Has the love affair with ZDP-189 ended?

[quattro98]

A ZDP-189 DF2 has been my EDC for several years. I often get other knives to add some variety, but the combination of light weight, ergonomics, steel, strong closed detent of a lock back, and easy availability make this my go to knife.

[dcfis]

I have grown to love ZDP but its my first super steel

[RjB]

Starting to appear that ZDP Lovers are coming out of the woodwork :) May not be in droves but we are out there. I wonder if the percentage of forum enthusiasts correlates to non-forumites that buy and use knives but never seek more information?
My Stretch arrived yesterday - holy moly pass the cannoli ! Another "avoided it too long" Spyderco. The Stretch's thin FFG combined with ZDP is a vunderment :eek: I had to order a back-up!
The DF2 was given a stropping yesterday, just a few strokes. My freshly re-grown arm hair ran away in terror.

[Nasgul]

Hope ZDP-189 will still be available in the future !

[Blerv]

May not be in droves but we are out there. I wonder if the percentage of forum enthusiasts correlates to non-forumites that buy and use knives but never seek more information?

If I had to guess ZDP-189 is still out there in the wild, forumites and non. It's an option in some of the best selling FRN knives in the Spyderco family and even if people don't fully understand it they know it's "better than the cheap one". We of course might disagree with this but the good/better/best mindset is gold for selling products :).

If I had to guess eventually we will see CPM-110v Native's, Manix2's and PM2's at local knife shops. The first two likely far before the last one. With the standard brick & mortar mark-up the G10 knives hit pretty high price tags. $249 is a ton of money to pay at the mall for a purple knife...

[RjB]

May not be in droves but we are out there. I wonder if the percentage of forum enthusiasts correlates to non-forumites that buy and use knives but never seek more information?

... and even if people don't fully understand it they know it's "better than the cheap one". We of course might disagree with this but the good/better/best mindset is gold for selling products :).

If I had to guess eventually we will see CPM-110v Native's, Manix2's and PM2's at local knife shops. The first two likely far before the last one. With the standard brick & mortar mark-up the G10 knives hit pretty high price tags. $249 is a ton of money to pay at the mall for a purple knife...

Pretty sure it was "good/gooder/goodest" ...and no I can't disagree on the mindset as even I fall prey to it at times.
Brick & mortar shop is somewhat of a novelty in my vicinity (at least without driving 50-100 miles to paw at a "real" knife). I worked at one of the last ones before it shuttered...would love to be able to see quality blades before buying. I'd even be willing to pay the ton o money price to do so. I may be in a slight minority in my area though.

[maliboy67]

Mine just started, my first Endura but certainly not my last.
[imghttps://flic.kr/p/ELdgHn https://www.flickr.com/photos/91625905@N00/[/img]

[JAfromMN]

I got to say it again i love my serrated zdp189

I also like it in plane edge.

It holds a edge like no other steel. :spyder:

It does require maintenance but not alot. I just don't let it get dull and if I put it away I try put a little oil on it.

I like the green color of the frn also so I'm biased to begin with. :p

I really wish I would have picked up some back ups of my serrated zdp189 . It wasn't around long I'm lucky I got what I did.

I did have to make one black

[Evil D]

I feel like a steel like ZDP or S110V would make an excellent steel for serrations IF you can keep it from chipping, just because it would hold an edge so long. But, in turn I bet it's not much fun trying to repair a chip or badly dull scallop in a steel like that. Serrations are one area where I don't mind a softer/tougher steel.

[JAfromMN]

I feel like a steel like ZDP or S110V would make an excellent steel for serrations IF you can keep it from chipping, just because it would hold an edge so long. But, in turn I bet it's not much fun trying to repair a chip or badly dull scallop in a steel like that. Serrations are one area where I don't mind a softer/tougher steel.

It's not easy to maintain but with the extra time it deserves.

I also don't damage it. It's a pain to try fix.

[ZrowsN1s]

im still in love with zdp. i hope spyderco keeps making zdp knives for a long time to come. and i still hope they can find some way to make a zdp pm2.

[anagarika]

I just got started with ZDP (E4) and like it so far.
I hope the Seki FRN series retain the ZDP as regular production.

Unless it's getting replaced with HAP40. Slightly less wear resistance, but a lot easier to sharpen (borrowing Lance observation). Being laminated, (HAP40), it should help better with corrosion (my E4 has small pit from my sweat). :cool:

[anagarika]

I believe in Spyderville, bringing up old relevant thread is ok :)
I really like my E4 ZDP.

Recently when checking out my E4 ZDP, I found that it feels more robust & 'ready for hard work'' in hand than the VG10 counterpart. I checked, the pivot action is about the same, the lock has no play, on both. I can't describe it any better but the VG10 feels less robust when opened and gripped/held in hand, both in normal or reversed (ice pick) grip.

I thought I was imagining things, asked my friend to compare, which one feel more robust & can be used hard, and not telling him the steel. He chose the BRG (ZDP).

All these are after major thinning down the edge and removing small chipa on the ZDP and only polishing off the bevel of the VG10 (still factory angle).

Anyone owning same model (i.e. FRN) that has both can check?? :confused:

Edit to add: the closest term I can think of is 'substantial'.

[Tdog]

Love my ZDP Caly 3.5 and Stretches. Gifted my brother-in-law a ZDP Endura. I let him choose from a number of knives and he picked the ZDP. Many still consider this steel as ranking among the top. He hasn't commented on the knife, being pretty hard on his tools I suspect it's not in the best shape.

[jdw]

I love ZDP. My ZDP E4 is one of my favorite knives. It stays sharp forever and the Endura just feels great in the hand.

[bh49]

My love affair with ZDP189 only started less than a year ago. Still love it. I didn't need to reprofile the knife yet. Will see what will happen than.

[Flipping Addict]

I have yet to own a knife in this steel. Have not found one I like well enough to buy one in it I guess.

[Bloke]

I like ZDP-189 a lot!

I find it very easy to sharpen with SiC and I can get it as sharp as I like and it's easy to maintain with chrome oxide on a leather strop. I haven't had any issues with corrosion but I don't used it in a saltwater environment.

My ZDP Stretch is my favourite back lock knife and I'd love a big ZDP Millie. :rolleyes:

[anagarika]

@ Paul,

I read again your comment earlier in this thread.

Last night I tried my ZDP & VG10 slicing cardboard & both edge had degraded. Bringing them back to my face shaving standard seems to be easier on ZDP due to less / minimal burring. I use worn DMT EEF. VG10 is nice, but I like the ZDP. It got pitting from my sweat though.

No right or wrong, just preferences and personal anecdotes

[DougC-3]

The BRG ZDP-189 Endura 4 really appealed to me when I first got interested in Spydies, just because of its "personal appearance." It was among the first few I bought and would probably be one of the last I would let go of. I've also got the ZDP Caly 3.5, my second Spydie, and the green FRN ZDP Stretch and brown G-10 Stretch 2. I've never had any oxide problem at all with any of them, though they don't get heavy, daily use. I also reluctantly let the SE Endura ZDP get away when they were going "cheap." ~ $100 or so IIRC, when they were disco'd.

Edit: just looked back over the old part of the thread to see if I'd said anything the first time around -- found that my thinking hasn't changed much in the last 16 months :rolleyes: