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Pros: None
Cons: None
Beyond Expectations
There are a great many folks who will tell you that Rockstead are factory knives and at this price point one should only consider 'custom' knives. I must respectfully disagree. Don't be misled by the 'factory' label. Rockstead is a small shop of less than ten skilled artisans who have honed their craft to an unbelievably keen edge. The designs are elegant, the materials top-shelf and the workmanship as good as and in some cases better than many of the customs I have owned or handled. The UN-ZDP does not disappoint. I've examined this knife in great detail and the workmanship is flawless. The blade is a san-mai construction with a core of ZDP-189 and an outer layer of VG-10. The skillful honzukuri grind results in a frighteningly sharp edge. The polish on the blade is remarkable and the tsukamaki is beautiful. The removable tsuka (handle) facilitates simple changeover for repair or replacement in the event of wear. Removal of the handle reveals an ingenious offset-cam mechanism for perfectly secure bolster retention. This is obviously not a 'beater', there are many camp knives to be had at 'replacement' prices for the rough and tumble tasks. But for slicing and carving tasks that call for surgical sharpness, this tool will perform with ease and if properly cared for, the ZDP-189 will maintain it's edge for years. A simple strop properly applied will assist in edge retention. Well done, Rockstead - This one is definitely a keeper! A big thank you to Tom (and the rest of the staff) at Knife Center for your kind assistance! NOTE: If you choose to purchase a UN, you will want to reach out to Rockstead and order the specialized wrench for the handle screw. I do not recommend attempting to remove this screw without the tool supplied by Rockstead. The screw utilizes is a unique custom cut tri-tip pattern. Commonly available 'security' tri-tips DO NOT fit and are likely to destroy the screw. The custom driver from Rockstead only costs a few bucks and arrives from Japan in a couple weeks.
