Hey Sal, any chance of a Vanax SC mule??

[Crux]

Better to go with a Para 3. It makes sense, it's not my opinion. :)

[Bloke]

Better to go with a Para 3. It makes sense, it's not my opinion. :)

Hey Crux, I don’t own a Para 3 prolly because I’m adverse to a short blade of thick stock, irrespective of blade steel. For example, I wouldn’t buy a Vanax SG, Para 3.

I believe the strength of steels like Vanax SG lays in fixed blade outdoor knives you can wipe gore off the blade with a little spit or saltwater between a thumb and finger, sheath the knife and rest assured it will be in the same condition the next time you see it, months down the track.

I’m sure you jest but you can’t really compare Luong’s knife to a Para Anything. :)

[Deadboxhero]

Thanks Alex :) cool pics!

[Xplorer]

...Next time you finish one just send me a message and name a price. :spyder:

:) Thank you bro. I'm working on it. I actually thought I had one done for you but as new designs often go... it wasn't quite right so I had to wait for more Vanax to arrive and start again. I'm happy with the design now and have 2 profiled and surface ground. I hope to have at least one available before the end of January.

[Xplorer]

Thanks for adding the pics Bloke! Testing with antler is a great way to seriously test a steel's edge stability. By the way, that's a great knife Luong sent you! I like everything about it...size, shape, grind, handle, steel...it's a really useful design. Also, being Vanax SC, it's nearly as rare as a unicorn at the moment. Pretty cool knife to own IMO! :cool:

CK

[Bloke]

Thanks Alex :) cool pics!

Most Welcome as always Shawn! :)

Thanks for adding the pics Bloke! Testing with antler is a great way to seriously test a steel's edge stability. By the way, that's a great knife Luong sent you! I like everything about it...size, shape, grind, handle, steel...it's a really useful design. Also, being Vanax SC, it's nearly as rare as a unicorn at the moment. Pretty cool knife to own IMO! :cool:

CK

Hey Chad

I’ve no doubt tried to cut antler with a knife in the past but I don’t rightly recall. I can say, it’s bloody tough and you’re certainly right, it would test any blade steel’s edge stability.

You’re also right in regard to Luong’s knife. It’s a little gem, extremely comfortable to use and I’d have no hesitation in using it to process any fish or game I’m likely to catch or shoot. Although different knives, Luong’s knife, I think, is somewhat like my beloved Sprig ... hard to pigeon hole but I don’t think there’d be too much you couldn’t do with either knife.

Anyhow, I’m genuinely surprised and duly impressed to find Vanax SG bucks anything I’ve put to it so far and continues to cut the way it does. I s’pose I’ll blunten it eventually. Ah, hahaha! :) :rolleyes:

[sal]

Hi Bodog,

We're negotiating. They seem interested.

Chad, Shawn, Luong,

Please email me on your Vanax SC designs. sglesser@spyderco.com

sal

[Deadboxhero]

I'm deeply honored Sal, However I feel Vanax SC fits more with Chad Kelly's design.

I'm playing with the steel because I'm a junky.

I am still a man of extremes, I'm more interested in CPM 15v for my personal tastes. The common man will like Vanax SC more but I like the more intense trade offs of 15v and other high hardness carbon tool steels, but I still like Vanax SC.

I'm very thankful though. I'll email you later.

-Shawn

Hi Bodog,

We're negotiating. They seem interested.

Chad, Shawn, Luong,

Please email me on your Vanax SC designs. sglesser@spyderco.com

sal

[Xplorer]

Hi Bodog,

We're negotiating. They seem interested.

Chad, Shawn, Luong,

Please email me on your Vanax SC designs. sglesser@spyderco.com

sal

Hi Sal.

:D :D Great news! I'm going to send you 3 designs (2 fixed and 1 folding) in the morning. I've actually got 5, but I'll start with sending 3 :D . And I disagree with Shawn...he has a small EDC design that would be fantastic in Vanax SC. I think he's just being humble.

