Leo helio damas

[rocketmann]

On a recent trip to germany I picked up a new boker leo helios damas folder.The knife is very hard to sharpen, the damascus is made from the barrel of a leopard I battle tank.. Does anyone know what type of steel this is and how to go about getting a razors edge?? I usually use diamond stones and can put a shaving edge on every other knife that I've ever sharpened. Thanks for any info..

 

[Jan P]

According to Boker the steel is 1.3505 (German designation) also called 100Cr6, a fine grained ball bearing steel. I don't know the composition. Blade hardness is given as Rc 65-67, which would make it a little hard to sharpen but possible.

The damascus is made by the smith Markus Balbach.

I have at Roselli with a UHC (Ultra High Carbon) blade at Rc. 65 and it is possible to sharpen it with ceramic stones or waterstones -just takes a little longer.

Hope this helps.

Regards Jan