Fallkniven U2 edge retention

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daedge804

Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
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I've had a Fallkniven U2 that I bought from knifeworks.com since April 28th, 2010 and haven't put it down since. I have done about 100 cuts through paper, cut a mango, cut cardboard, etc. and it has lost some of it's edge. From what I understand, "Super Gold Powder Steel" is supposed to be top of the line when it comes to edge retention and is rated at 62 rockwell. Well, I'm not so sure about that. I say that because my knife has lost some of it's sharpness, not all, but a great amount. Has anyone else had a problem with the U2 getting a tad bit duller after not so much work? and or is this a defective product? Note: When I got it, it was shaving sharp and now it will not even shave hair.
 
There isn't a steel I've used that can still shave after cutting cardboard. Cardboard is killer to an edge.
 
My BG42 Mnandi,BOS treated S30V and my Yuna knives will all still shave after cutting up A box. But after a couple or a few boxes I don't think most steels will.
 
I think the "Super Gold Powder Steel" was given a little too much hype when it first hit the market. Most have learned (as with most good steels) that it holds an edge well, but needs to be sharpened like any good knife steel after enough use.

Bill
 
Paper and cardboard are both hard on an edge, especially cardboard. Don't be too down on your blade. Sounds to me like its done pretty darn good so far!
 
As others have stated Fallknivens 3G blade is made from excellent steel, but like any steel it will dull and require sharpening. How often will depend on what you cut with it.

I have and use several Fallkniven folders (U2, P/3G, FH9, PXL) and in my experience I find the edge holding gets a bit better after you sharpen it a few times.

Not sure why, but possibly because I polish my edge well on a strop. Could also have to do with establishing a little different edge geometry.

At any rate, you have a top notch knife with the U2 and it will serve you well.

Kevin
 
I have been carrying high end steels for a while and they all need harpening after not too much cutting. Cardboard ha a lot of grit in it that will dull even the best of steels.

I sharpen my ZDP-189, S30V, VG-10, D2, Etc. after a day of good use. Heck, if knives didn't dull, I'd be a little bummed...

Of all the fancy steel's I've owned, I have found Chris Reeve's S30V to hold the best edge over time. I am alo a firm believer in waiting a few sharpenings before judging a blade.
 
michaelmcgo said:
I have been carrying high end steels for a while and they all need harpening after not too much cutting. Cardboard ha a lot of grit in it that will dull even the best of steels.

I sharpen my ZDP-189, S30V, VG-10, D2, Etc. after a day of good use. Heck, if knives didn't dull, I'd be a little bummed...

Of all the fancy steel's I've owned, I have found Chris Reeve's S30V to hold the best edge over time. I am alo a firm believer in waiting a few sharpenings before judging a blade.
Click to expand...

We must have the same standards, because it weirds me out when people say things like, "I got this knife 6 months ago and it's still factory-sharp!"
 
My Fallkniven TK4 has harder steel than my U2. It holds an edge much better. I found the edge on my U2 needed sharpening much to often - it could also be blade geometry, but the steel felt too soft when I sharpened it.
Even if the steel is the same on both knives, the heat treatment may not be the same.
 
it's not even close to 62 rc like they claim. don't know the actual hardness, but 62 rc is not supposed to roll like it does.
 
i probably cut as much cardboard as anyone on the forum. posted 2 tests on 3 steels in last month. i use cardboard because i do'nt want to be cutting all night to test alloys.cardboard took zdp189 from super shaving to scraping hair in 480 in. cardboard has not only very abrasive adhesives but everything including the kitchen sink thrown in.i do'nt mess around the blades get pretty warm when i'm at the task.
 
I carry a U2 as an EDC quite often and have given it some hard use. I find the knife super easy to sharpen to a laser edge. The VG10 steel is above average for holding an edge IMO.
 
In one of my side-by-side cutting comparisons with cardboard and sisal, I included a U2, along with knives in S30V (Spyderco, Buck, Benchmade), A2 (Bark River), S90V (Spyderco), and D2 (Dozier and Queen). I tried my best to keep the edge angles and edge finish the same among all the blades. I was expecting better performance out of the U2, but the only one that did worse was the Queen D2. The other knives were significantly better than the U2.

Don't get me wrong, the U2 is a handy little knife with decent geometry and edgeholding, but it is not the best at edgeholding by any stretch of the imagination.
 
I owned a U2 for just a couple days not because I didn't like it, I loved it, but because I had to move it quick for an unexpected bill. I found the edge to get extremely sharp, maybe even the sharpest I have ever gotten any blade. Unfortunately I cannot comment on its edge holding because I did not do much cutting in those two days. However I agree that you should sharpen it a time or two and then see what it is capable of. I am not metalurgist but many times the outside of the edge can have a little messed up heat treat and improves greatly after you sharpen it down just a tad and get further into the core.
 
I have several 3G knives from Falkniven. I've not had any trouble but after having had the good fortune to work with cotdt on a project I'll go along with what he reports as his experience.

He knows his stuff IMO, and makes enough high hardness steel knives and mods to recognize when a knife is softer than RC 62 IMO.

After saying that, It's in no way a bad steel. I wouldn't call benchmades M2 or CPM M4 bad steels because they tend to be run softer than their advertised hardness of RC 60-62. Joe
 
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