High Performance Delica Excitement

[Mushroom]

It's easy to think they can just interrupt their own production schedules and slot this one in whenever they want but it doesn't work that way. They are, and have been for years now, operating at full production capacity. Their production schedules are coordinated years in advance. New projects can take actual years to be completed. Clearly, this is now one of those situations.

It's likely going to be a sprint run as is. Flash Batches are for brand new designs only.

[ZrowsN1s]

No hollow grind on them, but if you want a taste of a thin serrated edge (or PE) pick up a Z-Cut for $25. Great kitchen knives.

I think the HPD will give close to the performance of that BTE geometry, but with a less flexible blade. A blade that can bend can be good for some applications, but I prefer a little more rigidity.

[Bill1170]

Meanwhile, in order to pass the time, we could speculate about other, not really important aspects of the high performance Delica...

I would find it cool for example if this very special model got an a bit different handle color.
Thinking about a two toned handle, like one side white, the other side black or something like that...

Don´t think though that a different handle material than the usual (and imo perfect!) FRN would be a good idea, since this knife should not get too expensive in order to bring it into the hands of as many users and "testers" as possible.

I own a pair of Japanese pruners (Okatsune brand) whose handles are plastic-dipped. One handle is dipped in orange plastic, the other in white. The reason for this is as follows. In full sun the orange is easy to see against soil or greenery. At dusk the white is more visible. It’s a clever use of color that pleases my mind.

Since Delicas land on their flat sides, both scales would need to be bicolored to gain the benefit my pruners have. Not so simple, alas!

[Mushroom]

Short update from Sal in the thread "New CQI Delica 4 Stainless Models?"

Actually, we're working on a project which was originally called the "High Performance Delica". The project has been running behind because of other models in demand. The plan s to have two Delica's, both ground for higher performance cutting. One is to be a high hollow and the other is to be a Hamaguri (appleseed), thin edges, to test the concept of the designs and to see if there is any interest in a "High Performance" line?

sal

[RugerNurse]

A convex grind delica would be cool

[p_atrick]

So, how does one sharpen a Hamaguri grind? I hear that free-hand sharpening naturally causes a convex, but I assume a Hamaguri grind is more pronounced than that. Also, I too am excited that this project is moving along.

[awa54]

Using a slack belt is probably the only way to apply an appleseed/hamaguri grind in a production knife environment.

When I do one, I start with a hand stone and working away from the edge "file" down the blade rolling downward toward the edge until the bevel is consistent and a working edge is fully formed, then I finish the apex at a consistent micro bevel and after that, blend the micro bevel in with a strop.
All done by eye, which is a PITA, but the results are worth it on a rough use fixed blade, because it's harder to wedge the blade in a shallow cut, as well as almost impossible to chip out, even when twisting the blade out of deep cuts (all in reference to wood and heavy high carbon chopper type blades).

[Evil D]

What if I want a convex bevel on the hollow grind?


Would this idea be easier in a mule?

[vivi]

it's a lot easier to apply convex grinds or bevels with foam and sandpaper.

I use one of those foam sleeping pads that I cut into smaller pieces to sit on. Took some scrap from it and glued it to a block of wood, then taped sandpaper sheets to it. works great.

[ZrowsN1s]

So, how does one sharpen a Hamaguri grind? I hear that free-hand sharpening naturally causes a convex, but I assume a Hamaguri grind is more pronounced than that. Also, I too am excited that this project is moving along.

I don't know about establishing your own, or repairing a chipped edge. But for maintenance I remember reading a while back on Rockstead's website, they recommend taking a scrap of old denim jeans, nailing or stapling it tight around a flat wooden board. Then smearing chrome polish all over the jeans, and sharpening with that. I imagine CBN paste could work too.

Basically sharpen with some abrasive on a medium with a little give to it. Vivi's method would work. A mounted leather strop with a 10-6micron abrasive. Lots of options.

I've never had an appleseed grind. I'd get one to play around with.

[brj]

This has got to be one of the most exciting things coming from Spyderco in ages.

Have played with an appleseed grind on one of my Pacific Salts, high performance indeed. Maintenance is not hard, stropping motions with (mostly) the weight of the knife on a mousepad loaded with the abrasive of your choosing.



The best high hollow grind ever done by Spyderco (IMHO of course) is to be found on the T-Mag, one of my absolute favorites (what you're seeing here is the very factory edge from a decade back, never needed to touch it up, though I obviously never used it for heavy cutting either).



