's better corrosion resistence. Hope this helps...
 
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