As an aside to this thread's topic, I have this blade from David, in 1084:
While I can't claim it holds an edge better, longer or what have you, something that stands out to me is how easily it reclaims an edge....edge resiliency....edge recovery?
Anyway, I used this one through out last summer - carving wood, broke down thick and thin card board, what ever I could contrive to cut with it, and in my aunt's kitchen full of dull knives it saved my bacon when I had to de-bone a pork butt/shoulder (can't remember which as of now).
By the end of the summer, the working edge was still there, but it was dull enough to me for some upkeep.
To recover the edge, I made two light passes per side on a Norton silicone carbide stone (as a test to see how it responded) and that brought the edge back to a high level of cutting aggression - it could again draw cut phone book paper. This seemed pretty remarkable to me - took about 1 minute, no burr raised.
I hit the edge next, with a Spyderco fine ceramic stone. Again, a couple of light passes per side and after that the edge was blowing through phone book paper.
I finished by stropping the edge lightly on a coarse India oil stone tightly wrapped in phone book paper and the edge was outstanding - push cutting phone book/newsprint.
I realize this is only anecdotal and this knife is very thin behind the edge despite the 3/16" blade stock so even when dullish it still cuts decently, but to bring the edge back in less than 5 minutes, to easily shaving hair and whizzing through phone book/news print paper is awesome.
I say that the heat treatment, edge stability of a tough steel, and David's thin grind make for a breeze to sharpen, at least to me. I can't really compare it other 1084 knives, but again, from the sharpening perspective this blade kills it.
