Phil Wilson

C

Cliff Stamp

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Oct 5, 1998
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Last December I contacted Phil Wilson about getting a knife made. I was looking for a light utility knife. I wanted something with very strong edge retention (on soft materials so high edge durability or high lateral strength was not a factor) and the ability to cut really well. It had to be able to take a very low included angle on the edge and have the primary bevel finish really thin.

We discussed the specifics for about a month and I looked over some photos that he sent out (very nice work). I decide to reward myself with a fancier handle that I originally intended as he does very attractive work.

He dropped me an email yesterday and described the knife as he is putting the finishing touches on it now. It is CPM 10V, ground from .125 stock. Rockwell hardness is 62.5. The blade length is 4.5 inches and its about 1 inch wide. It is a utility hunter style with a nice sweep to the blade and a very subtle trailing point. The point is lower than the back of the blade. The handle is presentation ironwood with a thong hole.

He was very easy to work with and extremely flexible on blade materials. This is the first CPM-10V blade he has made and I am very hyped about it and looking forward to seeing how it performs. I should have it in a few weeks or so.

-Cliff
 
Cliff: For your application, CPM 10V will be a great steel. It's main drawback is that it isn't very tough, but, as you stated, that's not an issue.

RJ Martin
 
I just received the knife yesterday and it looks very attractive. The finish is high on all aspects, including a very thick and rigid leather sheath with a very wide belt loop. While the stock is fairly thick (1/8"), there is a uniform taper to a very slim point, and a flat grind down to an ultra-thin .01".

It cuts exceptionally well because of the very thin edge, it will slice though materials with significantly less force than my Calypso Jr. for example.

To get a feel for how much resistance the knife was feeling, I started making vertical cuts through strips of 1/8" ridged cardboard that were unsupported (stand a strip on its edge with most of it extended past the end of a table). The Calypso would start to bend up the cardboard once I moved far out while the custom kept slicing cleanly through it. Both knives have a very high polish (like a 1200 DMT).

I kept cutting until the Calypso was significantly dulled and the 10V blade was uneffected, no surprise there.

The handle on the custom is very comfortable. There is a lower guard to prevent slips up on the blade, and an end guard to prevent the opposite. The blade flex is minimal. I can flex it with my hands but it requires more force than it would take to cut up normal materials.

The blade material is interesting. The edge polish is high but it feels different than say M2. If I sharpen once of Benchmades M2 blade up to 1200 grit it is very smooth. The 10V seems to retain more bite even with a very high finish. However I am only looking at the initial edge put on it by Phil so more useful information will be obtained as I look at how it compares to other steels as I sharpen it.

It should be interesting to compare its cutting ability and edge retention to another similar use blade that I had made by Mel Sorg.

-Cliff
 
I made a 10-V knife for a forumite a few months ago and was impressed with this steel, very snappy heat treat, but awfull to grind! I am sure you will like the stuff Cliff.
 
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