Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

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Evil D
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Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#1

Post by Evil D »

Oh ZDP, that old flame of mine. We had such times together. We laughed, we cried. Well, you laughed while I cried, but our time together will forever be in my memory. You taught me so much about sharpening, and about how to string curse words together like a poet. You taught me that stainless steel is not always so stainless. You even taught me the importance of lapping my stones after dishing them into oblivion.

What has happened with ZDP? I can't even remember the last knife to come out in ZDP...was it the Caly 3.5/CF? Seems like the hype and overall interest in this steel is pretty well dead. When I joined this forum, it was a mystical legendary beast of a steel that is comparable to the following that S110V has these days. While I can't say it's my favorite steel, it still remains one of the highest performing steels offered by Japan (that I'm aware of) and there are so many Seki/Japan produced knifes that I wish I could get a sprint run with this steel (Centofante 4..please for the love of baby Jesus).

Lately I've been carrying my ZDP Ladybug on my keys exclusively over my H1/SE/hawkbill Ladybug, and while using it yesterday to open some boxes, it dawned on me how ZDP has faded out, and it made me kinda sad. Speaking solely on the steels that are offered on Seki/Japan knives, I still see it as one of the best high end steels, and I don't think you can fairly compare it to something like Superblue because they're just so different in how they behave. At the same time I would love to have my Centofante 4 in Superblue, I certainly wouldn't turn down a ZDP offering either.

Will we see more ZDP in the future? Will I ever get the Centofante 4 in ZDP that I've dreamed about all these years?
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J32A2
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#2

Post by J32A2 »

I can smell a ZDP/CF ATR sprint in the future.
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Evil D
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#3

Post by Evil D »

J32A2 wrote:I can smell a ZDP/CF ATR sprint in the future.
Image

I like the smell of that lol.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#4

Post by jmh58 »

I HAD a D-Fly in ZDP... No fan here!!! John
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#5

Post by SG89 »

I have a Zdp189 manbug. I like it but it's a little chippy. I only have ever used it to help crack open precracked pistachio shells. One day I noticed it was pretty chipped. A few passes on the diamond rods and it was back in business. I know nut shells are hard but I didn't expect it to chip since it was minimal pressure being applied to the opening in the shell.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#6

Post by RadioactiveSpyder »

It certainly has it place amongst the super steels but lacks the novelty and hype that S90V and S110V receives, that's for sure. As far as recent models in this steel, the new brown G10 Stretch 2 has a ZDP blade. Hopefully we'll still see more of it in the future. :)
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Blerv
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#7

Post by Blerv »

It's still a very high hrc, carbon, chromium super steel available in a variety of FRN knives. That makes it a cheap way to cut for ages if you prefer a Delica or Stretch to a Native or Para. Plus it's relatively stainless.

I'll never sell my Southard reground Stretch FRN. It's thin and sharp as day one and hasn't visibly chipped yet.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#8

Post by Holland »

jmh58 wrote:I HAD a D-Fly in ZDP... No fan here!!! John
Same story for me, the steel is too chippy for my liking
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#9

Post by elena86 »

It's just fashion with all these "red hot" new steels but ZDP189 is a great performer and would outcut HAP40 just to give an example(sorry Lance).My ZDP189 Dfly2 cuts like a laser beam and so do my Delicas and they just keep going.But most people don't know how to sharpen and maintain ZDP189 blades and when chipping or staining issues occur they tend to blame the steel for that.I might let go my S110V or S90V Spydies but my ZDP189 ones will never leave the bunch.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#10

Post by The Deacon »

Never ended for me, because it never began. I never had any love for ZDP-189, give me VG-10 any day. Not 100% sure, but the Stretch 2 may have been the last new knife to be cursed with ZDP-189.
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Evil D
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#11

Post by Evil D »

Dang Paul tell us how you really feel lol.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#12

Post by farnorthdan »

You know...I don't have a single knife with ZDP-189, not sure how that happened but tis true. :)
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#13

Post by bearfacedkiller »

I like it. I think the Stretch2 is the most recent knife to be released in ZDP189.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#14

Post by Donut »

I still love it, I still carry it. I used to collect it. My ZDP Dragonfly is pretty freaking amazing in my book. I have been meaning to do whatever it takes to get an Orange ZDP Dragonfly, but haven't gotten around to it.

