My Para-Military is micro chipping

[DaveReb]

My Para-Military S30V has been sitting in the drawer, pretty much since I got it. Finally last week I put it into my work EDC rotation(electrician). IMO it got used pretty lightly, cutting some plastic drop cloth material, tapes, and pencil sharpening, no heavy duty cutting. Yesterday I pulled out the Sharpmaker to touch up the edge, to get it ready for the upcoming work week, and noticed a couple very small chips on the factory edge, and also a very small fractional piece of the tip was gone. I had a similar problem with a Native
S30V. Using my Sharpmaker I was able to get the chips out of the blade edge but the tip is going to require a bit more work. I may have to send it in to get some spa treatment, since I don't know if the Sharpmaker is up too the task. Anyways is this going to be common place with this blade steel(micro-chipping)? factory grind? will it disappear as the blade gets resharpened?
Since this is my second Spyderco with S30V, having the same problem, I'm really having my doubts about S30V...VG-10 is starting to top my list in blade steel, I just wish it had that "made in the USA" stamp.

Davereb

 

[yablanowitz]

I have about a dozen S30V knives, and I have not had that problem with any of them. I find S30V to hold an edge better than VG-10 in my use (which is NOT typical). I have also found that cutting plastic sheeting is a quick way to find out if you have a wire edge, as it will either roll or chip that burr in a hurry. I don't know why, but it does.

It is possible that I have never had a chipping problem with S30V simply because I generally sharpen my new knives before I use them.

 

[DaveReb]

Well maybe it was a wire edge, I got the knife in trade and I've never touched the edge until today, so who knows. The micro chips sharpened out pretty easy, but the tip is still ever so slightly flat. It is so insignificant that I'm sure it will disappear with a couple more sharpenings. Worst case is I send it in to spyderco for a proper touch up.

Davereb

 

[Bushman5]

sounds like the wire edge to me. i ha similar uber micro chips prior to stropping...

 

[Jason B.]

yab and bushman got it right just sharpen and strop and you problems should go away. CPM steels from my experience tend to build a tough wire edge that takes a lot of stropping to remove and it also helps to spend a little more time on you fine stone.

 

[STR]

If an older model it may have a steeper angle on the bevel than the new ones. I have not read anything from Spyderco mentioning this but I have noted in ones I have purchased myself when new that the newer ones had a less steep angle and slightly thicker edge. Putting two and two together I figured it had to do with the steeper angle weakening the edge enough to lead to some chipping problems. Keep in mind though that a lot of the great cutting and slicing you get from steels like this with larger carbide particle size is the micro saw tooth created from use. This is why the steel performs so well in the first place even though it may reflect a lot of light back to you after using it. Most have noted that even with a lot of light reflection that seems to indicate a 'dull edge' to most that the steel kept cutting and doing so well. Higher maginfication pictures showed them why. The little chips coming out actually created in effect a 'micro serrated edge' that effectively performed in all mediums well for a very long time. Its wear resistance adds to this. Its usually not until the original edge bevel is sufficiently sharpened down to where the edge is thick that its in need of resharpening.

Now micro chipping along the cutting edge and large chunk outs are two different things. If yours is the latter it may be related to the steeper angle and I'd suggest a secondary bevel angle being put on the original to strengthen the edge for you.

I've enclosed a picture of two Para Military folders in S30V bought at different times. Note the difference in the edge of both. Both show factory edges. The less visible one is the newer one and it had a much stronger edge less prone to visible micro chipping. In case you can't see the edge bevel very well, its the one on the left that is older.

STR

 

[STR]

Here is a pic I adjusted the contrast and brightness on that may be easier to see. I don't know about you guys but on my screen that first one was hard to see the blade bevels on the cutting edge.

This one is slightly better.

STR

 

[DaveReb]

Mine looks like the one on the right. i'm stropping right now and it is hair pooping sharp. I'll EDC it this week to see how the edge holds up. My take on what your saying about micro serrations, is that their not necessarily a bad thing? long edge retention and good cutting ability? If thats the case I shouldn't be getting my panties in a bunch

Davereb

 

[STR]

Not with that steel Dave. Or with others that do this type thing also like D2 for example. Its more par for the course than anything to be alarmed about based on my experience with both. You can take for example, a good blade of 13C26 steel and cut old remnants of carpet and note very little edge reflection as you use it dulling it. I have done this numerous times and it will continue to push cut through because the edge still retains a good push cut apex at the edge but it will lose that slicing ability in carpet or things like hemp rope very quickly.

Now, contrast that with S30V or D2 and what you will see is a large amount of edge reflection back at you in the light even after the first few cuts. Traditionally this edge reflection to most is a sign the blade needs sharpened because it is the edge physically deflecting on it or from micro pieces of carbides being pulled out with use. However, contrary to that thinking what it does by contrast is it actually creates a situation where the blade in S30V or D2 keeps slicing well but it won't push cut as easily as the smaller carbide sized 13C26 steel does yet both can be force cut through one way or the other. 13C26 by contrast won't slice very well at all though and will like slide right over not making much progress forcing the user to push it through keeping the blade in place rather than slice with it.

So in effect with one steel you have a nice apex at the cutting edge still that when examined is refecting little light back at you indicating its requiring edge straightening, thus enabling you to push it through by shear will.

With the other you actually sometimes see a slightly better slicing action shortly after getting started because its more saw toothy now than it was when you started due to the nature of the steel. This is easily repeated in use if you care to try it comparing a 13C26 blade with any D2 or S30V blade side by side in the same mediums.

STR