Convexing VG1?

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hayes31

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Jun 5, 2012
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I'm thinking of convexing the edge of a VG1 Cold Steel Mini Hunter. I've done it with a BK2 before, but not with a stainless steel. How much harder is stainless steel to convex than carbon? I'm thinking about rounding the initial bevel with a 320 grit stone, and then using a mousepad/sandpaper setup with 400, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grits. Will a couple sheets of each grit get the job done, or am I underestimating the effort this will take?
 
hayes31 said:
I'm thinking of convexing the edge of a VG1 Cold Steel Mini Hunter. I've done it with a BK2 before, but not with a stainless steel. How much harder is stainless steel to convex than carbon? I'm thinking about rounding the initial bevel with a 320 grit stone, and then using a mousepad/sandpaper setup with 400, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grits. Will a couple sheets of each grit get the job done, or am I underestimating the effort this will take?
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With those grits it shouldnt take long at all. PS: if you want a finish finer than 2000 grit, you can tear the corner off the sandpaper and sand the surface, breaking down the SiC, it will leave a more polished edge :D

I generally cut the sandpaper into smaller strips to make it last longer. 1 sheet of each grit will have you sussed
 
if i were you i would skip the higher grits and stop at 400. i have found that a coarser edge will last a lot longer and it will take you a lot less time to get it sharp or resharpen it. strop the edge when you get done with the 400 grit and you should be good to go.
 
richard j said:
if i were you i would skip the higher grits and stop at 400. i have found that a coarser edge will last a lot longer and it will take you a lot less time to get it sharp or resharpen it. strop the edge when you get done with the 400 grit and you should be good to go.
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400- 800 leave a good coarse edge and yes it will last longer, but half the fun is finding out what finish is best for you :D
 
It comes down to the knife steel which grind pattern it likes to hold longest, right? Some steels hold coarse edge longer than polished and some steels vice versa. To my experience most carbon steels like coarse edge and stainless steels like polished edge. Anyone else with same kind of experience?
 
J-P SAN said:
It comes down to the knife steel which grind pattern it likes to hold longest, right? Some steels hold coarse edge longer than polished and some steels vice versa. To my experience most carbon steels like coarse edge and stainless steels like polished edge. Anyone else with same kind of experience?
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Zombie thread alert!!

I actually find my carbon steels to take and hold fine edge a little better than a toothy one, most of my carbide rich stainless like 440c and D2 I leave coarse. Stuff like 420hc and Aus8 can go either way. I have yet to find a Sandvik steel that preferred to be left toothy. And a lot of it will come down to usage - whatever edge type cuts better with the least amount of applied force is what I'll shoot for as long as the steel agrees.

My default edge is about a 4k JIS.
 
J-P SAN said:
It comes down to the knife steel which grind pattern it likes to hold longest, right? Some steels hold coarse edge longer than polished and some steels vice versa. To my experience most carbon steels like coarse edge and stainless steels like polished edge. Anyone else with same kind of experience?
Click to expand...

Zombie thread aside, I've noticed a convexed polished edge can be extremely durable. My Dad & I installed a new storm door at his house yesterday, and when finished, I shredded the heavy cardboard box the door was shipped in. Used my Buck 301's sheepfoot blade to do it (420HC), which I'd initially thinned with a DMT Fine hone, then convexed & polished to near mirror. This is the third blade to which I'd given this treatment AND used to shred heavy cardboard; the first two were an old Buck 112 in 440C and an old Case 6265 Folding Hunter in what's now called their 'CV' steel. All three knives glided easily through the heavy cardboard and their edges held up impressively. In particular, the old Case 6265 really surprised me, in that it still effortlessly shaved hair from my forearm after cutting a heavy cardboard USPS Priority Mail box into ~3/4" strips. That blade felt especially 'soft' on the hone when thinning it, so my expectations were far exceeded in how the edge actually performed on the cardboard. I've never liked coarse-finished edges for cardboard shredding, because the finish itself tends to grab and bind in heavy material. A mirrored finish on a convex feels like the blade has been 'greased' for such jobs; almost scary-slick at times, and strong incentive to keep the fingers out of the blade's path. :)

To me, the geometry and finish of the edge will be the greater factor in how an edge holds up for a given use, and less about the steel type itself.


David
 
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