Elmax??

A

Airsoftgun99

Joined
Jul 26, 2013
Messages
119
Hey guys,

A while back i bought a ZT0801 and have had a few issues with it. I took it apart once in the few months I had it, and cleaned it, and put it back together the exactly way i took it apart. I noticed that over time, the pivot gets lose with use, and the pivot moves with the blade as it flips out. That is one issue. Another is about the Elmax. I cannot ever get a good edge with my sharpmaker with Elmax. The tip sucks, and it wont even cut paper. I haven't had issues with my sharpmaker before, do i need to invest into another sharpening system? If so, what should i buy? Thanks
 
Put some blue Loctite into the pivot and then set it to the desired place to where there is no blade play yet still smooth. That will hold it.

Someone else will come along to help you out with the sharpening bit I'm sure. Of the few Elmax knives I have used, they held a pretty good edge for me so I never had to sharpen them before they were traded.
 
Elmax is good steel, from my experience. It isn't perfect by any means, but it's up there. As for sharpening, we can't say for sure.
1. Are your triangle stones clean? If not then don't expect any sharpening to continue. Clean stones remove metal, thus sharpen the knife. Stones loaded with metal don't do much.
2. Are you holding a consistent angle? If you aren't then all you are doing is possibly convexing the edge rather than sharpening.
3. Are you being consistent? Meaning, are you following the 20 or so swipes per side (or more as needed), and knocking the burr off at the end? If you aren't then you have a nice wire edge on the apex of the cutting edge and you won't be able to do any efficient cutting. You might be wrecking your technique by rushing.
The Sharpmaker is a great tool, and as simple as it is it is still to 100% idiot proof. People make mistakes all the time and blame the knife, or the steel, or the sharpening device itself.
 
Also, with the sharpening. Have you tried putting a bit of sharpie on the edge to make sure your hitting the edge and not just the shoulder?

The sharpmaker is a great tool, but if your not hitting the edge it will take forever with the brown stones. The diamond or cbn rods will make the work much faster, especially with steel like elmax.
 
Not much new to add... Some threadlocker (like Loctite 242 or 243) should fix the pivot coming loose. Just use a small drop on the threads, re-assemble and tighten to the desired level, and then let it sit for a bit. The Loctite guide states 15 minutes for it to set and 24 hours to fully cure. As an alternative, you can also use thread seal tape. Just wrap it around the threads 3-5 times, and then re-assemble the pivot. It holds pretty well, although I have noticed it can slip a bit over time (still better than just the bare screw though).

I haven't had any problems with my Sharpmaker on Elmax blades. Elmax is a very wear-resistant steel, though, so it can take a bit more patience to get it sharp. Also, as has been mentioned, make sure the Sharpmaker stones are clean. I use a scouring pad and some powdered abrasive cleaner (eg. Comet, baking soda).
 
Actually, don't use loctite on the 0801. The threading is so wide loctite won't work, it will just add useless gunk to your pivot screw. What you need to do is what I did, roll the threads on the male pivotscrew in teflon tape. About 5 rolls should do. Now assemble the knife and watch in joy as the pivot stays put. ;)

Kudos for this elegant solution go to youtuber TheApostleP who talks about this in his videoreview of the 0801.

As far as sharpening goes. I also have the Sharpmaker system and ran into "problems" with some powdersteels like S30V and Elmax. My 0301 drove me crazy for not taking an edge on the sharpmaker. I got so frustrated I ended up taking one of the sharpening rods and did some free hand sharpening with it and surprise surprise.. I ended up with a very decent edge. If you're not comfortable trying your hand at that maybe do some dry runs on useless old kitchen cutlery before you try it on your 0801.
 
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Been sharpening two ZT blades, 0566 and 0770cf, on a 750 grit Smith's 11 1/2" diamond block with good results. It's usually stock at Cabela's; the orange one they call "fine". I sharpen like I cut, freehand.

My elmax blades seem to hold a burr way too much. Solution, for me, is one swipe, flip to the other side, one swipe, flip, one swipe, flip ...
 
