different knife steels

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tonymp

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Jun 15, 2014
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I was wondering if any of the people that can put a hair whittling edge on their knives, are there some types of steels that are harder to put a hair whittling edge? I whittled hair with S30V, M390, SV35, AUS8, 154CM, I can't seem to put that kind of edge on 440c, I'm just curious.
 
tonymp said:
I was wondering if any of the people that can put a hair whittling edge on their knives, are there some types of steels that are harder to put a hair whittling edge? I whittled hair with S30V, M390, SV35, AUS8, 154CM, I can't seem to put that kind of edge on 440c, I'm just curious.
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Great question. I think how hard the steel is makes a difference too right?
 
Interesting. I've wondered because I struggle to get my CRK in s35vn to split hair but my other knives in that steel like my spider monekey will get to that level of sharpness no problem. Idk maybe its just me.
 
I think my Buck 120 General that I bought recently is 440C. I trimmed my mustache with it straight out of the box.

Oops, sorry. I guess it is 420HC, not 440C.
 
I've currently over 30 different steels from the cheap stainless/carbon to the more "exotic" steels such as S90v, M390 etc... All are easy to get to shaving sharp with diamond stones, although some being much easier such as Vg10, 12c27 etc.. I always regularly strop my knives so don't let them get too dull. Also depending on the steel I'll finish with varying grit sizes before stropping.

The hardest steel I find to get sharp (partly due to the full scandi grind) is Roselli UHC, but still not a challenge.
 
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Same, I can get my AEB-L, BD1N, S35VN to whittle hair, but never on my D2. I just assume it's because of D2 bigger and harder carbides. I only use whetstones.
 
Steels with low carbide levels, whether high carbon or stainless, will take a finer edge than most powder steels: 12C27 and its cousins, 420HC, any of the 10-series high carbon steels, 52100, Carbon V etc.. There are a few exceptions: Benchmade's D2 and S30V seem to take a finer edge than my other knives in those steels., CTS-XHP will take a very fine edge. My Military in S110V -- well, I dunno... honed on an Extra Coarse DMT (220 grit) and finished on a DMT Extra Fine (1200 grit) produces a hair splitting edge for some reason.
 
PMQ said:
Same, I can get my AEB-L, BD1N, S35VN to whittle hair, but never on my D2. I just assume it's because of D2 bigger and harder carbides. I only use whetstones.
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Strange I can get the D2 on my civivi elementum is whittle no problem.
 
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