Knives :
  • Delica SuperBlue
  • Delica ZDP-189 (heavily reground)
  • Delica Wave

This review consists of :

Design details and unique features

Basic specifications (web quote) :

Length Overall: 7 1/8" (181 mm)

Length Closed: 4 1/4" (108 mm)

Hole Diameter: 1/2" (13 mm)

Blade Length: 2 7/8" (73 mm)

Cutting Edge: 2 9/16" (65 mm)

Blade Thickness: 3/32" (2.5 mm)

Blade Steel: Super Blue

Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g)

Handle Material: Gray FRN

Made in Seki-City, Japan

Note the full distal taper as compared to the sabre-ground Delica in the picture on the right. The SuperBlue Delica (on the left) has the same stock thickness but tapers immediately while the sabre ground model only tapers through the very tip.

A few interesting points on this one :

Fit and finish / quality of build

Stock cutting

The initial sharpness was very high :

It will :

Food

Field

Utility

Grip

Ergonomics :

Security :

Durability :

Clip :

Construction :

Miscellaneous :

Lock and Deployment

Sharpening

The SuperBlue Delica was reground to a full zero as noted in the image at the right to maximize the ability of the steel. This was done with a 700X Bester waterstone and took :

This left the edge ground at ~4.5 dps as it picked up a couple of degrees over the primary grind from the wear of the waterstone.

This steel is fairly hard and relatively high carbide (though fine and well distributed) and thus it needs fairly decent stones such as the Bester in order to cut it well without significant fracture which can happen on stones which can not well cut the steel.

Edge Retention

On Cardboard it performs as a Class III type steel as expected :

Fine DMT
# runs Initial Sharpness 15% 10% 5%
cardboard cut (m)
6 97+ 3(13) 4.5+0.2(0.6) 12.3-0.5(1.8) 61-13(11)

Steel

Modifications

Overview

Overview :

Comments and references

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Most of the pictures in the above are in the PhotoBucket album.

Last updated :
Originally written: 07/10/2013
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