(Hypothetical) A knife sharpener salesman wants to let customers try before they buy. What steel for the demos would yield the most impressive result?

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shorp_noof

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This is just hypothetical. The ideal steel would be fast to remove material from, very easy to deburr, and can take a screaming sharp edge. Edge retention, corrosion resistance, and cost don't matter; the only thing that matters is easy, fast, and impressive results. What is the best steel for this particular application?
 
CWL said:
If you want to sell your knife sharpener, especially to "knife people", you need to demonstrate that it can sharpen every steel, not just some basic steel to hoodwink customers.
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I'm not a sharpener salesperson. I mean this in the hypothetical sense, like if there was salesperson peddling his wares on a daytime TV talkshow, and he wanted the quickest and easiest steel to demo on air so that way he doesn't take forever.
 
Yeah like say you had a "friend" who was a sharpener salesperson, Just for fun what steel would be the best for this.
 
shorp_noof said:
This is just hypothetical. The ideal steel would be fast to remove material from, very easy to deburr, and can take a screaming sharp edge. Edge retention, corrosion resistance, and cost don't matter; the only thing that matters is easy, fast, and impressive results. What is the best steel for this particular application?
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To remove steel easily without using diamond, you need a steel without carbides other than iron carbide. 420HC, 440A, AUS8, 13C26, 1095, etc.
To sharpen with minimal burr, you would need something with high hardness. At least 59 HRC. 60 or above would be better.

The problem is that very few large outfits reliably harden simpler steels to high hardness. (That's why so many users have an insufficient appreciation for AUS 8.) I would guess that Buck 420HC would be your best bet, unless you want to go with a blade from one of the custom makers. 420HC does not contain appreciable amounts of carbide, and Buck's hardness spec is 58-59 HRC.
 
S35V sharpens up best for me. I'm at about a first grade level for skills though. lol
 
shorp_noof said:
I'm not a sharpener salesperson. I mean this in the hypothetical sense, like if there was salesperson peddling his wares on a daytime TV talkshow, and he wanted the quickest and easiest steel to demo on air so that way he doesn't take forever.
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So which is it? Try before you buy, like your title says, or the salesman is peddling on TV? If it is someone selling where I can walk up and try it. It better be able to sharpen the steel in the knives I'm carrying. If it is a salesman on TV, he's wasting his time, because I'm not watching.

O.B.
 
5160 with the right edge geometry to hammer through a nail after sharpening.
 
Something about this whole line of inquiry doesn't pass the smell test...
 
Delgadonine said:
I'm enjoying the scrutiny of it. Maintenance subforum folks might pick it apart even more.
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It's got nothing to do with "Maintenance" and everything to do with a combination of misinformation and hucksterism.

In any case, the answers have been provided regarding the type of steel that might impress the gullible into believing that the device worked miracles on any steel.
 
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