Help with steel ID.

B

bas

Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
14
I have a hunting knife that I have been sharpening & no matter how hard I try to achieve a bur it just wont happen. I have managed to get this knife sharp enoungh to shave hairs but I can sharpen & sharpen & no bur. The only thing I can get close to a bur is a black coloured type of powder forming on the other side of the blade were talking 200+ strokes & no bur.:confused:
It has W40 14001 stamped on the blade. Is this the steel type or just a model number. Any help much appreciated.
 
A burr is actually not the goal, just a side effect of sharpening in most cases. Ideally you don't form a burr, the edge just forms perfectly crisp.

-Cliff
 
Hi Cliff, Now Im confused. So its ok if this knife does not form a bur, So how do I know when the blade is at the correct edge to continue sharpening?
 
Take a black marker and cover the entire edge. As you sharpen, you will remove the marker and can see if you are sharpening the edge or higher up, and can adjust your angle accordingly.

As I sharpen, I stop periodically, strop the edge on my pants leg, and test it at the ricasso, middle, and tip of the blade on my fingernail.
 
bas said:
Hi Cliff, Now Im confused. So its ok if this knife does not form a bur, So how do I know when the blade is at the correct edge to continue sharpening?
Click to expand...

Yes, the ideal behavior is no burr, the edge just forms clean. You set the edge angle by some personal preference, it doesn't matter what the guy who sharpened the knife before you did, you are the guy sharpening it now and doing so for your uses and skill levels. Once you decide on the edge angle and have some way to fix it, then you continue sharpening until it is sharp, testing by whatever means you prefer.

-Cliff
 
Thanks for the info again guys. . Its now very sharp ,heaps better than the factory edge. It took a lot of work allthough. Its the only knife that I have never seen to bur at all ,lack of experience I suppose.
Is This the steel type W40 14001
Thats whats stamped on the blade & Im curious to know what type of steel it may be. Or is this simply a model number.
 
It doesn't stand out to me as a particular steel. 1.4001 is a DIN specification for stainless, but I doubt that is the steel. It is most likely a production reference number.

-Cliff
 
Cheers Cliff. I also did a search & came up with nothing.
Its pretty light on in the weight department. Well I suppose I will give it a good work out this week & will see how long the edge holds out I suppose that will tell me if its any good. It can pretty much sail through a cardboard box at the moment sharpened at 40 degrees. Suppose I should add its a winchester skinner with guthook made in china.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top