Different steels sharpen differently?

A

AnimalM4

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Mar 31, 2020
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So I always knew that different steels will sharpen harder or easier than others. But I've also been seeing that they sharpen differently. For example people say that M4 takes a very sharp edge. What does that mean exactly? Is it because the toughness allows for the angle go lower?
 
If you have a smart phone, download the Knife Steel Composition Database and visit zknives.com
Good reading to help you learn about different steels and what thy al have in common an what makes them different.
 
I just sharpen them. When they pop hair off my arm they are sharp enough. 8cr13mov, 20cv, m4... They all pop hair, so good enough for me!
 
I'd like to start learning how to sharpen so I don't have to send my knife in. Another thing is that Benchmade knives don't come hair popping sharp. I want to get my knife hair popping sharp. Thing is I think I would need to shell out a bunch of money on stones and strops, creams, etc. I don't want to take my $200 knife to a stone with barely any experience either lol

I would run my griptilian in s30v through one of those ceramic kitchen "v" sharpeners. I think I messed up the microbevel angle that way
 
All most benchmades need is a few swipes on a sharpmaker. Most of mine were fine after that. Only a couple needed reprofiling, and it wasn't that bad.

If you want to learn freehand, I suggest getting a cheap beater knife and a sharpal two sided diamond stone. About 35 bucks. It will handle all the steel you can throw at it. No oil or water needed, and it comes with a case/holder! I really like mine.

If you want guided, I had good luck with the lansky system. Takes a bit of time to learn the ins and outs and how to make it work to the best of its ability, but it is limited.

And I use my sharpmaker a lot. I've even used it to reprofile with the diamond rods. Takes a bit of time though, like the lansky, but it is very usable.

Hope that helps!
 
soc_monki said:
All most benchmades need is a few swipes on a sharpmaker. Most of mine were fine after that. Only a couple needed reprofiling, and it wasn't that bad.

If you want to learn freehand, I suggest getting a cheap beater knife and a sharpal two sided diamond stone. About 35 bucks. It will handle all the steel you can throw at it. No oil or water needed, and it comes with a case/holder! I really like mine.

If you want guided, I had good luck with the lansky system. Takes a bit of time to learn the ins and outs and how to make it work to the best of its ability, but it is limited.

And I use my sharpmaker a lot. I've even used it to reprofile with the diamond rods. Takes a bit of time though, like the lansky, but it is very usable.

Hope that helps!
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So you're saying if all I have is a sharpmaker, then I'm set for life? I thought that you eventually have to put a new apex on a knife after many sharpenings because it will eventually get so thin that it becomes prone to chipping. Is that true? Can a sharpmaker put a new apex on anyways?
 
AnimalM4 said:
So you're saying if all I have is a sharpmaker, then I'm set for life? I thought that you eventually have to put a new apex on a knife after many sharpenings because it will eventually get so thin that it becomes prone to chipping. Is that true? Can a sharpmaker put a new apex on anyways?
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You use the 40 degree slots to make a microbevel. The 30 is for the main edge. After a while using the 40 you can use the diamond or cbn rods on the 30 slots to thin out the edge and then put a microbevel back on with the 40 degree slots.

If you have to reprofile a knife down to 30 degrees it does take a while, but is very doable. It's a great system, and very easy to use. Watch the videos on YouTube, Sal explains the system and demos it. :thumbsup:
 
soc_monki said:
You use the 40 degree slots to make a microbevel. The 30 is for the main edge. After a while using the 40 you can use the diamond or cbn rods on the 30 slots to thin out the edge and then put a microbevel back on with the 40 degree slots.

If you have to reprofile a knife down to 30 degrees it does take a while, but is very doable. It's a great system, and very easy to use. Watch the videos on YouTube, Sal explains the system and demos it. :thumbsup:
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Would this be good for that?
https://www.benchmade.com/guided-field-sharpener-afe77d28014024825633639e10d0021d.html
 
soc_monki said:
That's not a bad piece actually, but it's made by worksharp and I think theirs is cheaper. I don't think I'd use one to reprofile, but to keep a blade sharp it would certainly work. Check out Cedric and Ada on YouTube, Pete has some videos on different inexpensive sharpeners.
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They have another piece here.

https://www.benchmade.com/edc-edge-maintenance-tool.html

Looks like it only has one surface other than the leather. I have a feeling the first piece can get a knife sharper, no?
 
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A cheap way to get into resharpening knives is the fallkniven DC4 stone and flex cut strop. I have not had any steel I wasn't able to make shave with those 2. Also if you hit your edge with a strop frequently you can greatly extend your time between having to use a stone.
 
