ZDP is no match for...

[spyderHS08]

repeat after me "...oh you don't want to cut food with this knife. But I don't want to tell you why."

:D +1! thats an excellent line to remember!! :D

[golddot370]

One word SPYDEREDGE

[Bolster]

Wow, thanks for the sympathy. To field a few questions:

This was a Stretch 2 where I'd thinned out the backbevel to around 12 degrees per side (took 2 hrs with diamond stones), then used the Sharpmaker to put on a very small (couple of swipes) 15 degree per side edge. So it's a knife I'm keeping a little on the delicate side (that's arguable, should be fine for ZDP) for superior sharpness. But I did not set this edge up for hard use with a 25 per side angle or anything. In my mind, a Stretch should have a thin edge and cut like a scalpel. It's not a survival knife.

The knife had held its edge fantastically for weeks, until loaning it to Mrs. Force for the cutting of her apple. I think she did exactly what you suspected, put a lot of muscle behind the cut and really slammed the knife into the hard ceramic tile.

Ceramic = the same stuff the sharpmaker is made of...imagine slicing your edge directly into sharpmaker stones...now do it forcefully, get a couple inches momentum going before you slam that edge into the ceramic...now you get the idea.

The edge actually rolled, which surprised me. I could see a lot of light shining off the belly of the blade, and it was very easy to feel the edge rolled over to one side. This surprised me, I did not expect ZDP to roll.

I raged around a bit. To myself, when Mrs. Force was outside the house. Took me about a half hour to calm down and stop cussing myself for lending a $300 knife to a NKP.

The blade was originally sharpened with the idea that a backbevel with light swipes of the edge on the sharpmaker would keep it sharp for months into the future. However the damage was so extensive it had to go back onto the Lansky with a medium then fine stone. Probably took off a year's worth of steel under normal use, to get it right. I don't have my sharpmaker with me so I'm running a 12 degree per side edge right now. Will make it 15 when I get home to my sharpmaker.

Good news is, all that work getting the backbevel to 12 paid off; the Lansky reset the edge in maybe 10 minutes. I got to say, I LOVE a jig that lets me repeat my angles on an edge.

A big YES to carrying a chi-crap knife with me as a spare for loaning in the future. I will certainly do that.

[Dagon]

Well, I do eat at home with my VG10 Stretch. The plate is ceramic, of course. So I try to cut gently and at an angle; so that it only touches the plate but doesn't hit it.
There must be more people here using a Spyderco at the table???

[Scottie3000]

I agree with Chuck. I carry a beater knife just for such occasions. "sure, take this one"

[Reeper22]

LOL Touche my friend, touche.

Where's ole Billy Mayes when you need him? He'd be marketing busted tile scraps as a new age eco-friendly knife sharpening system! Free pyrex cutting board with purchase! **additional shipping and handling rates may apply**

He's dead.

[SonnyD]

That's the reason I have a POS Chinese knockoff with me all the time. It's for when people want to borrow my knife. I lend the knockoff, it's hair popping sharp too and easy to get back when NKP dull it.

You and me brother! I learned years ago when I started buying nicer
knives, that everyone was always wanting to borrow one. It finally got
to where I did the same as you and carried an old POS that was pretty sharp.
It was kind of funny, they'd look at me and say, "why do you carry 2
knives?"......I'd just look at them with a sincere look and say, "just because
I was thinking of you" That probably wouldn't work so good if your working around a bunch of guys, LOL... I don't know how many times I saw them trying to tighten or loosen a screw with the tip of that knife :confused:
Regards Sonny

[dsmegst]

Well, I do eat at home with my VG10 Stretch. The plate is ceramic, of course. So I try to cut gently and at an angle; so that it only touches the plate but doesn't hit it.
There must be more people here using a Spyderco at the table???

I do occasionally give my Sage 1 to my wife to cut food for our 4 year old at restaurants since most Asian restaurants don't provide knives. It dulls the edge very quickly since she puts force behind the cut, but I rather ignore it than start an argument. I finally convinced her to get rid of the glass cutting board and she knows not to put her Shun knives in the dishwasher. So I figure I'm already ahead.

I am currently modifying a Mule to use as my new steak knife at home. :D

[gull wing]

"We will lend no knife to woman before they are trained" :)

[yablanowitz]

I accidentally found a rather mean but effective way to train my girlfriend on the amount of force to use with one of my knives. :o We were eating outside, she asked to borrow a knife to cut up her hamburger (she used to have a lot of trouble with her teeth) so I got out my steak knife - a Benchmade/Bogusewski 640 Mini-Spike. For those not familiar with the knife, it is very symmetrical. The first couple of cuts went fine, but when she picked it up the third time, she had it sharp side up with her index finger on the edge. She found out instantly just how fast that edge goes through skin. :eek:

Lucky for me, she is pretty level-headed, and I carry Band-Aids. Both were needed at that moment.

[indie_dave]

i fear for my blade now...time to invest in a cheapy beater

[224477]

I borrowed my ZDP Endura once to a co-worker to cut a water melon, he basically managed the same, but just on the tip. At least he didnt touch the plate with the full length of the knife. I carry a Victorinox now for occasions like this. Or offer to do that, or say I dont have a blade with me /even if its a lie - its a blade saving lie!/

[sarguy]

repeat after me "...oh you don't want to cut food with this knife. But I don't want to tell you why."

Love it!

When I was at a a friend's house for dinner, I noticed that every knife in their cheap steak-knife set we all get when we're college age was bent. I thought maybe it was a really cheap knife set...then I saw my friend use a knife pry open the shrink-wrap on a wedge of cheese. Not cut. Pry. The reason: the knife was dull, so prying was the only logical option. I really didn't have the words for a reply.

And speaking of ceramic: Not too long ago my wife caught me touching up an edge with the bottom of some of her good fiesta-ware. Hilarity ensued. I still do it, but wait for her to go to work.