Really Sharp Knife

James Muehlner

James Muehlner

Joined
Mar 3, 2003
Messages
726
I just bought a Buck 110, and it is now the sharpest knife I own. This is the first knife I've had that can shave hair without even touching my skin. It's sharper than my two benchmades put together. (probably because I tried to sharpen them) I really need to learn how to sharpen. I heard that the afck has a wierd gring. Is there some way that I can sharpen this the way it is or do I need to reprofile it or what. I've forgotten how sharp it was when I bought it. Mabye I should send it back for Lifesharp?
 
Hmm... I didn't know 420 HC got that sharp. Or maybe my memmory sucks and Buck 110's aren't 420 HC. Whatever.

To answer your question, I have no idea.
 
Originally posted by TheMightyGoat
Hmm... I didn't know 420 HC got that sharp. Or maybe my memmory sucks and Buck 110's aren't 420 HC. Whatever.

To answer your question, I have no idea.
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Yeah, they're 420HC and it can get that sharp. Do a search on Edge 2000 to get info. I don't think it would be easy to recreate this edge at home, at least not for me. It would indeed require reprofiling in many cases. Me, I'm happy with a shaving edge, not necessarily hair-popping.
 
I received my AFCK back from Benchmade's Lifesharp service 2 days ago. In a word: unimpressed.

I thought I'd get the knife back so sharp it would be scare me. But no. It was sharp- but hardly what I had hoped for. I don't thing the grind is different from anything out there.

I love my AFCK, I even got an Ascent II for Dad's Day. I love 'em, but I gotta learn to sharpen my own knives now. I've been reading up on the techniques, and will likely get me a good stone and strop pad soon enough. I want those knives sharper than how they came.

Take my word, unless you can't sharpen a knife, don't bother sending them the knife.

I spend 4 dollars mailing it, and 5 dollars for them to ship it back. Not a good deal for a gree service.
 
Originally posted by dsonyay
I spend 4 dollars mailing it, and 5 dollars for them to ship it back. Not a good deal for a gree service.
Click to expand...

That's a little more than your local cutlery shop would charge you for a good sharpening. Even if you can't sharpen it yourself, it makes little sense to send it in.
 
yah the edge that benchmade puts on their knives aren't that great. They are sharp but not REALLY sharp. I'd suggest getting a spyderco sharpening kit, they are easy to use and last forever
 
There are is a sharpening FAQ you can get to from the link at the top of the page that should be very helpful.

The AFCK probably just has the normal benchmade edge on it. They are ground at a more obtuse (thicker) angle than most discriminating knife users prefer. It holds a useable edge much longer for the folks who only care if it "cuts" and don't have a clue about sharpening. They usually are quite sharp out of the box though, just not a thin high performance edge. If you hold it at a steeper angle it will probably shave hair fairly well.



As far as learning to sharpen, the first step is to decide whether you want to learn to sharpen free hand or if you would rather use a system/jig of some sort.
If you want to sharpen free hand, the first thing to do is to head to meijers, wal mart, woodcraft etc. and pick up some stones. For a cheap, but fairly good quality set to start with, get a Tri Hone. Check the surface of the stones for voides, and if they're smooth your set. Should be $30 or so, and you'll get coarse, medium, and fine benchstones fixed together in a stand. Should also come with a bottle of honing oil.
If you want to use a system, you'll have to read about the different types/brands on here, then figure out how much you want to spend.
 
I really need to learn how to sharpen

Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker, a cheap knife, and practice until you can get that knife shaving sharp before you start on you good knives. If you are like me it will take a couple hours of practice before you are able to get a "scarey sharp" edge.
 
I just got back from the gun club where I sharpen knives for the members there over breakfast.

Did an afck mini this morning that was pretty was much abused for a coupe of years.

Sharpmaker and 10 minutes had it back to shaving sharp, not scary, but it will cut the hair off the arm.

