Ok, I took the Baconmaker folder and my Kershaw Skyline to the work site today. Didn't really use them for anything, so after we were done, I grabbed couple of dimensional shingles and started cutting. I did 20 cuts completely through the shingles with each knife.
Initially, the Skyline cut a little easier, but its blade is a tad thinner than the Baconmaker. The Skyline was freshly sharpened on my Workshop using a 4000 grit AO belt. The Baconmaker was using the factory edge that I did not touch up after yesterday's testing, as it was still easily shaving hair.
After I was done, it seemed that the Baconmaker was cutting better than the Skyline. After inspecting the edges, the Skyline's edge had noticeable damage--dings, nicks, rolled spots, etc. The Baconmaker had no noticeable damage, but it rolled a bit along most of the length. It almost felt like a wire edge. You could just tell it was there by drawing your fingernail across the blades' width toward the edge. There was a piece of heavy plastic sheeting there, so I tried cutting it with both knives. Neither one could start a cut on the edge, but when I poked the blade through it and pulled, the Skyline blade left a ragged cut, while the Baconmaker blade cut was much cleaner.
I came home and inspected each blade. The Skyline blade was covered in tar, as you can see in the pics. The Baconmaker had residue on it, but not nearly as much. That tells me the coating on the Baconmaker is smoother than the finish on the Skyline's blade.
I resharpened both knives on the Work Sharp. I started with the 4000 grit AO on the Kershaw, 5 passes per side, but I had to go to a used 220 grit Norton belt to get the damage out. It took 6 passes per side with the 220 and then 4 passes per side with the 4000 grit to get back the starting sharpness. So 15 passes total to restore the edge.
I used the 220 grit Norton to set my 20 degree convex edge on the Baconmaker. 3 passes per side and it was set and sharp. 4 passes on the 4000 grit AO belt and it was sharper than the factory edge. 7 passes total resulted in a better than factory edge.
That's not to say that the AUS8A is easier to sharpen. Just a fact that the Skyline had more damage to repair and needed more work because of it.
My Skyline is an older one with 13c26 stainless. I'm not sure what the RC is, I've read it's 55-57 and I've read at another site it's 57-59. It's probably the lower range, as I have had several Mora's in 12c27 that are rated 57-58 RC and they hold an edge noticeably longer than my Kershaw does.
The Baconmaker is AUS8A. There's no info on the RC rating on Tomar's, but I would assume that it's the same 56-58 that's listed for the Dozier line. By the way it sharpens on the Work Sharp, I would guess that the Baconmaker blade is harder than the Skyline.
All in all, I give it :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.