Best regards,

Chad Kelly

**edit** email sent :spyder:

[Xplorer]

Hi Bodog,

We're negotiating. They seem interested.

Chad, Shawn, Luong,

Please email me on your Vanax SC designs. sglesser@spyderco.com

sal

Happy New Year Sal!

I hope you received my email last week. Please let me know if you have any trouble opening the attachment. I hope negotiations with Uddeholm go well. :)

Best regards,

Chad

[sal]

Hi Chad,

I did receive it, but can't open it and I'm travelling right now. Be back in the office next week.

sal

[Xplorer]

Thanks for the quick reply Sal. It's a zip file so you should be able to unpack it when you're at your computer when you get back. Let me know if you have any trouble.

Safe travels,
CK

[ugaarguy]

We could build anything that we want. The high price of Vanax, difficulty in our getting it (for some reason?) and the new tariffs makes for an expensive piece. With a minimum steel order and minimum processing requires a larger number of knives be made. The high price of the finished product would reduce sales which means we or the exclusive distributor "might" have to sit on slow moving inventory for a long time which is a questionable investment? We'll watch demand on threads like this one.

sal

Sal,

Are you able to give an estimated price of a Salt line native with vanax? If you told us the knife would cost about $300 or whatever most of us would shut up because that cost WOULD be too high.

$300 MAP For a Native 5 LW in Vanax wouldn't be that bad. The last batch I saw for sale in 2018 of Shirogorov Hati's with Vanax blades were $800-$1000 each. I've wanted a Vanax folder since I read about the properties of the steel a while back. My Spydiechef has been my poor man's Shiro Hati. I'd drop $400-$500 to get a Sage 2 or similar Ti frame lock with Vanax blade from Spyderco.

[Xplorer]

Hi Sal. Just checking to see if there's been any progress negotiating with Uddeholm? I know it's only been about 3 weeks since you asked for designs but I can't help thinking about it every day, so it just seems like a long time to me :) . Also, please let me know if you are still not able to open the file I sent you.

Best regards,

Chad Kelly

[Deadboxhero]

[Surfingringo]

I managed to get my hands on some more of this unobtanium called Vanax! Our local blade master Chad Kelly is making me an insane custom Vanax Waterway right now. I promise to update with pics soon!

My two Vanax test fillets are still going strong and this remains my favorite stainless steel by a long shot. 100% rust proof and edge performance is remarkable. I took my primary fillet knife down to 10dps and edge retention saw a big improvement. Fish cleaning of large fish is tough on edges. Heavy bones, heavy scales and slimy unstable media means plenty of lateral forces on the edge. No edge damage even at that low angle. Very very impressive!

[steelcity16]

I managed to get my hands on some more of this unobtanium called Vanax! Our local blade master Chad Kelly is making me an insane custom Vanax Waterway right now. I promise to update with pics soon!

My two Vanax test fillets are still going strong and this remains my favorite stainless steel by a long shot. 100% rust proof and edge performance is remarkable. I took my primary fillet knife down to 10dps and edge retention saw a big improvement. Fish cleaning of large fish is tough on edges. Heavy bones, heavy scales and slimy unstable media means plenty of lateral forces on the edge. No edge damage even at that low angle. Very very impressive!

Very cool Lance! Do fillet knives have any flex to them? How much flex if any do you prefer in a filet knife?

I wonder if a Catcherman sprint/flash batch in Vanax would be possible if the they start making more of this stuff.

Why is it so hard to obtain? You would think that if Spyderco decided to do a special sprint series for Vanax in all of their Seki Salt models in the way they have done a ton of the Seki models in Hap40, V-Toku, etc, maybe they could get a large enough order in? I would think the demand would be very strong, especially if they throw in some models like the Catcherman and Spyderhawk.

[Deadboxhero]

I managed to get my hands on some more of this unobtanium called Vanax! Our local blade master Chad Kelly is making me an insane custom Vanax Waterway right now. I promise to update with pics soon!

