s30v sharpening

S

s.p .c

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Jan 27, 2021
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having a few probs sharpening an s30v blade.has a slight recurve,so my big whetstones are out. any suggestions please.my lansky stones are not having much of an affect btw
thanks all.
 
S30V is pretty much where I draw the line on needing Diamond stones or CBN stones. The vanadium in S30V probably isnt so much that Ceramic or Alum Ox abrasives would be able to shape and cut around them, but soft arkansas stones are really going to struggle and any finishing that you are doing is going to start ripping out carbides. Long story short, if you are looking to take care of this with the least amount of headache possible, go with Diamond or CBN stones.
 
c7m2p3 said:
S30V is pretty much where I draw the line on needing Diamond stones or CBN stones. The vanadium in S30V probably isnt so much that Ceramic or Alum Ox abrasives would be able to shape and cut around them, but soft arkansas stones are really going to struggle and any finishing that you are doing is going to start ripping out carbides. Long story short, if you are looking to take care of this with the least amount of headache possible, go with Diamond or CBN stones.
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thank you sir :thumbsup:
 
I’ve exclusively used wet/dry sandpaper for years as a sharpening medium. I wrap it around a small block that’s about 1” wide and .187” thick and use the thin side to sharpen recurves. My daily carry for the last 8 months is S30V and I have no problem maintaining it this way
 
I do my S30V with ceramic waterstones 400/1000/3000/8000. Have no problem whatsoever. Never really needed to pull out the diaomond.
 
Diamond stones are the ticket. I've used stones and strop to good effect (I don't have a microscope so I can't look at the edge).

I started getting into higher end steels and got diamond stones. I'll never use anything else. Be careful though, diamonds cut faster than you might think.
 
The Spyderco Sharpmaker works really well on recurves. It does a terrific job at maintaining a keen edge, but I have put hair shaving edges on blades that were too dull to cut hot butter as well. It takes a little longer without the diamond rod, but with a little patience, it can be done.
 
I love properly treated s30v. I use my gatco diamond (much like a lansky) at 19 deg slot. Then I touch up on a sharpmaker when needed. Works like a charm for me.
 
Throwing my vote in for diamond as well.
 
For the best refinement of S30V, diamond is a no-brainer. At coarser grit up to maybe ~ 600 or so, other abrasives like SiC can do OK for resetting or shaping the edge. But past that, the edge will respond much more favorably to diamond - and much, much more easily as well.

A single diamond hone in the 325 - 1200 range (like DMT Coarse thru EF), chosen according to finished edge preference, can make S30V a breeze to live with.

Edited to add:
Diamond will even do better in terms of finishing a coarse edge below 600, than a similarly-rated stone in SiC or (especially) aluminum oxide. That's the thing about diamond - even at a coarser grit like a Coarse DMT (325), it still does a better job cutting the vanadium carbides at the edge, than will a similar-sized grit in SiC or AlOx, simply because the diamond's hardness makes that possible. Both SiC & AlOx are somewhat less hard than the vanadium carbides, whereas the diamond is about 3X as hard. SiC or AlOx will tend just to plow the carbides out of the matrix steel at the edge, while not being able to shape the carbides much in the process. This is why, even for edges finished somewhat coarser, the finish will still be better (sharper, more durable) coming off a diamond hone. This is also why a single diamond hone can be relied upon to do everything one wants, with S30V.
 
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This thread has got me thinking about our seemingly constant obsession with super steel knife blades. Blade steels Ike K390, S110v, Cruwear, Elmax, etc. are wonderful and have edges that seem to last a long time between edge maintenance but it requires diamond stones/rods, etc. to sharpen those steels.
I guess I am getting old but it seems like a waste of time and effort. I am beginning to think that a good steel, D2, S30v, CPM-154, 154CM, even old school ATS34 are great blade steels that can be sharpen on regular benchstones easily.
My current EDC is a CRK Mnandi with S35v blade steel. It cuts well, the edge lasts a reasonable time and is very easy to resharpen. I can get a good working edge without spending the better part of an afternoon to do it.
Just some ramblings. Sorry if I offended anyone.
 
Yes to be more clear on my first statement... diamonds are by far the EASIEST but technically are not required until you get over 400 grit. You can cut and shape S30V fine with SIC, CBN, and a host of ceramics. The issue is when you get over that 400 grit and are looking to refine the edge bevel that you have set with your coarse grit. At that point you are going to need diamond or cbn. This is useful because you can get cheaper SIC stones at very low grits, and then just get one diamond hone in the 800-1500 range for your refinement if you want to cost save a bit. I have my Baryonyx arctic fox in 400 grit that does an admirable job on S30V and then I will move over to KME 1500 diamond if I want to polish it up a bit before the strop.
 
The edges and longevity I get from sharpening s30v, s35vn, m2, m3, m35, m42, t42, m4, k390, rex45, maxamet and such is well worth using diamond. I've observed this since the 90's, so nothing new.
I can get all those steels plenty sharp with sic and alox, but edge holding suffers significantly compared to finishing with diamond.
 
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