Leatherman knives

[jdailey4206966]

I have been reading about alot of people complaining about the knives on every tool except for the charges. The complaints have been mostly against the 420HC blades not holding an edge for long at all. Does anyone else have this problem? I had the problem on my fuse, but the fix to the problem was I took the blade to a course stone and got rid of the factory edge and put my own on there. It held great for a long time. I did the same thing with the wave and has held great too. Most people talk about knives being sharp out of the box, and that is fine, but I am one who likes to get rid of the factory edge on any knife and put my own. I have had so many knives last me a long time by doing this. People have different ways of sharpening, but putting my own edge conforms to the way I sharpen, and I get them to where I can shavewith them.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

420HC should hold a reasonable edge if heat treated properly. I mean, the backbone of Buck is 420HC. My guess is that LM doesn't heat treat their 420HC as well as Buck. Really, not that big of a deal when you are talking about a tool's knife blade...although still a pain in the butt

You're right about taking off the factory edge, IMHO. I find that most factory edges are far too thin and wiry. Almost a bur instead of an edge. They'll cut in the same way that paper cuts but will mash out and deform with little use.

Being a khukaholic, I convex almost every knife I own other than the ones that simply perform better with an extremely thin edge (like very small SAKs). I have no idea what the principles behind factory edge durability are regarding mass produced stainless knives and tool, but I DO know that some khukuris and hand forged carbon steel knives do actually take and hold a better edge after a couple of sharpenings.

This has to do with the heat conductive properties of the carbon steel, redistribution of heat leeching into other parts of the blade, the formation of certain forms of steel, and a bunch of other mystical metallurgy that I don't understand

Basically, you have to hog off the first few layers of steel to get to the "good stuff" underneath

 

[Millhouse]

Whilst I prefer the 154cm blade on my Charge, I am fine with the 420 blade on my Skeletool. It has remained sharp after use, and is very easy to resharpen on a sharpmaker.

 

[znapschatz]

Whilst I prefer the 154cm blade on my Charge, I am fine with the 420 blade on my Skeletool. It has remained sharp after use, and is very easy to resharpen on a sharpmaker.

Exactly the way I feel (though other Leathermen instead of Skeletool).

Honestly, this issue is overblown, and I suspect by people who use their knives less than those who don't make these comparisons. Of several people I have known who use their blades every day at work, very few have commented about the type of steel in their knife or multitool blades. Someone remarked to me once, maybe a dozen years ago, that his blade wouldn't hold an edge, and that's the only I remember. Of course, like most people in the world, none of these guys were knife knuts.

(footnote: in fact, the only kk I ever knew was a retired professor with one more or less good eye who shuffled along on crutches. I could never imagine what he could do with them, but he went about studded with knives, 4 to 6 on any given day. Once I saw him helpfully offer his Benchmade mini grip to a woman who needed a cutting devise, and she recoiled like the old guy was a street thug. He's dead now.)

There are some people in what are largely knife wielding occupations who might have professional interest in these matters, but for most of us, IMHO, the practical differences would be slight.

Or am I not getting the point?

 

[kwackster]

Just got this Wave model.
It no longer has a 420HC blade, but a real 154CM version.
(No photoshop)