154CM Sharpening

timsclips

timsclips

Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
610
Recently bought my first knife in 154CM, a Camillus EDC CUDA, and so far it has laughed at my attempt to sharpen it with my Edgemaker Pros. It seems to be much harder than my other knifes in 400 series steels. Anyone have any comments on this steel used in the CUDA EDC and what they use to sharpen it?
 
i have several 154cm knives that are customs a friend gave me since he didnt like them. they can be a bear to sharpen by hand. this one took some time even with the wheels i use. i loaned it to a friend who used it when he went salmon fishing. he cut salmon into steaks along with other fish and the edge wasnt even dull when he gave it back.
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My standard combination of using a silicon carbide stone freehand to modify the edge angle to approximately match that of my Sharpmaker, then using the Sharpmaker to finalize that edge seems to work OK on my BM min-Grip in 154CM.

154CM does have better edge retension than 440C and way better than 440A. That means it will be more resistant to sharpening than those alloys.
 
I use a DMT stone to start off, thenI go down to a med. Spyderco alumina ceramic stone, and I finish it on a Spyderco fine stone. I have heard other people say the same thing, that it's a bear to sharpen, but I havn't had that problem. I guess maybe because I use a diamond stone to do the hardest part.
 
When I first got my 154cm bladed knife (Emerson CQC-14), I cut cardboard until it caught on the material. I wanted to find out how difficult it would be to bring the edge back. I had no problems compared to other steels. I'm not sure where the difficulty lies.
 
I love CPM 154 but it can be difficult to sharpen! Most of the knives I make are CPM 154 and have found the best way to sharpen them is to use a belt grinder or the cardboard sharpening wheels that richard j recommends. Good thing is you don't have to sharpen them very often after you get it right.

If you are going to use a stone or such I wouldn't use anything less than diamond.
 
I haven't had a problem when it comes to sharpenig CPM 154, what may be in my favor is that I never let it get really dull. All I use for occasional touch up's is my Sharpamker, brown to white.

Paul
 
The issue I had with my EDC in 154 was that the steel seemed a bit "stringy"; i.e. a negligle burr would form and then flip back and forth to make getting a decent edge difficult. I eventually choose to use nothing finer than a medium stone to sharpen it. Took an edge, then.
 
Never have a problem sharpening 154CM as well as any other steel.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Bill Bagwell said it best, "154cm can be a perfict Bitc% to sharpen". I find that an Arkansas soft/medium works well along with some patience ;)
 
I have three 154CM blades - none are hard to sharpen. Now, re-beveling the edge with wet/dry is tough, but still easier than D2. When it comes to honing a micro-bevel, I find it a sweet steel to work with. Easy with ceramic.
 
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