Sway me Stretch in SuperBlue or ZDP-189

[hawkeye180]

I have wanted a Spyderco Stretch for a long time. It would complete my collection of Spyderco knives with FRN scales.

I already own the Dragonfly, Delica, and Endura in VG-10 and I need to add a Stretch. I want to try it in a different steel though.

What can you tell me about SuperBlue or ZDP-189 to sway me one way or the other.

[The Deacon]

I own both but, to be honest, I prefer VG-10 over them. ZDP-189 holds and edge longer than VG-10, but takes more time to sharpen so it's just a case of deferred maintenance. It's also somewhat less rust resistant and, although it won't take a real patina, it will stain to a degree if exposed to certain things. Super blue is a carbon steel, so it will rust even more easily, but will also take a patina,which seems to appeal to quite a few people. I never carry my Super Blue Stretch, so I can't comment on edge holding.

[Screwdriver]

Well ZDP-189 holds an edge longer and can be a pain if you push it. I have a few ZDP-189 Spydies and I like to just give them a touch up when used a bit. Does not take long at all. SB is a joy to sharpen and holds a good edge...but can be brought back from dull pretty quickly. My SB Stretch was a bit dull and a few minutes on the SM and it was scalpel sharp.

Personally I would get that Stretch while you can.....You can always get a ZDP-189 later. BTW, I have been EDC'ing my SB Stretch and ZDP-189 Endura back and forth.....Probably my two favorite steels along with H-1 that are used by Spyderco.

Here is mine.

[GoldenSpydie]

Super Blue! I don't have experience with ZDP-189, but my SB Stretch is an amazing knife.

See my review: http://www.spyderco.com/forumII/viewtop ... =2&t=64455" target="_blank

[senorsquare]

What Screwdriver said, get the Super Blue while you can.

[Laethageal]

SB and ZDP have been my most used steel since I own anything better then walmart cheap type of knife. I'd say both are great steel and really wouldn't be wrong with any. Both get crazy sharp and hold a sharp edge for a long time. ZDP in my experience is less prone to rusting then SB, hold the sharp edge the longest of the two, take more work to sharpen (mostly if you want to lower bevel angle, micro is easy to maintain) but can be chippy if you use your knife without taking care. If you're the type who simply give a slice without thinking and where your knife will land after and often hit hard thing after like metal and rocks, SB would be a better choice. I used my ZDP around steel parts and a few mistake of my part did cause chips and they can be a pain to eliminate from the edge. It wasn't from small staples but more like hitting hard metal after cutting tie-wrap in a tight environment where my hand was hardly getting in while at the same time being surrounded by metal of different shape.
If you're mostly doing paper, cardboard, plastic and wood cutting ZDP will be perfect and you will rarely sharpen it at all. For cutting tie-wrap holding 1/2 stainless threaded rod... go superblue.

[bearfacedkiller]

They are both great but they are both very different. They both take a very fine edge.

I would say it depends on many factors.

1) Do you need corrosion resistance. The Super Blue is not as low maintenance as the zdp in this department but zdp isn't totally stainless either due to the high carbon content. Definitely more so than super blue. VG10 is more stain resistant than either of them. What climate do you live in. Here in Colorado corrosion is a non issue for me. I used to live on the east coast and that was not the case.

2) Do you prefer green or bluish grey? I really love both and find the very subtle bluish hue in the grey super blue knives to look very nice. Green is my favorite color. I love both.

3) Do you get caught up in the allure of sprint run knives? I usually lean towards the sprints myself just because I like to own something a little less common. To be honest the regular production versions are just as nice and would serve me just as well but I just get drawn to the sprint versions.

4) Is toughness a factor? Super blue should be a bit tougher than zdp although for my edc needs both are more than adequate. Some people have issues with chipping with zdp. You shouldn't pry with the tip of a knife but with zdp it is a really bad idea.

5)Edge retention vs ease of sharpening? ZDP will stay sharp longer but super blue is insanely easy to sharpen.

6) Does it matter if the blade gets scratched up? The 420 laminate on the super blue scratches very easily while zdp does not. FRN doesn't show much wear so the zdp version will look new longer.

Here on the forum the popular advise is usually either to get both (or all three) or to get the sprint run while you still can because you can always buy the other two later. You should be happy with any of them.

[HarleyXJGuy]

Umm hello, buy them both.

/thread complete.

[PayneTrain]

ZDP-189.

I use mine almost exclusively on food and I'm getting the coolest patina. It's almost like there's a black pearl coat in there. Plus I've only sharpened it once, so that's cool too.

