Edge thickness CPM 3v

[TLR]

Well it probably wasn't the smartest move in the world but I like to cause myself problems so for my first knives I chose CPM 3v. On top of that since I'm sending them out I decided to do 6 at once.

They seem to be turning out pretty well but I'm trying to figure out how thick to grind the edge down prior to heat treat. I plan on sending them to Peter's. I know that 3v gets to be hard to work with after HT so I want to go as thin as I can but I'm afraid of taking them to thin.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Travis

 

[Justin King]

Peter's suggests (and I have found it to be true) that edges ground thinner than .015" will sometimes warp during HT and may not be correctable. This is the minimum thickness I will send to them.

One of the prime advantages of 3v is that the toughness at around 60hrc allows you to use a slightly thinner edge than you might with another steel, without making the edge too fragile. For fine slicers and special purpose knives you might well want the final edge thickness to be less than .015", but you will have to achieve that after HT, which is not much fun with 3v.

If your final edge thickness is .015" or more, take the finish to at least 320 before sending it off, you'll save yourself a lot of finishing work.

 

[TLR]

Justin- Thanks for the advice, that's exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking the adage about "as thick as a dime" was looking to thick but couldn't find specific thicknesses advised for 3v.

My plan was to try and take the finish to about 400 before sending it off. Most of these are flat grinds or very high saber grinds to take advantage of that toughness you talked about. Hopefully I won't get my butt kicked when I get these back and try to work on them. Again, so far things are going pretty well, hopefully I'm getting this right.

I may post a WIP thread soon to get any pointers before I send things off.

Thanks!

 

[james terrio]

3V just may be my favorite overall steel. It's tough, holds an edge very well, and is more corrosion-resistant than most give it credit for.
Justin's advice is sound, and .015" makes for a nice keen edge. You do not want to be trying to get any noticeable scratches out of it after HT. I hand-sand 3V right up to my final finish before HT. Peters' will send them back to you nice and clean, just a little color on the blades to sand off.
I had my last batch tempered to 58Rc, but everyone I've talked to since then has told me to go for 60 or even 62 except for big choppers.

Most of these are flat grinds or very high saber grinds to take advantage of that toughness you talked about.

That's the way to do it :thumbup: Of course, 3V is also great for bigger, beefy knives with thicker edges.