Sharpening 1080?

[Macchina]

I just received a custom knife made from 1080 steel. I set the bevel with aluminum oxide stones (rough then fine) and then polished the edge to a mirror finish with a Spyderco white stone. the edge still is not very sharp at all. I have been sharpening by hand for years, and I have never really had to deal with burrs. If I formed one, how should I take it off? Is 1080 supposed to feel sharp with a polished edge?

 

[Troop]

I take off burrs and wire edges with both a leather strop and a translucent Arkansas stone. I have a blade made of SK-5, which is extremely similar to 1080, and, YES, it is supposed to feel sharp with a polished edge. I just put an edge on mine...it sliced through the sheath and part way through my finger. (ouch)

 

[Troop]

It sounds like your bevel may be off; I don't see what else it could be. Of course, there is the extremely remote possibility that the maker messed up the HT badly.

 

[Macchina]

I don't think my bevels are off, as I can't see any reflected light on the edge. I sharpened until my bevels met, then went another 25% or so. It's a real mystery to me. It doesn't feel like the HT is off, I say this only because the steel feels really hard when I'm sharpening, and doesn't leave much steel on a white stone.

 

[Troop]

I don't think my bevels are off, as I can't see any reflected light on the edge. I sharpened until my bevels met, then went another 25% or so. It's a real mystery to me. It doesn't feel like the HT is off, I say this only because the steel feels really hard when I'm sharpening, and doesn't leave much steel on a white stone.

Please clarify what you mean when you say, "...then went another 25%" Do you mean that initially you hit a, say, 30 degree bevel (where your edges met), then thinned the edge from there? If that is the case, try just sticking to one angle, say 22 degrees, or whatever. Grind both sides to that selected angle....when the edges meet, you're good to go. Remember to strop to take off the wire edge and any burrs.

 

[Ben Dover]

I can get a razor edge on any carbon steel with a Sharpmaker or a belt sander, but freehand with stones, I get a butter knife!