Is Aus8 Steel Harder to Sharpen?? How To sharpen??

Joined
Jan 5, 2006
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I own a FlashII Sog and I find it hard to get it as sharp as the factory edge. It's so dull that I have cut myself 2wice this week. Do not currently have a sharpmaker or lansky system. Used to have a smiths Arkansas stone but lost it somewhere. All I have at my disposal is a black Farberware ceramic kitchen knife sharpener, and a steel rat tail file looking knife sharperner that came with a combo fish knife fileting set. How can I go about getting this knife shaving sharp again?:confused:
 
Do you need to reprofile the blade? Or do you just need to put a fine edge on? You can get pretty good results from steeling the blade if you're just looking to "freshen up" a knife that's a little less sharp than what you want it to be.
 
TaxJ-

You have a great knife that should have a great edge. Here is my suggestion. Spend $40 (shop a bit) and get a Spyderco Sharpmaker. It will last you the rest of your life and the lives of your kid's kids too. Trust me on this. I'm a lazy doofuss and there is not an easier way, for that amount of money, to get a really sharp edge on a knife. It works on plain edge/serrated/scissor/planes/etc. Very versitile, easy, quick setup, small storage.

Many knife knuts don't know that Spyderco did not start out as a knife making company. They started out as a seller of really good knife sharpeners. After sharpening a couple gazillion crappy knives the owner said, "I can make better ones than these junky things." And he did. But his Spyderco roots are with sharpeners.

If you get a Sharpmaker -

Use the edge of the gray Sharpmaker rods at 40 degrees until the knife is very sharp. AUS8 is good steel but not usually a really hard steel that will cause you problems. If it seems you are not hitting the primary micro-edge bevel (the teeny edge at the verybottom edge of the blade) put some magic marker black on the edge and see where the rods are touching. They will remove the black marker where they are touching. If you are not touching/sharpening on the teeny primary edge, then the knife is probably too dull and you need to drop back to the 30 degree setting and plan on spending some time on the gray edge working the blade back to sharpness. This is called profiling or reprofiling.

Once you have the edge really sharp on the 30 degree position, then switch back to the 40 degree position, use the gray edge until really sharp, then the gray flats until really sharp, then the white edge until really sharp, the the white flat until really sharp. Don't go to the next step until each step feels really sharp to you. Try to keep the knife in a vertical position while you sweep it across the rods. Don't expect this happen quickly. Allow enough time to do the job right (and it can take quite a bit with a really dull knife but its worth the effort).

If you really want to polish the apple then get/make a leather hone with a little CrO on it to polish the edge.

Be careful if you do these stepss because your knife is now very sharp and will definately cause you some stitches if not handled safely.

Here is some info about sharpening and honing that may be of help. I like the pictures.

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036

My hero, Mr. Dave at D&R

http://www.drsharpening.com/leatherhone.html

My other hero, Mr. Joe Talmadge at the top of this forum

http://knifeart.com/knifedfaqbyj1.html

I have used up my daily quoto of bytes so I'll shut up now.
 
You can sharpen it on that the Faberware, it will just take a *long* time, as in many hours. Most "tactical" folders come with edge angles with are too obtuse to respond to v-rod type sharpeners without reprofiling. The cheapest solution is to go down to a hardware store and buy a really coarse axe hone for $5. Use this to lower the edge bevel on the knife to about 15 degrees (just estimate it roughly, 45 is half of 90, 22 is half of 45, so just go a little better than half of that), now it will respond very quickly to the Faberware.
 
Actually, AUS-8 has a reputation of getting very, very sharp. It may not be the most edgeholding steel, but it is a very fine grained one.
 
HoB said:
Actually, AUS-8 has a reputation of getting very, very sharp. It may not be the most edgeholding steel, but it is a very fine grained one.

Some of my sharpest blades - out of the box, and sharpened - are AUS 8.

I believe that A. G Russell, among others, has also commented on the wicked edge achievable on AUS 8.
 
rifon2 said:
Some of my sharpest blades - out of the box, and sharpened - are AUS 8.

I believe that A. G Russell, among others, has also commented on the wicked edge achievable on AUS 8.

I agree with this one. AUS-8 takes a real nice edge. With a little work, you can get them face shaving sharp.
 
I agree also that 8A takes a great edge and is easy to sharpen ... provided you don't have to do a big re-profiling job, which is likely the issue here
 
The Flash edge should not need reprofiling, unless it is extremely dull. These are well ground blades. The factory edge looks to be about 15 degrees. I sharpen mine on an India stone, and finish with 4/0 jeweler's sandpaper glued to a flat stick. Then a couple of strops on my palm.
I think the coarse ax hone may be a little much for these knives. An Arkansas, India, or 600 grit stone should work well.
Bill
 
I find that diamond hones (DMT, in my case) work well with most stain-resistant alloys like AUS-8. My Arkansas stones work better with carbon steels, for some reason, but aren't as effective on stain-resistant steels. I have no problem maintaining my two Voyagers in AUS-8. This steel will take a very fine edge and is relatively easy to sharpen IMHO.
 
Sorry, I meant 600 grit diamond stone. After my last post I looked at my Flash 1, and it needed a little touching up. I have an Arkansas stone here at work, and the AUS 8 is a little more difficult to sharpen on it. No trouble with the fine India at home.
Bill
 
Thanks to all who responded must get a better sharpener and use everything you have said. Im happier to know that Aus8 is good steel. I thought maybe it was because my FlashII Sog was stamped Patent Pending on the blade and that it was a reject of some sort.
 
rifon2 said:
Some of my sharpest blades - out of the box, and sharpened - are AUS 8.

I believe that A. G Russell, among others, has also commented on the wicked edge achievable on AUS 8.

A. G. confirms today in a different thread:

A. G. Russell said:
"...would not be my choice for a scalpal. I would much rather have AUS8 for that, if I am going to get cut I want the blade to be as sharp as it can be." A. G.

from: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=392430
 
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