Need help with choosing blade style and proper sharpener

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Kavanaughty

Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Messages
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Hello everybody, relatively new knife enthusiast here (as you can probably tell from my post count). After lurking around the forum anonymously for a while I finally decide to join.

After doing extensive research I've made the choice to invest in a Mission MFK-Ti folding knife. I believe it's suitable for me since I spend a lot of time in, on and around the water (I live in Atlantic Canada) and Mission's beta titanium appears to be extremely tough. Before dropping such a significant amount of money on a knife I want to make sure everything is in check, so I have a few questions which can hopefully be answered.
I apologize in advance if any of this information is available through the search feature, I've looked around but the responses I've seen were essentially inconclusive.

1. I have the option to choose between a drop point blade and a tantō blade. The tantō blade appeals to me because the thicker tip seems to make the blade more robust and less prone to bending (though it also seems limited in comparison to the drop point blade for uses such as skinning, peeling and carving). From what I've heard it also has an advantage when it comes to jabbing. Is this true?

2. Would a tantō blade be more difficult to sharpen versus a drop point blade? Is it possible to ruin a tantō blade if you don't sharpen it properly?

3. I'm planning on purchasing the DMT Diafold Magna-Guide kit (the model where the magnet attaches to the whetstone and not the blade). Would this be a good sharpening system for beta titanium?

4. Does titanium alloy wear down faster than steel?

5. Would you advise that I invest in a strop if I'm not obsessive about receiving a crazy sharp edge?

I hope my naivety isn't a huge issue.
Thanks.
 
If you're worried about rust from being around water then take a look at Spyderco's salt line. The H-1 steel is the most corrosion resistant on the market today however it is a fairly soft steel so it will dull a lot quicker then something like s30v but sharpens like a dream so it is perfect for someone who is new to sharpening. Don't worry about the handle. Spyderco's FRN is plenty tough. Ive only ever seen one FRN handle crack and that was when it was exposed to -20ºF and beaten about with a hammer. It's a great overall knife that I very rarely see anything bad about. As for a sharpener the Spyderco sharpmaker is a bit of a staple around here, but it will run you about another $60. If you don't want to spend so much on the sharpener then the lansky 4 rod turnbox can be had for $15-$20 and is very similar to the sharpmaker.

Welcome to the forum :)
 
Thanks for the reply Waldamir.

I've looked into most corrosion resistant (basically proof) alloys including H1, dendritic cobalt, talonite and stellite. While they are all essentially impervious to rust, a quality which I strongly desire, they seem to be rather brittle. A blade which could withstand a lot of heavy prying would be useful to me, another reason I find the MFK-Ti so attractive.
This video does a good job at demonstrating how nearly indestructible Mission's beta titanium truly is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNoGucy0tws

As for the sharpener, Mission recommends the use of a diamond sharpener which is why I thought the DMT could be a good candidate but the Sharpmaker could definitely be a viable option as well. I'm still worried about sharpening a tantō though, trying to maintain the point between the primary edge and the secondary edge looks troubling.
 
I will attack the tanto question for you: the blade shape depends on what you will use it for. The tanto's tip is stronger, so if you are stabbing into tough material it might hold up better. However, they are more difficult to sharpen because you are sharpening 2 different lengths. You won't ruin the knife by sharpening the tango incorrectly, however it is fairly easy to dull the point that divides the blade. This essentially makes the blade a drop point so not really a huge deal.
 
I like the sharp maker, but I have never sharpened a titanium blade before so I am not sure how it would handle it. If I were you I would get a salt to start and a sharp maker. The knife won't rust and the sharp maker will do its job and keep the edge on it for you. They are cheap so if you break it you wont cry and then you know to get something tougher.
 
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