As of right now all I can say about Elmax is it cuts AWESOME! I had Alan Davis make me a custom tactical sodbuster in Elmax and I have used it for over a month and have not had to sharpen it yet. It came razor sharp from Alan and I have not used it hard but have cut several things with it and it feels like I have not cut anything at all. Of coarse my Elmax is custom HT by Alan so it is going to be better then a factory HT. So far Elmax goes down as one of the best! THANKS! Kevin :thumbup:
 
newdebate said:
Been sharpening two ZT blades, 0566 and 0770cf, on a 750 grit Smith's 11 1/2" diamond block with good results. It's usually stock at Cabela's; the orange one they call "fine". I sharpen like I cut, freehand.

My elmax blades seem to hold a burr way too much. Solution, for me, is one swipe, flip to the other side, one swipe, flip, one swipe, flip ...
Click to expand...

The easiest two ways I've found to remove a burr:
- Cut into a piece of wood, with the grain side parallel to the blade. As if you are going to cut the wood down the middle. With some mild to moderate pressure, one pass should be enough to get the burr removed.
- Strop on a leather belt, piece of Balsa wood, or other material similar that has some compound on it. A few swipes lightly per side on a loaded strop will kill a burr really fast.
 
NetshadeX said:
Actually, don't use loctite on the 0801. The threading is so wide loctite won't work, it will just add useless gunk to your pivot screw. What you need to do is what I did, roll the threads on the male pivotscrew in teflon tape. About 5 rolls should do. Now assemble the knife and watch in joy as the pivot stays put. ;)

Kudos for this elegant solution go to youtuber TheApostleP who talks about this in his videoreview of the 0801.

As far as sharpening goes. I also have the Sharpmaker system and ran into "problems" with some powdersteels like S30V and Elmax. My 0301 drove me crazy for not taking an edge on the sharpmaker. I got so frustrated I ended up taking one of the sharpening rods and did some free hand sharpening with it and surprise surprise.. I ended up with a very decent edge. If you're not comfortable trying your hand at that maybe do some dry runs on useless old kitchen cutlery before you try it on your 0801.
Click to expand...

My 0801 works perfectly fine with loctite
 
I really like elmax, I haven't had any issues with it. Holds an edge well and can sharpen up nicely. I used to use a sharpmaker but I haven't tried sharpening anything on it for awhile
 
The problem is that the angle of the edge is not the same as the angle on the sharpmaker so you are not hitting the edge. Use a sharpie and you will see where you are actually removing the steel. It will take for ever to get the edge to apex on the sharpmaker diamond rods help a lot.
 
Well there's your problem..... :rolleyes:
Elmax is way more wear resistant than those other steels, so it's harder to sharpen. Give it time and patience and you should get results
 
I have multiple ZTs in Elmax including the 801. I haven't had any problems sharpening it. I have a sharpmaker and I would consider it more of a touch up system. I would suggest getting a strop loaded with some kind of compound, I use green for up keep. Don't let the your blade get too dull if you are using the sharpmaker regardless of the steel IMO. My guess on the tip is you might be sliding it off the end of the rods and rolling it over/rounding it off. And as far as the pivot goes I used blue locktight on mine and have not had a problem. I hope you get it solved.
 
2 shot said:
The problem is that the angle of the edge is not the same as the angle on the sharpmaker so you are not hitting the edge. Use a sharpie and you will see where you are actually removing the steel. It will take for ever to get the edge to apex on the sharpmaker diamond rods help a lot.
Click to expand...

And if it's not just the steel, then this would also be a very likely source of the problem
 
I can get my 0561 as sharp as a scalpel from heel to tip. Takes a little time and patience, but way less effort than 110V. I like it. It also easily takes a highly polished finish, which I like on certain blades.
 
As others have stated sharpie up the bevel and make sure your hitting the entire bevel and apexing it. If your not than reprofile it to fit the sharpmakers angle. Or prop up the sharpmaker on one side to fit the angle of the knife or manually adjust the angle of the knife in your hand to hit the sharpmakers angle. It is easier in the long run to reprofile it, though I would suggest getting the diamond rods if you insist on reprofiling it on the sharpmaker.

I would sooner suggest getting another guided sharpening setup to reprofile the knife to bring it down close to 15 or 20 degrees and than finish up on the sharpmaker as it will most likely be faster if you have to do with with a lot of knives. Or more preferably this plus the diamond rods.
 
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