Seki VG-10 performance variation?

T

TennToadsticker

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Jan 5, 2011
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I'm wondering why the blade on my Caly 3.5 has so outperformed that of my Stretch. Both are FFG VG-10 and are made in the same location (?) in Japan, and I assume the factory angle and heat treat are comparable. My Caly 3.5 has cut like a laser from day one and seems to stay sharp with very little edge maintenance. My Stretch, on the other hand (which I finally decided to sell), never seemed to get anywhere near as sharp and seemed to dull sooner. Furthermore, while I could get much harder blades on my Gayle Bradley (M4) and my PM2 (M390) sharp enough to glide through paper, my Stretch could never seem to cut cleanly. Yes, I'm sure most of the problem is with my technique rather than the knife, but I'm must wondering if anyone else has perceived a similar variation in performance with the same Spyderco VG-10 steel?
 
Both are FFG VG-10 and are made in the same location (?) in Japan, and I assume the factory angle and heat treat are comparable.
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My understanding is that the Caly series is made by Moki and the Stretch is made by G. Sakai. There could be heat treatment variations even if made in the same factory as well as with the edge.
 
The Caly's are thinner at the edge. This might account for some of what you experienced. The Caly's are more of a gent's folder while the Stretch is a pretty tough hombre.

sal
 
I've got similar problems... until I learned how to actually clean the stuborn burr you sometimes get with VG-10, specially if you sharpen with diamond and ceramic, with waterstones is easier for me.
Another issue this time with S30V was that the edge of my para2 didn't hold as It should until the second or third sharpening, maybe because a little overheating on the last stages of factory sharpen, but now is an amazing steel.
hope it helps.
 
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I noticed Vg10 to be somewhat easier to deburr with a waterstone too, since then im always using my coticule on them.
I remember some really stubborn burrs right from ceramics that required some unhealthy amount of stropping to get a crispy edge, i even felt i spent more time deburring than actually removing steel...
 
TennToadsticker said:
My Stretch, on the other hand (which I finally decided to sell), never seemed to get anywhere near as sharp and seemed to dull sooner. Furthermore, while I could get much harder blades on my Gayle Bradley (M4) and my PM2 (M390) sharp enough to glide through paper, my Stretch could never seem to cut cleanly.
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Just for future reference, it seems as though you never established a nice clean edge. Maybe it had an uneven grind from the factory or a really thick edge and you never actually hit the edge. The Sharpie trick helps, but after enough time, you can just look at the edge and see when you "apex" the edge. You may have actually been really close, and what you were doing was knocking the shoulders off just above the edge, which actually will make it a better slicer. It sounds like you know what you are doing though, but that is just my initial thoughts.
 
my vg-10 caly 3.5 currently beats my zdp endura at hair splitting (with much less time to strop to maximum sharpness than the zdp.)

but i must say that the seki city-stamped spydeys (endura, delica, etc.) have better spine locks than the caly's. the lock with my caly is too shallow and release during closing is an abrupt 'click', unlike a slower but secure disengagement with the delica/endura.
 
Every knife i ve gotten with VG-10 has been laser sharp!! Love my VG!!
 
Hank, I have the exact opposite experience with my Caly 3 ZDP vs. my Delica ZDP when it comes to the back locks.
 
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