I get $3.00 a knife, whether it's a butter knife or not that bad.

Also had breakfast for free this morning as I sharpened the grill scraper on the sharpmaker as well for the club.

Get a sharpmaker and make some money at your club.
The practical experience has been great over the years. Have sharpened at least 5000 knives in 10 years with that kit and haven't replaced a ceramic stick yet.

Brownie
 
You can sharpen, with skill, just about anything, be it the latest and greatest steels like s30v, old stand by's like the 420 steel in the buck 110, or just crap metal to the point that it will scare hairs off your arm.

Keeping the edge is another story.
 
I have found Buck knives to arrive uncommonly sharp, but the sharpest knife i have EVER seen from any factory was the Buck Mayo, my god, that S30V blade was frightening! I think hairs would fly if the knife got NEAR my arm...
 
I was under e impression that the buck 110 was regular 420 or 425 steel not the 420HC which is higher in carbon. I guess they changed it then.

A lot of people use to have problems keeping qa sharp esge on 110's, but I have no problems keeping an edge on my 420HC Nighthawk
 
Buck used to use 440C about 20 years ago. Then then switched to 420M. And then to 420HC.

With their Edge2000 they put a great edge on. And whats even better that I have found is that a Spyderco Sharpmaker makes easy work out of sharpening them, because they have a total edge angle of 30%, which works perfectly with the sharpmaker setting for 30%

And if you have an older Buck knife without the edge2000, you can send it in to have it done.
 
With practice and patience you can sharpen anything on a benchstone. I have done recurves, reverse-s, and serrations on the benchstone corners. I can shave off a 500 if I have time to work on the edge, 800 no problem.

Got a stone and a knife when I was 5... 14yrs of freehand experience. Tried a 204 about 2yrs ago at local(bought a SE Cricket and wanted to sharpen it myself), used the one at local for a bit then bought one for myself. It sits there for serrations and the knives I'm in too much of a rush to get a really good edge on. Better pressure control freehand.
 
I don´t knowwhich AFCK you got, there are three types on market (#800-ATS34/154CM, #804-M2, #806-D2).

This D2 takes some time to resharpen. Bu it´s easy to touch up.

I don´t agree, that the AFCK edges are to thick. They are right for a knife with such a bladethickness. I mean, if i need a razorblade, i buy them.

I tried to take the edge as hair - poping sharp, but found the edge not strong enough for the normal tasks. So i go back in sharpness but the edge holds on longer.

Why buying thick blades, if i want thin edges?
 
Buck Technology and Innovation

Technology and Innovation

Learn About the Science of Sharpness
Right out of the box, a Buck knife is sharper, keeps its edge longer and is easier to resharpen when needed. That kind of quality begins with our standard 420HC martensitic stainless steel which comes from specialty steel mills in America. This steel is furnace heat-treated and tempered for toughness.

Next, our revolutionary Edge 2000 technology applied. Edge 2000 uses more precise angles and laser measurements to insure consistently sharper edges. Developed by Chuck Buck and a team of Buck engineers, Edge 2000 allows greater flexibility in matching the angle of the blade to the function of the knife. This advanced machine technology is complemented by hand-edging that minimizes the risk of burning (which can lower the steel's hardness.)

Ionfusion - For That Extra Edge
Ionfusion, found on many Buck knives, is a process where Zirconium Nitride is molecularly bonded to Buck's standard 420HC stainless steel blade. Buck craftsmen then edge the blade on one side only, allowing the ion-fused surface to come flush to the leading edge of the blade. The result is a superb surface which is three times harder than steel -- surpassing Rockwell 80 C, the top of the scale - and which holds an edge at least five times longer than a standard blade.

New - Tumble Polish Finish
Offered on select Buck styles, tumble-polish finish gives blades a rich look and makes the opening and closing action even smoother. Plus, it makes blades more corrosion-resistant by covering any carbides near the surface of the steel.
 
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