Kershaw S30V Random Leek

cziv

cziv

Joined
Nov 24, 2005
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I bought a Kershaw S30V Random Leek some time back. It always performed like a trooper. It's a SS framelock. It came time for some touch up sharpening after many box openings and other odds & ends.

No matter what I use I can't get this little knife to free-cut some copy paper. It used to cut zig zags through it, but now it just bends it and makes a hideous squawking sound.

SharpMaker no way, DMT Magna Guide -nope, free hand on dia-folds uh-uh, cheap hardware store stone coarse/hard, nothing, edgemaker pro pull-through nope, butcher steel rods forget it Last stop was a medium grit, bastard file that I use on my machetes and no dice.

What does Kershaw do to their S30V to make it so insanely hard? This isn't my first rodeo - I can sharpen my knives to shaving sharp, except for this cursed little Random Leek. Anyone?
 
I have a hard time putting a super fine edge on my Spyderco Military with S30V. I've been able to get every other steel very sharp. I don't know what the (my?) problem is. I still love this steel the most, though.
 
Yeah, I love S30V when it comes sharpened fro the factory. After that I bugger it up - doesn't matter who makes it. This Kershaw Leek batch is by far the hardest I've encountered. :o
 
First off, use some Comet and a toothbrush to clean off your diamond stones.

Then, use your coarsest stone and make sure you are getting a good sharp edge with it. There is no need to change grits if you don't already have a good edge. It WILL take awhile, especially if you have been tearing up the edge with some junky sharpeners.

Keep rinsing the swarf out of the stone, and don't get ansy and put too much pressure on it, or you will drag all the diamonds out of the center, and it will take even longer... ask me how I know. :D

Anyway, if it isn't sharp with the coarser stones, it won't get sharp with the finer ones.

All this is IMO.
 
Any Cal. said:
First off, use some Comet and a toothbrush to clean off your diamond stones.

Then, use your coarsest stone and make sure you are getting a good sharp edge with it. There is no need to change grits if you don't already have a good edge. It WILL take awhile, especially if you have been tearing up the edge with some junky sharpeners.

Keep rinsing the swarf out of the stone, and don't get ansy and put too much pressure on it, or you will drag all the diamonds out of the center, and it will take even longer... ask me how I know. :D

Anyway, if it isn't sharp with the coarser stones, it won't get sharp with the finer ones.

All this is IMO.
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Thanks, I will be cleaning my stones tomorrow as a good rinsing and wipe down reavealed a lot of dark residue.

I went back to the Magna Guide and went up one notch higher (less acute angle) and nailed it. I got it very sharp with the x-coarse stone and proceeded through xx-fine and now it's shaving paper slivers.

Problem - wrong angle setting on the sharpening tool! :o :D :thumbup:
 
cziv said:
Thanks, I will be cleaning my stones tomorrow as a good rinsing and wipe down reavealed a lot of dark residue.

I went back to the Magna Guide and went up one notch higher (less acute angle) and nailed it. I got it very sharp with the x-coarse stone and proceeded through xx-fine and now it's shaving paper slivers.

Problem - wrong angle setting on the sharpening tool! :o :D :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Glad you got it sharp! :thumbup:

I can attest to the annoyances of being unable to get a sharp edge :D
 
I had high hopes of reprofiling all my knives, but after grinding away on an XC stone for a while, a thick microbevel on a 12* back bevel just looks so inviting...:D
 
Any Cal. said:
I had high hopes of reprofiling all my knives, but after grinding away on an XC stone for a while, a thick microbevel on a 12* back bevel just looks so inviting...:D
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Gosh, I don't know what knives you're carrying but a 30 to 40 degree microbevel sounds like an excellent next step.

I think the fantasy edges like knifenut1013 posts are just that. Almost unobtainable by most folks, otherwise you'd be seeing them on all the pics on the forum. I'm happy with a good sharp 30 to 40* edge. YMMV :)
 
Go to harbor Freight and by a buffer for under 50.00 and get a couple of 6 inch sewn wheels for it and get some green rouge,you can gget it at any knife supply house for about 5.00. Rouge up the wheel and hold the knife at the proper angle to the wheel and you will be suprised how easy S30V is to keep razor sharp.Just be careful to keep the knife below the mid-line of the wheel while it's running or it will snatch the knife right out of your hands, And that never turns out good. just my .02
 
Kershaw S30V is the hardest I have ever had the pleasure to sharpen. It takes forever to grind but holds its edge the best.

I don't think I would recommend the buffing wheel but that's at your own risk. Also good luck with normal polish compounds, it works per say but not as well as it should/could.

The initial grinding will be very important and take a considerable amount of time, at least 2x of other S30V.

Fantasy edges, why thank you :) its just using the right stuff and knowing HOW to use it. You can do it too.

What diafold do you have?
 
Steve Lawrence said:
Go to harbor Freight and by a buffer for under 50.00 and get a couple of 6 inch sewn wheels for it and get some green rouge,you can gget it at any knife supply house for about 5.00. Rouge up the wheel and hold the knife at the proper angle to the wheel and you will be suprised how easy S30V is to keep razor sharp.Just be careful to keep the knife below the mid-line of the wheel while it's running or it will snatch the knife right out of your hands, And that never turns out good. just my .02
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If you're going to do that, might as well just shell out another $40 and get the paper wheels without having the risk of having your knife pulled from your grasp and buried into your foot.
 
cziv said:
Gosh, I don't know what knives you're carrying but a 30 to 40 degree microbevel sounds like an excellent next step.

I think the fantasy edges like knifenut1013 posts are just that. Almost unobtainable by most folks, otherwise you'd be seeing them on all the pics on the forum. I'm happy with a good sharp 30 to 40* edge. YMMV :)
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It all depends on what you are using them for, and how often you use them. I tend towards more robust knives, so it requires a LOT of metal to be removed in order to get to a true 12* angle, and I tend to be rather hard on things, so they are resharpened fairly often. In that case I can't see the utility in spending a lot of time sharpening.

On other knives, I try to put more time into them because they will show the care more, like kitchen knives and nicer EDC knives that don't get used often.

As far as getting edges like knifenut's... I've learned things from him that helped me get knives sharper than I thought was possible, so I would have to say that unobtainable is relative. I still don't get edges like his, but I would say that it is not unobtainable, just a long, arduos journey. :D
 
Thanks Steve Lawrence but I prefer non mechanical sharpening. Paper wheels and belt sanders aren't for me. I enjoy sharpening by hand but for some reason, I felt like sharing my problems trying to sharpen Kershaw's S30v.

I guess I was doing what knifenut1013 mentioned "grinding" it, since I completely missed the angle and was reprofiling rather than touching up.

It's sharp now that's what matters. Just shaved some hairs off my arm with both sides to double check - that'll work for me. :)
 
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