Buck Knives: edge retention test

Testing the diamond sharpened edge: I sharpened the original blade that was at 600grit AO fine India to 600grit fine diamond . This cut 380 and began skating 'some' at 450 more and I stopped at 525 cuts . Plus, upon examination this one expressed less burring . So, I'd say the diamond sharpened blade will cut more rope . At least at 600grit . The summary: the 100grit sharpened blade cut 1100, the 280grit cut 375(maybe 400), the 600grit India cut 200, the same grit diamond cut 525, the 1000grit Arkansas cut 200 and the 2000grit ceramic cut 400 . Trying to make sense of this test I'd say grit matters as well as the grit type (diamond) espically the bitey grits . Then the grit size (larger) relates to increased edge retention . The refined edges have a place as well in quick cutting using little effort . ie. shaving or hospital operations . Choose carefully between how much edge refinement is required and how much edge retention is needed for your cutting . Now, I'm out of rope . DM ;)
 
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I did one more test for our enjoyment . I sharpened the blade from the 100grit SiC to a DMT X-coarse (220 grit stated) . Which feeling of it reflects more like a 60-80grit stone .
Then cut sisal rope: It cut real nice and even up to 1275 and then began skating some .
Skating more at 1350 and I stopped at 1400 . Only the last inch was cutting . I could have pressed it to 1450 and I know I would have sharpened it between this and 1500 .
This blade upon examination had many pin point burrs, it would like the others still shave lots of arm hair after cutting that much rope . Sisal rope is very abrasive on a knife's edge far more than a deer . But this gives real world information to consider in your sharpening strategy . DM
 
I'll periodically give you guys updates in this subject as I have time to conduct the tests.
This one was sharpened on the above mentioned DMT stone at 15* angle and coarse stropped to remove burr . The steel is cmp-154 on the 110 BP and the medium 1/4" sisal rope . It made 1865 cuts before showing much sign of slowing and requiring more blade to make the cut . This trend continued to 1965 cuts, after this the blade experssed more skating and slowing until now its requiring the entire blade to make one cut . I stopped after cutting 2000 . I would have sharpened it at this point under normal circumstances even though it was still cutting it was requiring more effort than needed .
This steel cut very smooth even at this coarse sharpening . I was amazed at its ability to cut so smoothly and last so long on this material . A very good blade steel . DM
 
I just completed the cutting test using a paperstone 110 with S30V drop point blade .
This knife was sharpened in the above manner on a X-Coarse DMT stone at 15* angle and coarse stropped to remove burr then began cutting 1/4" sisal rope . This knife began skating some at 1600 cuts and requiring more of the blade to make the cut at 1700 . By 1800 it was requiring all the blade to make the cut and by 1900 laboring much to make the cut . I pressed it to 1950 and stopped because of its struggling to make the cut with the same amount of pressure and I would have sharpened it at this point . This steel does not cut as smoothly as cpm-154 however does cut for a long time . DM
 
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