how far you went with VG10 anglewise ?

Threethreethree · May 30, 2013

Hello,

Im quite curious about the lowest edge you can put on a VG10 blade without losing too much stability and still holds up vs regular cardboard.
The reason im asking is because i own a Spydie Police3 which i convexed and thinned quite a lot using sandpaper and medium soft backing, im totally unable to measure the apex precisely but when i put sharpie on the edge and then do 2 passes at 30 deg on the sharpmaker i get a really tiny contact area leading me to believe it is around 25-27 degrees inclusive.
I had a few occurences of mild rolling when i disjointed a roast chicken but i have to admit i deliberately tried to dig in the bone to test the boundaries.
The performance of this blade is quite awesome as i can keep it shaving sharp for months with just a 6 microns diamond paste loaded balsa strop and the occasional steeling with a spyderco fine profile.
Keeping in mind i dont abuse this knife at all and it sees a lot of kitchen and soft to medium daily use, would you think i can still go thinner ?

Thanks for input

Skimo · May 30, 2013

Of course you can go thinner.... You stop asking when you have to fix your knife.

Should be able to hit 20-22 inclusive.

Jason B. · May 30, 2013

Spyderco VG-10 is good stuff but not hard enough to handle 20 degrees inclusive. Maybe 30 inclusive but that's still pushing it.

Twindog · May 30, 2013

Where was the contact area on the edge when you used the Sharpmaker? Did it reach the apex? Can you raise a burr at the 30-degree setting?

It sounds as if you've already found the correct angle for that particular use. But because you are freehand convexing the edge, we can't tell you how acute you can go in degrees per side because neither you nor we really know what kind of edge angle you have.

30 degrees inclusive will give you a pretty good edge on the Police. Because of the blade geometry, I don't think you would improve much by going more acute, but it would depend on what you're cutting. With soft meat you could go very acute, but not if you include bones.

Obsessed with Edges · May 30, 2013

knifenut1013 said:
Spyderco VG-10 is good stuff but not hard enough to handle 20 degrees inclusive. Maybe 30 inclusive but that's still pushing it.

This is what I've noticed with my Spydercos also. They don't seem to be as hard (RC) as other makers might do it. I've had many more issues with edge-rolling and tenacious, forever-clinging burrs on Spyderco's VG-10, and that suggests it's a bit softer. On the other hand, I have some other brands in VG-10 that clearly were taken higher in RC (maybe above 60), and most of the rolling/burring issues aren't even a factor with those. A lot seems to change with VG-10, with just a point or two increase in HRC hardness. I've noticed similarities with ATS-34 also, under the same sort of conditions.

30° inclusive seems a good compromise, to me, for the Spyderco VG-10. In contrast, I have an A.G. Russell 'Folding Cooks Knife' (Santoku-style blade) in VG-10 that I've taken to a very acute zero-edge (no bevel), by essentially laying the blade almost flush to sandpaper on glass. It's much-thinner edge holds up very well, and rolling/burring is virtually non-existant as compared to the Spyderco blades. VG-10 is tenaciously-tough stuff when it's done right.

David

Threethreethree · May 31, 2013

Thanks for the answers guys, i probably wont go further as i feel it is a sweet spot and dont wanna risk losing too much stock.

To clarify, yes i hit the apex with a tiny spot when i did the sharpmaker + sharpie trick.

Talking about Spydie's Vg10, i cant really compare as i only own some Spyderco in Vg10 but i clearly see some differences in behavior when comparing Benchmade 154 cm vs Spyderco, my Manix does burr less than my Afck and is much more pleasant to sharpen yet it holds a better edge.

singularity35 · May 31, 2013

24° back bevel with 30° micro.

400 cuts no edge damage, but that's just me. No longer shaving or paper slicing but still not tearing the cardboard at this point.

shecky · May 31, 2013

If your VG-10 is rolling at 25-27 degrees inclusive, there's something seriously wrong with that steel.

Yeah, my Spyderco sample of one VG-10 knife has left me unimpressed, too. 420HC does better. Hell, 420J2 offers better stability with a zero edge.

Magnaminous_G · May 31, 2013

And the advantage of Spyderco VG10 is that it comes 30 degrees from the factory! Bad-a-boom!

I measured my factory-edge VG10 Delica with a Goniometer. Just shy of 30 degrees, about 28 degrees inclusive.

Threethreethree · May 31, 2013

Shecky, if you cared to read i stated it mildly rolled when testing it on chicken bones...

Magnanimous_g : not every seki city spydie is coming with 30 deg, its far from the truth, same goes for any spydie plant, i had quite a lot of knives with fubar broad angles requiring heavy stone work, which was the case for this police.

singularity35 · Jun 1, 2013

Magnaminous_G said:
And the advantage of Spyderco VG10 is that it comes 30 degrees from the factory! Bad-a-boom! I measured my factory-edge VG10 Delica with a Goniometer. Just shy of 30 degrees, about 28 degrees inclusive.

Threethreethree said:
Shecky, if you cared to read i stated it mildly rolled when testing it on chicken bones...

Magnanimous_g : not every seki city spydie is coming with 30 deg, its far from the truth, same goes for any spydie plant, i had quite a lot of knives with fubar broad angles requiring heavy stone work, which was the case for this police.

Yep, when I rebeveled my endura(ZDP and VG-10) both were over 30° and very near 40°.