High carbon knife blades-HELP-need advice

R

Ripshin Lumberjack

Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
120
Does anyone have experience with sharpening high carbon stainless steel such as is used by Schrade Knives?

Please tell me about your experience with high carbon steel knives.

Thanks

Ripshin Lumberjack.
 
Schrade uses 1095, and a few chinese stainlesses IIRC.

All of those are easily sharpened on pretty much anything. I personally use wet dry sandpaper for sharpening, and have been quite happy with the results. I prefer this method because I learned freehand sharpening, and its super cheap and easy to find.

Good luck :).
 
If you're talking about their 1095, its one of the easier steels to work an edge onto.

If you're talking about their 9cr17mov. A diamond stone makes it easier, but it's still a relatively simple stainless, and you can still work with it on any standard stones (ceramic, water, Arkansas, etc) without issue.
 
Ripshin Lumberjack said:
Does anyone have experience with sharpening high carbon stainless steel such as is used by Schrade Knives?

Please tell me about your experience with high carbon steel knives.

Thanks

Ripshin Lumberjack.
Click to expand...

1095 is super easy to maintain/sharpen. Just a quick stropping once and a while keeps it hair popping too. One of the best field sharpening steels imo. Remember though that not all 1095, or any steel for that matter, is created equally. It is the heat treat that makes all the difference.
 
For just plain sharpening on 1095 and similar steels, I use a Norton India Stone (Combination Bench Stone-1"x 2"x 8") coarse and fine sides. This is one you use oil as a sharpening lubricant. Afterwards, if I want it sharper, I strop the knife but generally the edge is just fine for general use.

If I am dissatisfied with only the Norton, I will shift to Fine and Extra Fine DMT diamond bench stones.
 
I just noticed he did say "stainless", so must referring to
7-8 or 9crXmov's, which are in the same ballpark as your 440's or your AUS series 8-10 in terms of sharpening, very similar steel... Certainly nothing crazy that'll blow your mind. The question isn't the blend in so much as the heat treat and hardeness whether it will take/hold an edge well...
 
Last edited:
I have found that their 8cr13mov and 9cr18mov is best sharpened on a diamond stone then stopped on your choice of strop. They put both at 58-60 HRC so they are pretty hard, the diamond stones do help cut down time consumed to sharpen. Their 7cr17mov, don't know, I don't own any blade in that steel anymore, I've never found it to keep a good edge for me.

What knife do you have?
 
Schrade 1095 is not on par with the Kabar, Ontario 1095
But its way cheaper. Just takes longer to sharpen and chips easy. I think I got one that wasn't properly annealed though.
Whatever, it works.

This edge took more time to grind on stones then my s30v bushcrafter

If your looking for cutting performance I'd save the cash and get a Becker or a RAT. If your on a tight budget and just want to beat on a blade the schrade works it just doesn't cut very well. Or Sharpen easy.

My 8cr13mov knife sharpens easier and takes a great edge. It can't hold it though and after batoning or carving a few feathersticks it has glints seen in the edge and Is noticeably dulled.

These knives are still great for $30. You'd have to go out of your way to really break them. Some people are insane hard on there knives. For me , I just can't stand the lack in cutting performance. I think for the average guy who throws his stuff around they work great
 
Ripshin Lumberjack said:
Does anyone have experience with sharpening high carbon stainless steel such as is used by Schrade Knives?
Click to expand...

Don't think that because they say "high carbon ..." that it is something exceptional. By BF standards it's still a relatively ordinary steel that is easy to sharpen.
 
^true; technically "high carbon" steel is considered anything between 0.45-0.75% carbon range, which is viewed as a relatively low carbon content for knife steels when many of the top (knife) steels today are well above 1% carbon (very high carbon steel)...

The term "high carbon steel" when selling Knives is more of a sales gimmick, much like "surgical stainless steel"... Doesn't really mean squat when hospital bed pans are made of " surgical" steel, doesn't mean they'd make a good knife...a lot of your "high carbon" steels, are better suited for axe heads and hammers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top