However, my best cutter is yet another Pacific Salt taken to a zero grind, or as close to as humanly possible - the edge is so thin I can see the apex flex if I press my nail on its side.



I'm soo looking forward to comparing hollow vs. hamaguri on the same platform, and I'd love it if a zero grind would also magically materialize from the factory for this experiment

[awa54]

Zero grinds in steels that don't have good toughness *and* hardness are easy enough to damage that the profile pretty much never see mass production outside of Scandinavia (even most of the Mora blades have a secondary bevel these days), so while I'd love to see a Spyderco knife with a zero grind, I'll take a pass if it isn't K390, AEB-L, 52100, REX 45, 3V, or some other appropriate steel.

My Nilakka is semi-permanently exiled to the back of the CF/Ti/"upscale" drawer, since the edge is still fragile even after adding a micro-bevel (I got it for a great price, because it came with a chipped edge, the seller even included the piece of softwood they had attempted to carve that caused the damage, along with the knife).

[Evil D]

Zero grinds in steels that don't have good toughness *and* hardness are easy enough to damage that the profile pretty much never see mass production outside of Scandinavia (even most of the Mora blades have a secondary bevel these days), so while I'd love to see a Spyderco knife with a zero grind, I'll take a pass if it isn't K390, AEB-L, 52100, REX 45, 3V, or some other appropriate steel.

My Nilakka is semi-permanently exiled to the back of the CF/Ti/"upscale" drawer, since the edge is still fragile even after adding a micro-bevel (I got it for a great price, because it came with a chipped edge, the seller even included the piece of softwood they had attempted to carve that caused the damage, along with the knife).

If you haven't you should look up Cliff Stamp's video on YouTube about the Nilakka and how he got around edge damage.

[vivi]

all the moras ive bought in the past few years have had zero grinds. 511's, companions, bushcrafter etc.

[SpeedHoles]

Short update from Sal in the thread "New CQI Delica 4 Stainless Models?"

Actually, we're working on a project which was originally called the "High Performance Delica". The project has been running behind because of other models in demand. The plan s to have two Delica's, both ground for higher performance cutting. One is to be a high hollow and the other is to be a Hamaguri (appleseed), thin edges, to test the concept of the designs and to see if there is any interest in a "High Performance" line?

sal

Very cool, thanks for the cross post update. Looks like long in the making...

[awa54]

all the moras ive bought in the past few years have had zero grinds. 511's, companions, bushcrafter etc.

All the stainless blade plastic handle "outdoors" knives *from Morakniv* that I've handled in the last 5 years had a small secondary bevel.

[awa54]

If you haven't you should look up Cliff Stamp's video on YouTube about the Nilakka and how he got around edge damage.

Yeah, Cliff was a great resource to the community.

Basically I did what he suggests in the video to mine ...minus the explanation about the interplay between edge geometry and carbide size.
IIRC, there was a thread on this forum, or maybe Blade forums at the time these were landing, that made the same suggestion and I'm pretty sure that late production Nilakkas shipped with a small secondary edge bevel.

I'd still like to see a reissue, but with a steel that can at least be somewhat durable with a true zero grind.

[Evil D]

If you haven't you should look up Cliff Stamp's video on YouTube about the Nilakka and how he got around edge damage.

Yeah, Cliff was a great resource to the community.

Basically I did what he suggests in the video to mine ...minus the explanation about the interplay between edge geometry and carbide size.
IIRC, there was a thread on this forum, or maybe Blade forums at the time these were landing, that made the same suggestion and I'm pretty sure that late production Nilakkas shipped with a small secondary edge bevel.

I'd still like to see a reissue, but with a steel that can at least be somewhat durable with a true zero grind.

Mine came with a bevel, I got it some time in late 2015. It's still one of my all time favorites, it's such a unique knife and the construction inside is really impressive. You wouldn't know it but it's built like a brick house. I would be all in for a sprint in a more appropriate steel.

[cycleguy]

I’m a big Delica fan and I’m good with FFG, don’t get the excitement over concave and convex????

Not much interested in purchasing more equipment to keep these sharp?

Other than a small few, I don’t see the general public much interested.

Delica Wharncliffe in upgraded steel is likely best performance Delica and those aren’t around anymore.

Really not making much sense to me, really.

CG

[sal]

Hi Cycle Guy,

I would like to know which style of grinds really perform better. So I'll make a few more so I can get more opinions from folks actually using and testing the results of my experiment. We may learn there is no difference? But we'll be able to have more personal experience in learning, than just listening to the "experts".

sal