Chris reeve s35vn

M

McCleaven

Joined
May 24, 2009
Messages
161
Long story short. I have an umnumzaan and love everything about it, but I just can't seem to sharpen the blade without sending it up to CRK. 8 weeks away from me is a long time. I have considered selling it to buy a knife with m4 or m390 (benchmade 810). Are those steels as good as the reports say? Or am I just not giving s35vn a chance? I'm not bashing CR and their use of this steel. I just want to know if the other steels I listed will out perform s35vn enough for me to consider selling on of my favorite knives.

Thanks all,
Steve
 
How are you sharpening?

I use the sand paper/mouse pad method, and I have no issues getting a very sharp, fine, polished edge on CRK S35VN.
 
Practice.
I would keep the knife. S35VN isn't very hard to sharpen.
 
The subject of Chris Reeve steel hardness has been discussed extensively here. The Sebenza 25, which I own, is believed to have harder S35VN steel than the Umnumzaan and Sebenza 21. Based on my personal experience, having owned several of each of them, I would agree with this. Have you ever owned a 25? To me, it is the perfect combination of the Sebenza and Umnumzaan.
 
How your sharpening can be a big factor. There are many people that carry and use the CRK knives and do not have too much of a problem sharpening them.
 
I use the sharpmaker and have no problem at all getting it very very sharp.
 
To answer your question tho yes both M4 and M390 will out perform S35VN however they will both be much more difficult to sharpen, especially on a SM or similar system, they really NEED coarse diamond.
 
Thanks all. I use a sharp maker as well ( they recommend it on their we page). I have considered selling for a 25. Held one the other day and I really liked it. In addition to the sharpening question, does m4 or m390 really do any better than s35vn? Any experiences? Never been good at the mousepad/sandpaper way. Doesn't make since and there seem to be a lot of variables due to pressure, softness of the pad, and angle consistency.
 
If you can't sharpen, you can't sharpen, a different knife or a different steel will not change that fact. You need to change the way you sharpen your knife and there is lots of help on that subject in these forums.

I have a sebenza and use the Sharpmaker. It worked fine except with the tip, where the angle of the sharpmaker did not match both sides of the angle of the knife. A short reprofile on one side with the diamond rods of the sharpmaker solved that problem.
 
I have the same problem getting my Sebenza 25 sharp, im glad you posted this question Mcleaven. I sharpen freehanded on Japanese water stones and i just can not get a razor-hair popping sharp edge on my blade. But it is weird to me because i have some GEC knives (great eastern cutlery) in 1095 that i can get razor hair popping sharp no problem! Am i doing something wrong??? I too would really hate to give up on my Sebenza 25 as i have thought about getting rid of her. But i love everything else about this knife. Some advice and help would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. - Just to make things clear, i can sharpen my Sebenza 25 and put an edge on it. It's just not the hair popping sharp edge that i desire.
 
Reprofile the edge to 30 degrees and it should sharpen up just fine on the sharpmaker.

AL903TX said:
I have the same problem getting my Sebenza 25 sharp, im glad you posted this question Mcleaven. I sharpen freehanded on Japanese water stones and i just can not get a razor-hair popping sharp edge on my blade. But it is weird to me because i have some GEC knives (great eastern cutlery) in 1095 that i can get razor hair popping sharp no problem! Am i doing something wrong??? I too would really hate to give up on my Sebenza 25 as i have thought about getting rid of her. But i love everything else about this knife. Some advice and help would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. - Just to make things clear, i can sharpen my Sebenza 25 and put an edge on it. It's just not the hair popping sharp edge that i desire.
Click to expand...

How regularly do you lap your stones?
 
I'm currently in the middle of reprofiling a Sebenza, and it's turning out quite nicely and fairly easily to boot. I have no doubt when I'm completely finished at 0.5u that I'll have an excellent edge. Will have to check back down the road for an edge retention report. M4 is a bear to sharpen. It's not harder to sharpen...it just takes a lot longer, and it's very much worth it when you're finished. Out of AUS-8, 154CM, VG-10, S30V, D2, M4, and 8Cr13MOv, I've never had any of those turn out to be anything other than hair-popping. Blade geometry and how long they hold that edge is the difference. The only time I couldn't get a hair-popping, whittling edge on a steel, it was because of technique. Once I corrected my technique, all was well.
 
if you have trouble sharpening the S35VN, you'll have the same trouble with the M4 and M390, I have owned all three and find sharpening all of them about the same. I was unable to see noticeable differences in edge retention in my light every use of these knives. I would invest in a good sharpening system, a Wicked Edge Pro would be top of the line, but a Lansky is much cheaper and should get you there.

or just continue to sharpen on your wet stone or what ever your using until you get better at it. eventually you will.
 
I haven't lapped my stones. To be honest i do not know how to do it. Ill have to research that.
 
It's not so much that I have issues sharpening. I guess I am more or less asking if s35vn with the heat treat it receives is worth it.
 
McCleaven said:
It's not so much that I have issues sharpening. I guess I am more or less asking if s35vn with the heat treat it receives is worth it.
Click to expand...

IMHO? Definitely not. But then again, I don't believe that the Sebenza as a whole is worth it in the first place.
 
Nothing wrong with CRK heat treat, IMHO. However, S30V and S35Vn have a high vanadium carbide content (HRC 82/84) that responds best to diamond hones.
 
McCleaven said:
It's not so much that I have issues sharpening. I guess I am more or less asking if s35vn with the heat treat it receives is worth it.
Click to expand...

IMO, if you need toughness, pick a different steel. Steels should be run at their optimal hardness. CRK runs theirs a few points softer then other makers, they have their reason.

The Jdavis thing was a very significant anomaly and not to much stock should be put into it without further investigation.
 
Alberta Ed said:
However, S30V and S35Vn have a high vanadium carbide content (HRC 82/84) that responds best to diamond hones.
Click to expand...

S30V and S35VN have responded very well so silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide abrasives in my experience. Diamonds are quicker, but are not a necessity for these steels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top