The latest ZDP Release is the Brown G-10 Stretch.


So, ZDP came out and a lot of people hated it, few people liked it. It was out for maybe a year or so and it was really quiet. You didn't and you still don't hear people talking about ZDP. Maybe the discontinue of the ZDP Caly is sign that people aren't buying it much anymore.

A year or two ago, I asked for a follow up review of the steel (because no one talks about it) and some of the local experts chimed in that they like it and it performs well.

*edit to add a link to the thread* //forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?t=55969" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What I do know... is that no steel I've ever used keeps a very sharp bite like ZDP that comes off of my ZDP Extra Extra Fine DMT "stone".


I'm thinking ZDP is unofficially a top secret steel. Lots of people get it, lots of people use it, but almost no one will say anything about it.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#15

Post by The Deacon »

Evil D wrote:Dang Paul tell us how you really feel lol.
Just can't see the point of a steel that, when compared to VG-10 ups the knife's cost, lowers its rust resistance, and, while it holds an edge twice as long, it then takes twice as long to sharpen. I suppose there may be those to whom "deferred maintenance" has value, but I'm not one of them.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#16

Post by wrdwrght »

Have US police departments lost their love for .40 S&W? Perhaps, but this caliber is certainly up to most tasks.

So, too, is ZDP-189. I don't feel it lessens the performance I look for in my FRN and G10 Stretches.

But I have never loved it.

M4? That's another question...
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Donut
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#17

Post by Donut »

I never noticed it taking twice as long with diamond stones.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#18

Post by bpahk »

My primary use for my edc is cutting through lots of cardboard and plastic strapping, so really for that purpose zdp can't be beat for how long it can maintain a working edge. Have it on a lot of sprints including long discontinued ones like walker or lum but only one that sees regular use is caly3 or delica. Yes, its time consuming to sharpen, but really not that bad if you have some diamond stones. Only thing that comes close for me in edge retention is s110v, but that's just as much a pain to sharpen. I've gifted the df2 zdp more than any other knife, probably like 8 or so cuz I think it's that impressive. Unfortunately the majority (if not all) of the recipients can't appreciate it for what it is.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#19

Post by timlara »

LOL, awesome opening post, Evil!

I am right there with you on a Centofante sprint in ZDP. I would be all over that! Kiwi 4 / CF of course would be nice as well...

I guess I'm the complete opposite of Paul's point of view. Since it's practically a desert here in Colorado and I don't go fishing or use my pocket knives for food prep or any other wet uses, I am not concerned at all about rust. I also have no skill at sharpening, so for me, the ideal steel is one that takes a keen "bitey" edge and holds it for as long as possible before I need to send it in for maintenance. ZDP fits that use case quite well in my experience.
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Re: Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

#20

Post by paladin »

Donut wrote:I never noticed it taking twice as long with diamond stones.
EXACTLY my experience!

I can sharpen ZDP-189 easily...yes, I said EASILY with diamond...

I have DMT duosharp xcoarse/coarse and my Sharpmaker rods that I like using file-style with very light pressure.

No muss, no fuss...make it easy on yourself, life's too short for me to mess with natural stones ( unless you find that sort of thing zen & therapeutic )...

My Sprint Caly Jr. out of the box chipped when cutting some PVC deck railing, but after filing out the chips (with diamond rods) into the virgin steel...no problema ever since...

Honestly, I haven't found a steel-- super or otherwise--- that could not be sharpened with a combination of diamond &/or ceramic tools....

How about you guys? Run into any steel that diamond + cermaic wouldn't grind *better than naturals? *Meaning taking less time in preparation, actual grind time, & clean up.
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