They do sharpen differently! My old carbon CASE knives (some over 50 years old) will take a really fine, super sharp edge that cuts like the devil since the blades themselves were made to slice. No edge too fine, although they don't hold them a long time.

Blade geometry has a lot to do with it FOR ME, as well. I learned to sharpen free hand back in the early sixties and actually only use a guided system to set the edges on knives that I buy that have poor bevels or bevels I just don't like. Once I get the bevels set, I use a diamond rod (1200gr) to maintain the edge I like. Using just that one rod, you can see the difference on the steels and how the diamond rod bites into the steel. Some knives you can actually see the toothy edge with little magnification like on the blade of my ZTs with S35vn and the same with a couple of my Cold Steel knives. Some of my less expensive knives with less expensive steels take a smooth, refined edge with the same exact rod. So yeah, using that 1200gr rod as my device for sharpening all of my knives, for me there I have noticed a big difference in steels and how they respond to sharpening.

Over the years I experimented with all the trends and new waves of sharpening techniques and some of equipment. A lot has changed since I learned to sharpen on my grandfather's Arkansas stone lubed with a couple of drops of motor oil!

I don't shave, "tree top" hair, or try to read a newspaper with my edges since all my knives are work knives. I keep them sharp enough to cut arm hair easily, but don't fuss over them after that. I like free hand sharpening since it can touch up any edge in a second or two, regardless of shape or steel.

That being said, if I were learning to sharpen I would get an inexpensive knife, (one you won't be embarrassed to carry!) and a guided system like a Lansky and practice with it on the knife. Once you convince yourself you can sharpen your knives to a great edge yourself, start practicing free hand sharpening. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but with a guided system you will always have a sharp knife in your pocket until you can get the edge by free handing it that you like.

Free hand sharpening is muscle memory to make the same strokes over and over. It isn't brain surgery. Practice enough and you won't be intimidated by any knife steel or shape.

Robert
 
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one can try to put sn edge on any material
regardless if its stone, metal or synthetic.
one may apply the same technique of
sharpening upon different knives that
could result in varying degrees of sharpness.
the act of sharpening removes or shaves
away an objects material.
the art is in applying an equal consistent amount of pressure at an optimum angle suited to the geomatry of a given "blade".
the resulting edge is the reverse
impression of the surface of the sharpening
material. hence the properties of fine, medium or course which produces the grade
of micro-serrations on a blade's bevel.
imo, different steels might require different
amount of pressure during sharpening
primarily because of its material hardness.
it would be hard to guage the exact desired
downwarf pressure by hand without some trial and error in the initisl stages of
sharpening. this is something only
experience can tell. hence pratice makes
perfect or at least sort of...
 
Eventually you find that some steels work better with certain stones. This is beyond the issue of needing diamond stones for high vanadium steels.
Some steels don't like to get as keen, either because of large carbides or because they are so d@mn soft they simply don't hold that edge.
 
^ This do a search for carbide size/ even distribution which will lead you to your answer.
 
For sharpeners, I suspect you will be like most of us and land on a few different setups for different tasks if you get into it. Maintaining a sharp edge isn't too bad with some practice but if you get into the profiling or resetting the edge angles if can get a bit more challenging. I wouldn't get too far down the edge angle rabbit hole right now, get something that seems reasonable and very popular like what the sharpmaker and similar are set at and just go with it for a while until you get good at that. Even after you get good at other sharpening methods, some of the set-angled systems are really nice for maintaining some of the heavy user knives. I have many beater blades I just hit on the rods or strop and keep going.

Start playing around with some things and find out what you like. I would suggest getting some cheap knives from a thrift store and practicing getting a good edge there first before getting into some of the harder steels.
 
A lot of factors can affect the way a knife sharpens and how sharp the edge can get. Heat treat, edge profile, type of sharpener, and more importantly, the skill of the person doing the job. Some steels can probably take a finer edge than others, but any decent steel can take a fine edge if properly sharpened.
 
AnimalM4 said:
I'd like to start learning how to sharpen so I don't have to send my knife in. Another thing is that Benchmade knives don't come hair popping sharp. I want to get my knife hair popping sharp. Thing is I think I would need to shell out a bunch of money on stones and strops, creams, etc. I don't want to take my $200 knife to a stone with barely any experience either lol

I would run my griptilian in s30v through one of those ceramic kitchen "v" sharpeners. I think I messed up the microbevel angle that way
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Buy a Spyderco Sharpmaker and thank me later. This is the easiest way to consistently get a good edge on a knife without going to the expense of one of those electrical guided sharpeners, and those you have to set up. You can get diamond and CBN rods for the Sharpmaker for really hard to sharpen steels like S110V. This is so easy I taught my wife how to do it in seconds.
 
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