Edge chipping on Spyderco VG-10?

M

Mephtyrm

Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
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I got a Centofante 3 a few days ago and really liked it, then I proceeded to do what I do with all my knives,
which is cutting opening boxes and slicing cardboard(No staples). After doing such, did a little paper slicing test
(Wasn't expecting fabled CPM-M4 razor edge holding), it did not go through cleanly. I did the fingernail on the edge
thing and there were several little semi-microscopic chips in the edge.
I do not have problems doing this with my Delica 4 FFG, which is also in VG-10.
I've heard from several people such as Gavkoo on Youtube that Spyderco's VG-10
doesn't hold a razor edge very long compared to other manufacturers' VG-10.
I bought this knife as a user and now I'm afraid because if I continue to do this I'll
have to redo the edge on a coarse diamond, and I want this knife to last a long time.

Is this a rare occurrence, or should I not cut boxes of cardboard that other knives
have little to no problems with?
 
I have a few Spydercos with VG-10. All are fine and I have had no problems like you mentioned. My Endura had the Spydie edge serrations and I removed them and convexed the edge. I am not a fan of serrated edges. The convexed edge Endura has been used at work for @3 months now and has gone through many cardboard boxes and opened my rolls of paper which are wrapped in heavy kraft paper. I touch up the polished edge on my strop with green Bark River compound about once a week for a few strokes and it is fine. So, I say use it as you wish.

SEMPER-FI TIL I DIE
 
Rest assured Spyderco has the heat treat of VG-10 mastered at this point.They use a lot of VG-10 and have for years.As with most production knives you will hear the factory edge may be prone to chipping due to slightly overheating when the factory edge is put on.This is much more common with S30V.
 
My Spyderco Moran in vg10 holds excellent edge for long time, but i noticed That my Persian in also vg10 doesnt hold edge nearly as well........and gets dull!
 
While no one can say for sure without careful inspection, I can share that I have worked extensively with Spyderco's VG-10 and have never seen a chip.

Rolling and compression is fairly common, but chipping is not a failure mode I have ever seen with that steel.

Cardboard is notoriously variable. It is common to see edges of all sorts look quite haggard after dragging them through the wrong piece of cardboard (not just with VG-10). Numerous youtubers love to use cardboard in their demonstrations...it can be great stuff for damaging a good edge (or not...depending on the source of cardboard).
 
+1 to unit's comments.

All the VG-10 I've seen from Spyderco is very ductile (meaning it's much more likely to roll or dent/deform, rather than chip). Have to work very hard to actually fracture or break the stuff. VG-10 can form some extremely tenacious wire edges from sharpening, and it's often a challenge to break even those off. More often than not, I end up filing them away, very gently, because they simply won't break off.

I have a Centofante 3. The sabre-ground blade is thin to begin with (2mm at the spine, compared to 2.5mm for the Delica4 FFG), and the sabre grind finishes in an even thinner hollow grind to the edge. That leaves the metal at the edge much, much thinner than the FFG Delica's edge, which has much more support behind it (flat grind on a thicker blade). It's a great profile for fine-slicing chores, but perhaps not ideal for cardboard cutting. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is some damage. But, I'd bet the 'chips' are actually dents in the edge. Probably particles of dirt/sand or whatever in the cardboard is causing that. Sort of like boulders crashing into that thin, ductile edge. If so, the dents should be fairly easy to sharpen out on a diamond hone, probably fine grit or more. That's how I'd likely do it.
 
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To add more tips : bringing back a refined edge (to your liking) after going through cardboard (varies as they are), you don't need to go to coarse diamond that will wear more metal than needed.

As indicated, just use fine abrasive at your usual angle and strop the burr away.

It is to be expected that a knife used often on cardboard will wear quicker compared to those used on lighter duties just because it gets sharpened more often. Microbevel or convexing will help reducing the roll or chip.
 
so far none of my VG-10 Spydies have chipped.

my Mcusta and Shun VG-10 have chipped though, along with my Spydie AUS10
 
Well, I decided to to put a 23 degree per side microbevel on the edge and absolutely no chips at all after doing similar cutting of cardboard.
The factory edge was very uneven, it was phone book paper push cutting sharp, but one side was about 20 and one was about 15,
people always say how edges are uneven, mine was a perfectly straight line on each side, just different angles.
I guess making the edge more uniform may have helped, as now it blows away 8Cr, AUS-8 and 14cn28.
 
Mephtyrm said:
Well, I decided to to put a 23 degree per side microbevel on the edge and absolutely no chips at all after doing similar cutting of cardboard.
The factory edge was very uneven, it was phone book paper push cutting sharp, but one side was about 20 and one was about 15,
people always say how edges are uneven, mine was a perfectly straight line on each side, just different angles.
I guess making the edge more uniform may have helped, as now it blows away 8Cr, AUS-8 and 14cn28.
Click to expand...

I am not sure I understand what you are saying regarding uneven/perfectly straight/more uniform, but it is little surprise that the knife performs better for that task with a 20+ degree per side micro bevel. Glad you have things worked out!
 
One of my first knives with VG-10 was Endura 4. And it have exactly that problem (still with me somewhere, thus the present tense). I guess it was HT for too high hardness for VG-10 and as the result could not hold the edge particularly well.
That knife I have got about 5 years ago, and was avoiding that steel for the next 4 years. Since then I have got Endura with zdp-189 - because I liked the design. Then I bought Endura FFG with VG-10 and it was fine. The Stretch I am using as EDC for the last 6 months is also OK - no complaints whatsoever! So I have assumed that the problem is well in the past. Probably too early...
 
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