I bought a PM2 that came dull from the factory. Not sure how that happened but I'm having some real trouble getting it sharp. I'm using the original Work Sharp. Every other knife I've sharpened I've gotten ridiculously sharp. I'm free handing without the guards and going from 80 grit - 220 grit - 6000 grit. I can work up a nice burr on the 80, a smaller one on the 220, and almost nothing on the 6000. I can get a nice mirror polish edge but it is still not sharp. I don't understand how I'm not getting a sharp edge if I'm working up so much burr. It's obviously apexing the blade. Once I polish it just feels dull. Every other knife I've sharpened with technique will cut paper like butter. I've done my Cryo II and a bunch of kitchen knives with no issue. I understand S30V is a hard steel but this just seems silly. I want to EDC the PM2 but not if I can't get it usably sharp. I also tried sharpening it on a whetstone but I'm not very good at free handing. I don't want to keep trying to sharpen on the work sharp since I'm just grinding away material with no result. Help?
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Cannot get my PM2 sharp
- Thread starter Airquotes
- Start date
The burr from S30V will be a bit more difficult to remove than less "super" steels. See if you still have a burr by running the edge over your thumb nail with an edge trailing stroke. If it seems to catch some on one side and not the other, you still have some burr remaining. Have you tried drawing the edge through soft wood or cork? That can help a lot too.
Otherwise, perhaps you are rounding the edge over with the last belt. The 6000 is VERY flexible and can wrap around the edge. Finally, the original worksharp doesn't have a speed control at all right? Just full blast whenever it's on? If so, deburring is going to be really hard on a belt moving that fast. Maybe try some edge leading strokes into a very fine stone or ceramic. Or if you have something like a sharpmaker, try 10 alternating strokes on the rods at 15 degrees (or 20 degrees if you think your edge is larger than 15 degrees per side).
There's probably more to try to diagnose, but that's what occurs to me first.
Good luck!
Brian.
Otherwise, perhaps you are rounding the edge over with the last belt. The 6000 is VERY flexible and can wrap around the edge. Finally, the original worksharp doesn't have a speed control at all right? Just full blast whenever it's on? If so, deburring is going to be really hard on a belt moving that fast. Maybe try some edge leading strokes into a very fine stone or ceramic. Or if you have something like a sharpmaker, try 10 alternating strokes on the rods at 15 degrees (or 20 degrees if you think your edge is larger than 15 degrees per side).
There's probably more to try to diagnose, but that's what occurs to me first.
Good luck!
Brian.
Thanks for your thoughts. I think the 6000 may be the issue. My process has been 80 grit, work one side into a burr. Deburr on some cardboard. 80 Grit other side. Deburr on cardboard. Repeat process with the 220, although I get a much smaller burr. Then polish with the 6000. I think I might be pressing to hard with the 6000 and it's rounding off the edge. I get a really nice mirrored beveled edge but it's not sharp. It's my understanding that to get a really sharp edge with S30V you need to do a lot of work with fine grits, but maybe a rougher sharpening would be better. I did notice it felt a little sharper before the polish, but that may be because it was more toothy. Maybe use less pressure on the 6000? I much prefer to work free hand than use the guides. Much less restrictive to do the tip and base of the blade.
Right now I am working one side then turning the work sharp around so that both sides are being sharpened with the grit travelling in the same direction down the edge. Is it better to do it that way, or should I reverse it and try with the grit going up the edge? Down made more sense to me since you drag a blade across a stone instead of pushing into it.
Right now I am working one side then turning the work sharp around so that both sides are being sharpened with the grit travelling in the same direction down the edge. Is it better to do it that way, or should I reverse it and try with the grit going up the edge? Down made more sense to me since you drag a blade across a stone instead of pushing into it.
You don't need to deburr until you've formed a burr on the 2nd side of the blade at each grit level. That might save you a bit of time.
As for S30V and what it likes, I have only one S30V blade, but I've found that, for my use (which is mainly opening cardboard boxes) a much rougher finish works best. Sure, I can get a hair popping, screaming sharp edge on the blade if I go to a high polish. But it doesn't last worth a darn. If I stop at around 100 micron (on the WSKO), then lightly deburr with a 5 micron belt, I get an edge that lasts 3 or 4 times as long for the tasks I do.
Less pressure on the 6k belt is absolutely something to try. But before you do that, see what the edge from the 220 will do. A properly deburred 220 grit edge should shave a little hair, and should be able to cleanly cut phonebook paper. It will be loud, but it should cut without hanging.
I too use the WS (in my case the WSKO) without the guides. I don't move the machine though; instead I switch hands to do both sides. Right hand to do the right side of the blade; left hand to do the left side of the blade. That way the belt is moving away from the edge at all times and I can see the contact point of the blade and belt. I would NOT try holding the blade against the side of the machine with the belt moving into the blade. On a more powerful machine that could send the blade flying right into your body, face, or the furniture!
On the WS, you might get lucky and not have it go flying, but I still don't recommend it.
On the off chance that you're interested, here's a video of me sharpening a dull kitchen knife with the WSKO, freehand:
[video=youtube;ApyDcJzKBgk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApyDcJzKBgk[/video]
Brian.
As for S30V and what it likes, I have only one S30V blade, but I've found that, for my use (which is mainly opening cardboard boxes) a much rougher finish works best. Sure, I can get a hair popping, screaming sharp edge on the blade if I go to a high polish. But it doesn't last worth a darn. If I stop at around 100 micron (on the WSKO), then lightly deburr with a 5 micron belt, I get an edge that lasts 3 or 4 times as long for the tasks I do.
Less pressure on the 6k belt is absolutely something to try. But before you do that, see what the edge from the 220 will do. A properly deburred 220 grit edge should shave a little hair, and should be able to cleanly cut phonebook paper. It will be loud, but it should cut without hanging.
I too use the WS (in my case the WSKO) without the guides. I don't move the machine though; instead I switch hands to do both sides. Right hand to do the right side of the blade; left hand to do the left side of the blade. That way the belt is moving away from the edge at all times and I can see the contact point of the blade and belt. I would NOT try holding the blade against the side of the machine with the belt moving into the blade. On a more powerful machine that could send the blade flying right into your body, face, or the furniture!
On the WS, you might get lucky and not have it go flying, but I still don't recommend it.On the off chance that you're interested, here's a video of me sharpening a dull kitchen knife with the WSKO, freehand:
[video=youtube;ApyDcJzKBgk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApyDcJzKBgk[/video]
Brian.
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2012
- Messages
- 315
S30V is best around 1000 grit IMO
Thanks, that's a great video! I'm going to try sharpening like that. I've been using it in the normal orientation just without the guides. Your method seems much better. What do you think is a good carry steel? S30V seems like it might be more trouble than it's worth. I was thinking of getting a Mini Griptillian with 154CM.