My two Vanax test fillets are still going strong and this remains my favorite stainless steel by a long shot. 100% rust proof and edge performance is remarkable. I took my primary fillet knife down to 10dps and edge retention saw a big improvement. Fish cleaning of large fish is tough on edges. Heavy bones, heavy scales and slimy unstable media means plenty of lateral forces on the edge. No edge damage even at that low angle. Very very impressive!

Very cool Lance! Do fillet knives have any flex to them? How much flex if any do you prefer in a filet knife?

I wonder if a Catcherman sprint/flash batch in Vanax would be possible if the they start making more of this stuff.

Why is it so hard to obtain? You would think that if Spyderco decided to do a special sprint series for Vanax in all of their Seki Salt models in the way they have done a ton of the Seki models in Hap40, V-Toku, etc, maybe they could get a large enough order in? I would think the demand would be very strong, especially if they throw in some models like the Catcherman and Spyderhawk.

Cost per lbs is extreme

[Surfingringo]

I managed to get my hands on some more of this unobtanium called Vanax! Our local blade master Chad Kelly is making me an insane custom Vanax Waterway right now. I promise to update with pics soon!

My two Vanax test fillets are still going strong and this remains my favorite stainless steel by a long shot. 100% rust proof and edge performance is remarkable. I took my primary fillet knife down to 10dps and edge retention saw a big improvement. Fish cleaning of large fish is tough on edges. Heavy bones, heavy scales and slimy unstable media means plenty of lateral forces on the edge. No edge damage even at that low angle. Very very impressive!

Very cool Lance! Do fillet knives have any flex to them? How much flex if any do you prefer in a filet knife?

I wonder if a Catcherman sprint/flash batch in Vanax would be possible if the they start making more of this stuff.

Why is it so hard to obtain? You would think that if Spyderco decided to do a special sprint series for Vanax in all of their Seki Salt models in the way they have done a ton of the Seki models in Hap40, V-Toku, etc, maybe they could get a large enough order in? I would think the demand would be very strong, especially if they throw in some models like the Catcherman and Spyderhawk.

Hey SC, it depends on one’s fillet technique and type of fish being cleaned. A typical American style fillet has a fair bit of flex. As the fish get larger, you see guys using wider blades with less flex. I prefer a fairly rigid blade that that still has a bit of flex...imagine a fairly thin kitchen knife.

[Surfingringo]

I managed to get my hands on some more of this unobtanium called Vanax! Our local blade master Chad Kelly is making me an insane custom Vanax Waterway right now. I promise to update with pics soon!

My two Vanax test fillets are still going strong and this remains my favorite stainless steel by a long shot. 100% rust proof and edge performance is remarkable. I took my primary fillet knife down to 10dps and edge retention saw a big improvement. Fish cleaning of large fish is tough on edges. Heavy bones, heavy scales and slimy unstable media means plenty of lateral forces on the edge. No edge damage even at that low angle. Very very impressive!

Very cool Lance! Do fillet knives have any flex to them? How much flex if any do you prefer in a filet knife?

I wonder if a Catcherman sprint/flash batch in Vanax would be possible if the they start making more of this stuff.

Why is it so hard to obtain? You would think that if Spyderco decided to do a special sprint series for Vanax in all of their Seki Salt models in the way they have done a ton of the Seki models in Hap40, V-Toku, etc, maybe they could get a large enough order in? I would think the demand would be very strong, especially if they throw in some models like the Catcherman and Spyderhawk.

Cost per lbs is extreme

I’d be curious to know what percentage (street price) cost increase it would create in a typical spyderco. 25-40% might sell. Over 50%-60% probably wouldn’t. Imagine a $130 Waterway with Vanax selling for $170-$180. I think that would probably sell...especially in a sprint. A $130 Waterway that had to be pushed to $230 to cover the cost of the steel? Not so much.