Chips in the Blade

bagman

bagman

Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
654
I was holding my S30V small Sebenza up to the light last night (as ones does) and noticed several small "nicks or chips" in the upswept portion of the blade near the tip.

These were very obvious when I rann my thumb nail along the edge of the edge as it were.

I touched the whole blade up on my sharpmaker and I thought i Had got rid of them but looking at it again today there are still small nicks but much less noticeable.

I have had the knife for 3 months now and carried it/ used it every day but only for opening letters, boxes, apples etc. I have used it on some briars in the garden but these were really soft.

I have definatley not cut anything metalic with it or hit any staples when opening boxes.

Lasdt night sharpening was the second since receiving it.

I thought S30v was the "dogs nuts" of steel?

Should I have needed to sharpen it twice with such use and more importantly what about the chipping??
 
Hi Bagman,

Just a thought, but how do you carry your Sebbie? If it's been loose in a pocket, is it possible that the blade edge has come into contact with keys/coins/etc whilst the knife is closed (possible with the open-frame design). I got my "small plain" a couple of weeks ago - lovely,lovely knife - can't wait to get the large now, in fact I just ordered it so I'd better start saving!

Btw, did you get yours through Framar, or is there another source for us UK guys?

Rgds

Nigel:)
 
Hi Nigel

I dont put anything hard in my pocket when my Sebenza is clipped to it so I dont think that is the cause.

I also have a large on order from the dealer in the states that I got my small regualr from.

I emailed CRK this week to ask about putting double studs on my sebie and they said that Framar are their exclusive importer into the UK so they could not supply me a knife direct but they can modify repair them direct.

I am away for the weekend now so I am not ignoring any questions just not here :D
 
After the damage was sharpened out, did you notice it happening again with similar use?

-Cliff
 
Cliff - they have not quite gone yet, I think the next sharpening will get rid of them.

No mopre yet thankfully and since then I have used it to cut a couple of holes in some plasterboard so the insurance assesor at work could see what was behind it. It came through that with no damage at all.
 
Hind sight is 20/20, but for future dings like the ones you had, you should use a steel to draw the edge back out instead of sharpening them. As far as you not doing anything to cause them, I really doubt that the knife came from CRK like that, so there had to be something that happened to cause those dings, whether you remember them or not. The edge isn't going to ding like that by doing only the tasks you listed. Was the knife bought used? Was is a display knife that other people would have played with at a knife store? If so, then that is probably when the damage happened. Just remember, always try a steel first. Will save you a lot of hassle of having to remove steel to get rid of these dings.

Mike
 
Chips are missing pieces of the edge, using a steel isn't going to be productive. They have to be sharpened out if you want to get rid of them.

-Cliff
 
Originally posted by Cliff Stamp
Chips are missing pieces of the edge, using a steel isn't going to be productive. They have to be sharpened out if you want to get rid of them.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

I realize that, but a lot of people will mistake a ding, where the edge is merely rolled over, as a chip. This is where it would benefit from at least trying a steel before you sharpen it. It might be all that is needed. I used to make the same mistake everytime I would ding my blade. I would break out the sharpener, and grind away. If you use a sharpener, and grind off the rolled over edge, then yes, you now have a chip, but if you used a steel in the first place, you would merely draw the edge back out. It has saved me a lot of hassle since I learned about using a steel and strop. JMHO.

Mike
 
The knife was brand new to me from CRK via a dealer in the states.

I never implied (or is that inferred I never can remember) that the chips were in the blade when it left the factory.

I am pretty sure they were chips not just the edge rolled over.

I only have a cheap "serrated" steel so I guess I should get a decent one to use on the kitchen knives if nothing else.
 
I remember hearing that S-30V chips easily, and it is not a bad thing. Do a search on the Chris Reeve or Strider Forum and you will probably find it.
 
Bagman, try and find a spyderco ceramic rod, the fine white one which is completely smooth to the touch. I use one to "steel" with and they realign edges whilst removing a miniscule amount of steel. A real chip though, as Cliff states, has to be sharpened out. Sebenza blades are tough and don't take damage easily. The should only need a true sharpen once in a blue moon. A couple of wipes over the smoothest ceramic is the main maintenance that needs to be done. Leather strops are another good way, read up on the forum. All too often excessive sharpening will use up blade faster than actual use.

I get the most anoying chips from hitting concrete having dropped a knife on the floor. Hitting blades together by accident is another common one. Some wires are also very hard, much harder than you could believe. Fine edges don't like to be twisted much either, through a Sebenza should shrug it off.

If your chips grow of don't disappear after a couple more sharpenings, and stay gone, then you just might have a blade that has got through CR's quality controls. If you think that just might be the case then send the knife back direct (Framar GB is a great company but the direct route is quickest). If CR agrees then I'm sure you will get a replacement blade. CR blades are tough so you really would know if you had hit something hard enough to give a nail catching nick.

See how it goes, they are for using.
 
Greenjacket - I dod speak to Anne Reave about it and we agreed to see if they came back after sharpening them out.

I will get rid of them on the next sharpen I am sure, they are very small now.
 
Hi

chips are good. now you got a serrated edge !

Sebenzas are workhorses.
With a diamond rod I can cure this kind of small chips. no big deal !

The more you use your Sebenza the more these kind of scar will have a chance to come from ATS34 to BG 42 to S30V...

Don't worry.

If you worry send it back to Chris.

but If I were you (and I am not) I would learn to cure that kind of little events myself.

cheers
JM
 
Thanks Nemo - I have brought my Sharpmaker into work today to give my sebenza a going over and I think they will be gone before the day is out.
 
I have jusy finished sharpening and I thought I had finally got rid of the chips but I do not have my magnifing glass at work to check.

I have just been tilting it up to the light and have a horrible feeling that they might be still JUST there AAGGHHH

Next time:)
 
A 5p coin nicked my Damascus Sebi!:grumpy: Serves me right for in pocket carry I guess. Tear jerker at the time though. I tried steeling it out but the edge just broke away. I have sharpened most of it out, but will let wear and tear and normal resharpening do the rest. My main worry was leaving such a deep nick would (well when I say deep a couple of mm at worst!) catch on things and cause more damage or worse edge fracture. I feel the 15N20 nickel rich steel was at that particular point and did not hold up as well as a steel like BG42 would have.

Got a G2 sheath now so leason learnt.

Bonus is now the edge has had some serious wear, I won't wory about using the edge for proper cutting as I have several re-sharpenings untill the slight damage left is sharpened out!

On a downside it rubbs to have such a great knife and allow the edge to remain less than perfect :rolleyes: . I'm sad or what!;)
 
Originally posted by The General
(well when I say deep a couple of mm at worst!)
Click to expand...

If you look at a ruler and actually figure a couple mm, that is a huge chip for an edge! Heck, even a 1mm chip is huge. I doubt you actually meant a couple mm, more like a couple tenths of a mm. I only mention this because of the post about uneven grind lines, you also mentioned that a difference of a couple mm is acceptable, when in reality, the grind line itself is rarely more than 1mm.

Bagman, you shouldn't need a magnifying glass to see the chip. If you didn't see them when you shined the edge in the light, then they are gone. Just make sure that you move the blade in all directions to make sure the light is hitting the edge from every possible angle so it will reflect to your eye if a chip is there.

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top