That makes a lot of sense- i'll definitely give it a try. I'm still learning a lot of this stuff; i'm young but have been using knives most of my life, but i learned mostly from my Grandpop & the 2 older farmers i grew up next to. They all used Case knives for EDC, and a Buck 110 was a "modern" knife. It's only been as i got older i learned what a tactical knife was..
Hard to beat learning from those guys. I am kind of weary of folks that simply parrot what they hear or are no more than collectors chiming in about "hard use" knives and all that kind of jazz. Nothing wrong with collecting and admiring, but you don't really test the limits of a knife much when you use it to cut up apples at lunch.
The fellas you are talking about carry knives that have a duty, are used a tool, and have to go to work every day just like them. So they carry reliable, proven brands to work they know they can depend on. All I carried for years in my construction work on the job site was a CASE knife of some sort, usually a 4" stockman or a 4" copperhead. MANY of my compatriots carried the Buck 110, and it has an unbeatable track record developed by decades of use from blue collar workers, hunters, fisherman, hikers, campers and trade workers. It's a tough act to beat.
Point being, i learned how to sharpen on Arkansas stones, but the technique was pretty simple- 2 stone grits, something like a 25-30 degree inclusive convex edge, and stropping on plain leather.
That works great for CV, 1095, etc, but not as well for more complex steels. I do know i can get abbeautiful edge on AUS-8, (a finer edge than S30V for woodworking,) so the AGR 8CR13MOV shouldn't be too much of a challenge.
These AG Russell folders are just gorgeous knives- hard to believe this quality is made overseas, (and as a result,) is so affordable.
F.T.R. I haven't given up on Case or US knives, (i want a Queen, and will be getting a GEC 42,) but i just love the AGR designs.
IMO, you learned to sharpen the right way. I think everyone should learn to sharpen free hand, but most can't get the hang of it. Since I learned to sharpen free hand, all the neat stuff we have now for sharpening makes it a walk in the park. I set the angles on the knives I buy when I determine what they will be using a Lansky setup. Nothing fancy, just the regular stones, not diamonds. The Lansky set up takes a bit of practice, but YouTube videos are readily available to help get you started. After the blade angle is set, I strop now and then on a piece of heavy cardboard with green compound on it - works like a champ! I still sharpen as needed, but actual sharpening is really just touch ups as I don't use my knives for much more than cutting tools.
And since you learned wrist control and repeatability of the angles you want by learning free hand, you might be comfortable with my favorite way to do a quick resharpen of my working knives. I do a couple or three passes on each side of the blades on my larger working knives (mostly 8CR13, AUS8, 420HC, and D2) as needed on a 800gr 12" oval diamond rod. A bit pricey, but in the right hands you can slick up your edges in seconds (or ruin them if not careful!) with the right rod. Once again, NONE of my friends can get the hang of the rod, and I know it is in part because they don't have years of free hand sharpening behind them.
Go after those AGR knives. He has them do something special to his steels, not sure whether it is tighter quality control or just having the knives made to his specs. They seem harder than the other knives I have with similar steels. I have 3 or 4 of his knives and the fit and finish is no less than superb. What a surprise for some of those prices. Best of all, the man stands 110% behind his product!
Robert
