Can titanium blades be sharpened to shave?

[AmadeusM]

Or is titanium too soft?

My apologies, wrong place to post.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I've got a titanium santoku that I picked up at the Spyderco outlet. I could never get it sharper than sort of scraping hair. I went back and gave it a coarser finish with a diamond hone. My wife really seemed to like the light weight of the knife. I never used it much since I could get all my other blades much sharper.

 

[cbxer55]

I have had a Mission MPF for some 7 or 8 years now. I have never been able to get it shaving sharp. Close, but no cigar. And what edge it does get will not last. It is about the equivalent of 440C in edge holding. It now resides in a display case indefinitely, as I do not foresee a time when I might need to defuse a mine.

CBXer55
Oklahoma City

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Mission's Beta-Ti can get shaving sharp easily.

-Cliff

 

[kennqc]

isn't the mpf beta-ti?

ken

 

[mete]

Someone is now making reproduction bronze age razors !! Material and shape just like the old days !!

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Mission's folder is available in both bronze and Beta-Ti.

-Cliff

 

[cbxer55]

My Mission is Beta Ti. While I can sharpen any quality steel to shaving sharp, I have yet to be able to sharpen the Mission MPF that good. I can get it sharp, just not as sharp as I prefer. And when it is sharp, it will not retain that sharpness for any length of time. AUS8 holds it longer! 440C holds it longer! I have relegated it to collection status. Also when carried clipped to r/h pocket, the rather aggresive thumb ramp tears your hand up when trying to get something out of that pocket.

CBXer55
Oklahoma City

 

[AmadeusM]

My Mission is Beta Ti. While I can sharpen any quality steel to shaving sharp

I am curious if you could qualify that a bit more. Can you do AUS6 and AUS4? How about 440A and 425?

My "reasoning" is that if cheap surgical scalpels can shave, and they're probably even softer than the steels above, it's doable.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[Kazeryu]

Can you do AUS6 and AUS4? How about 440A and 425?

notice that he said any 'quality' steel, not just 'any steel'. We'll have to let him speak up for himself, but I can't imagine anyone calling AUS6 or AUS4 'quality' steel. Passable, perhaps, but not quality.

 

[Jeff Clark]

There are many different qualities that can define a "quality steel". Softness does not generally interfere with getting a sharp edge. If you go through a steel producer's website you will find that the stainless steels used for making razor blades are not all that high in carbon or other alloying elements. They are not hard steels by knife making standards. If I want a razor edge I will take AUS-6 over 440A and I will take 420HC over 425M (that is what Buck decided as well).

I generally get 12C27 or AUS-8 sharper than any of the 440-series alloys. I can get the 440-series alloys sharper than I can get the one titanium knife I have to work with. I may go back now that I have submicron-sized diamond paste to work with and see if I can get the titanium sharper than before. Titanium is so abrasion resistent that it sharpens best for me with nice sharp diamond grit.