sandpaper for sharpening modern blade steel?

[sogflash]

I've sharpened my traditional knives that have 1095 carbon steel with sandpaper.

Will sandpaper do a good job on s30v, s35vn, elmax and other modern blade steels? My guess is yes, but I'd like to hear from someone who has done it.

 

[9blades]

I haven't had any problems with 154CM or S30V.

 

[Rennd]

I've used it on steels as hard as super blue. It works quite well.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Either aluminum oxide or silicon carbide paper will work pretty well on most steels, down to grit sizes just a bit larger than the average size of the vanadium carbides in the steel. When grit sizes start approaching the size of the carbides (2-4µ in S30V, for example), the hardness of the vanadium carbides will limit how effectively the SiC or AlOx can abrade and re-shape them (vanadium carbides are harder than either of them). At such smaller grits, it's usually better to finish/polish with harder abrasives, like diamond or CBN. If you're not planning on producing mirrored or near-mirror finishes on your edges, then it likely won't be much of an issue.

Harder backing for the sandpaper will make all abrasives work more aggressively. So, for high-wear steels, that'll be more of a factor to consider. Softer backing, like leather or mousepads, will limit the ability of the abrasive to grind the harder carbides; edges won't be as crisp when finished. The paper will work much better over glass or hardwood (or a bench stone).


David

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Even better with Heavy Handed Washboard!
www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthre...ning-System-for-sale!?p=12485464#post12485464

 

[Bob6794]

If you ever get really into using sandpaper and like to use something with a hard backing and don't choose to go the washboard route you can look into getting a plastic/glass place to cut some pieces for you to fit your needs. I remember looking into this before a local place nearby would be willing to cut some pieces for me made out of polycarbonate which were about 9x3 (or pretty close) and something along the lines and thick enough to be fairly sturdy with no give for about $1 a sheet as long as I had at least $10 worth of stuff made. I was thinking about doing that and using some spray adhesive to keep the sandpaper to it and than made a "stone holder" for it to raise it up.

That is of coarse the fancy way of going about this. Though using a mousepad, glass, tile, etc to secure it to is just as good but isn't quite as fancy.

 

[Fanglekai]

I've used it on steels as hard as super blue. It works quite well.

Steels are only as hard as their heat treatment makes them.

Sandpaper works fine for most steels.

 

[ryxlyx]

I've been sharpening w/ s'paper on glass for 15 years, I like the simplicity and the results