[The Mastiff]

I'd take the Super Blue over ZDP due to the ease of sharpening as well as the ability to take more and different edges than ZDP. The ZDP is an amazing steel but IMO Super Blue is more versatile in edge angles, grits, gives up burrs easier, isn't as fussy about types and methods of sharpening. When done correctly though ZDP is a true "super steel", and still is able to get one's attention all these years later in an environment that sees a "new" steel brought out a couple times a year. I guess one can say the same about Super Blue though. Though no where near ZDP's amazing percentages of carbon and chrome it still can hold it's own in everything but corrosion resistance.

Though not cheap, Hitachi takes cutlery steel making very seriously. The Stretch is a great platform for their very high performance.

Joe

[wrdwrght]

You certainly have enough here to be swayed, but let me add one downer.

On some SB Stretches, the clad-lines are not equidistant from the edge and, worse, are not the same on each side of the blade. Mine suffers these imperfections, and as SB is one of my faves, I am much irked by them (even though they don't affect the knife's cutting performance one iota).

Worse, still, I can't seem to get Customer Service's attention on the matter...

While I got an SB Stretch to see what cladding is all about, I'd now rather have one in pure SB like my Caly 3.5. YMMV.

[bearfacedkiller]

Every clad knife I have seen is uneven. Zdp, super blue and Damascus all have been uneven. They are hand ground and it just is that way. Some are definitely more off than others but none are perfect. The 420 also scratches very easily. Both my stretch and delica in super blue have some staining in the 420 due to some of the super blue being ground into the 420 during the grinding process. It isn't a show piece for sure but it flat out performs. If you want a clean shiny pretty blade then vg10 will beat them both. Zdp and SB are high level performers but vg10 is more well rounded and easier to maintain.

Hollow ground blades are ground both sides at the same time. Flat ground blades are ground one side at a time. This explains the slight manufacturing cost difference as well as maybe the tendency for flat ground clad knives to be slightly uneven.

[farnorthdan]

My vote is for the SB, I just love the stuff for all the reasons already mentioned. I am trying to collect all the SB models and only have the endura, caly 3 and caly 3.5 to go to complete my collection. I carry my SB manbug every day with out fail, its my wee knife. :D

[.357 mag]

I have tried ZDP and prefer VG-10. As far as SB I haven't tried yet however I'm not a fan of carbon steels of EDC. I knives get wet and dirty I don't clean them til the end of the day. SB would be a rust bucket by the end of the day for me.

[gaj999]

On some SB Stretches, the clad-lines are not equidistant from the edge and, worse, are not the same on each side of the blade.

Did you just repeat yourself? Or am I misunderstanding? Either way, mine is like that. But I bought it to use and it works just fine. There's no way that issue will ever affect usability. And for $100, you're not going to get a piece of jewelery ... except by accident.

Gordon

[Laethageal]

He means that clad might on one side be uneven (as not following the edge), and then that the clad line might not be placed at the same height when comparing one side to the other. 2 different aestethic issue.

[wrdwrght]

On some SB Stretches, the clad-lines are not equidistant from the edge and, worse, are not the same on each side of the blade.

Did you just repeat yourself?....you're not going to get a piece of jewelery ... except by accident

Actually, no. There is a line on each side that may differ from its opposite because each is differently distant from the edge along its course (mine are dramatically different).

It was an "accident" I was wanting, but I don't think I said I wanted "jewelry". The thing is a knife, after all, and cutting performance is what I prize above all else. :p

Still, I was thinking of putting Cuscadi CF scales on it (my first Spydie mod) and, so, wanted the lines evened out to make the knife worthy of the expense. If most everyone has uneven lines, Customer Service is likely disinclined to regrind, even for a fee, and so I'll need to rethink the scales.

ETA: Cliff's and bdblue's comments on the relative weakness of cladded SB blades (in the Off-Topic "Laminated-Knives: ?" thread) have also discouraged me from pursuing expensive scales for my SB Stretch. I think I'll just enjoy it as is.

[bearfacedkiller]

Clad line is not perfectly parrallel to edge and super blue ground into blade is showing. The super blue ground into the 420 is only visable if seen at just the right angle. This picture makes it look much worse than it is.









The unevenness is more obvious is I show both sides of my stretch but it is at home and I am at work.

[gaj999]

He means that clad might on one side be uneven (as not following the edge), and then that the clad line might not be placed at the same height when comparing one side to the other. 2 different aestethic issue.

Gotcha. Yeah, mine's like that.

Gordon

[bearfacedkiller]

These are my two clad super blue blades. I really, really love both of these knives and they both see a ton of use and I will never part with either of them. I did a poor job reprofiling the delica so the bevels are a little uneven but it is under 30 degrees and I run a 30 degree micro bevel with great results. It makes hairs tremble.

The clad lines are not even at all. In either of the ways mentioned. Does not affect performance at all and these are both definitely regular edc users.