80CRV2 sharpening advice

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Skidoosh

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
391
I've got a blade in 80CRv2- I'm not a novice sharpener but this stuff just doesn't seem to get sharp. I've got a blade in 5160 - sticky sharp. Maybe I'm not patient. I'm using the sharpie and I'm at 30 degrees inclusive. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
I don't find that steel to be much trouble to sharpen. Are you raising a burr the full length of both sides -- and then properly remove it to leave a clean apex?
 
I think I am, I'm switching sides regularly. I still can't seem to get a clean paper cut, maybe there still is a burr. How sharp do you find you can get it? It still slides over my thumb nail and does not catch
 
Work it longer with low grit stone. Try using a 10x or 20x loupe to see if you are really getting the edge with your sharpie removal trick. If all else fails... Send it to me :)
 
You know, I have to agree on the OP's observation on this steel. I just ordered a custom made from this, and the maker said he put a micro-convex on it that was "scary sharp". It was not. I worked it for quite a while on one of my strops, and the edge is just now barely acceptable. I have 1095 knives that are sharper. I'm hopeful that if I keep at it, things will progress. But it may just be one of those steels that just doesn't achieve a great edge. That would be my first impression here.
 
Skidoosh said:
I think I am, I'm switching sides regularly. I still can't seem to get a clean paper cut, maybe there still is a burr. How sharp do you find you can get it? It still slides over my thumb nail and does not catch
Click to expand...

I'd guess that you're not sharpening up to the apex. You should be able to feel the burr with your thumb or finger. Then remove it. Try the Sharpie trick and use a loupe, as Panthera says.
 
raindog101 said:
You know, I have to agree on the OP's observation on this steel. I just ordered a custom made from this, and the maker said he put a micro-convex on it that was "scary sharp". It was not. I worked it for quite a while on one of my strops, and the edge is just now barely acceptable. I have 1095 knives that are sharper. I'm hopeful that if I keep at it, things will progress. But it may just be one of those steels that just doesn't achieve a great edge. That would be my first impression here.
Click to expand...

I have this steel and it sharpens up just fine. Some makers are good at putting on an initial edge, some great, some not so much. Stropping will refine an edge, but you have to have a clean, sharp apex for stropping to work it's magic. Stropping doesn't work well for sharpening a dull edge.
 
If you are "switching sides regularly" are you achieving a burr on the first side prior to doing the other side?

You will want to raise your burr the length of the edge prior to doing the other side, this will ensure that you have taken the one side of the bevel from shoulder to apex and are not leaving a very small dull edge.
 
30 degree inclusive is also pretty low. Unless you are taking account into spine width and the taper of the primary grind, you might be sharpening at a true angle relative to the spine lower than 30 degrees inclusive. You may find better luck at a 40 degree angle. Although I happen to be very fond of 80CrV2, it is essentially 1080+, and I would expect it to hold an edge much better at a greater angle, unless you have a super amazing heat treat.
 
Does anyone get this steel hair popping sharp? I raised the angle to make sure I am hitting the apex. I am but I still can't get it to slice phone book paper cleanly. I'll keep at it but this is throwing me for a loop
 
Skidoosh said:
Does anyone get this steel hair popping sharp? I raised the angle to make sure I am hitting the apex. I am but I still can't get it to slice phone book paper cleanly. I'll keep at it but this is throwing me for a loop
Click to expand...

There's no reason why it shouldn't get sharp. If it's giving you that much of a problem then go at it with a guided sharpening to ensure you're actually even all the way down the edge. Apex it properly and then re-evaluate it being sharp or not. it may have come with a slight convex and while you may be removing what appears to be all of the sharpie ink you may not be hitting the apex, especially if you're using your stones wet.

I guess it should be asked, are you free handing it or what?
 
bodog said:
There's no reason why it shouldn't get sharp. If it's giving you that much of a problem then go at it with a guided sharpening to ensure you're actually even all the way down the edge. Apex it properly and then re-evaluate it being sharp or not. it may have come with a slight convex and while you may be removing what appears to be all of the sharpie ink you may not be hitting the apex, especially if you're using your stones wet.

I guess it should be asked, are you free handing it or what?
Click to expand...
Good tip about using the stones wet. I see the sharpie mark disappear and assume I'm hitting the edge. I need to be more patient and slow down. I'm not going to give up on it, thanks for the insight.
 
I've been making blades from this steel and am a fan of it, however, the first blade I made sharpened as described here, and I deduced the reason to be because I did not normalize or do any grain refinement on that first blade. I just went straight to austentize and temper. I get mine from Aldo, so it's quite spherodized. I believe that the grain in that first blade was just too large to support a keen thin edge. Subsequent knives I normalize and do a typical 3 step grain refining and stress relieving heat, and all of those knives take a keen, fine, hair popping edge if I sharpen them for it, as well as 1095 .

I don't know if that's the case here but I saw this thread while searching for something and thought I would share my experience because I personally love this steel but initially felt like the OP.
 
Rewarming this stuff, cause I felt i had the similar Problem. all my microtechs in Elmax M390 CP204, Chris Reeves and Busses get hair poppin´even grinded an old (raw Razor) to be able to Shave myself propper. So I´d refuse beeing called a Novice either.
anyway my Winkler SD1 just cost me Hours of pain since i thought i´d easypeasy sharpen it, when i seemed i had the wrong angle at my SM. Waterstone worked - and then didn´t.
So i leaned some DMT Diamond sharpeners agains my SM and voila...got it back again. Must have been blind to not realize what I was doing.
That been said, i´m gonna get a shave.

Stay safe Folks
Weasy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top