Sharpening Benchmade D2

L

Liljimmy51

Joined
Dec 21, 2013
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45
My benchmade 51 has become realitivily dull latly, and it's been a pain to even get a "decent" edge on it. What should I do?
 
D2 is not difficult to sharpen by hand, using a Norton bench stone. i.e. crystalline or fine India. DM
 
Liljimmy51 said:
My benchmade 51 has become realitivily dull latly, and it's been a pain to even get a "decent" edge on it. What should I do?
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Since it is dull, it is useless. Send your useless knife to me so that you don't have to keep useless things around the house...


;)

How do you normally sharpen? D2 sharpens like any other steel, it just takes a little longer depending on your methods.
 
My Infidel took me a long time to sharpen but I attribute that to my newness at sharpening. Didn't help that one side had been dulled!
 
Liljimmy51 said:
My benchmade 51 has become realitivily dull latly, and it's been a pain to even get a "decent" edge on it. What should I do?
Click to expand...

Read the STICKY thread at the top of this section on knife sharpening. Any number of systems can get a good edge--with patience and consistency.

Like many around here I burned up a bunch of money on what is often called 'idiot proof' sharpening tools only to end up with old school stones.
 
D2 is a bit of a challenge but responds well to diamond hones. Both my 710 and Cabella's Grippie in D2 take a hair-popping edge, but it takes longer to get there if they're dull. Once sharp, though, it is quite easy to maintain the edge with a fine DMT. Just don't let them get dull.
 
I have never used a "idiot proof" sharpener. Always hand sharpened my knives on a smith's double sided sharpener. I have spent a good bit of time sharpening it, so maybe the diamond stone could be wore out? Is it possible?
 
Liljimmy51 said:
I have never used a "idiot proof" sharpener. Always hand sharpened my knives on a smith's double sided sharpener. I have spent a good bit of time sharpening it, so maybe the diamond stone could be wore out? Is it possible?
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I bet it is simply your technique.
 
Liljimmy51 said:
My benchmade 51 has become realitivily dull latly, and it's been a pain to even get a "decent" edge on it. What should I do?
Click to expand...

Liljimmy51 said:
I have never used a "idiot proof" sharpener. Always hand sharpened my knives on a smith's double sided sharpener. I have spent a good bit of time sharpening it, so maybe the diamond stone could be wore out? Is it possible?
Click to expand...

Assuming yours is the Bali-Song (I'm looking at mfr info for the 51), a couple of things may be working against you:

  • The relatively narrow (spine-to-edge) profile and thick(ish) grind of these blades makes it more difficult to create a thin slicer, as with more conventional blades. So the edge angle will always tend to be thicker, and will become noticeably duller when the apex is no longer crisp.

  • If your diamond hone has slowed down, it may be clogged. Some relatively coarse diamond hones will clog very fast, especially if used dry, and more so with stainless steels of relatively high chromium content and low carbon content (these can be somewhat 'gummy' on diamond hones). Thoroughly cleaning the diamond hone may help it work better. Some Comet/Ajax and a scrub brush, or even better, some Bar Keepers Friend powder mixed to a paste with water and scrubbed with the brush can work well.
I'd make sure your diamond hone is in good shape; if it doesn't improve after cleaning, it may be worth looking for a better one. D2 can also be sharpened on SiC stones (the Crystolon by Norton, for example), or some SiC wet/dry sandpaper also works well on a hard backing like stone or glass. With this blade, I'd be making an effort to thin the edge angle as much as possible, which will require grinding quite a lot of steel away; this is why the diamond or SiC options would be best for you.


David
 
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I don't believe it is my technique because I can't get any case xx to a shaving sharp edge in no time. I believe Obsessed With Edges is right, the way balisong blades are made are not like convenient pocket knives, and there is a possibility that my technique for sharpening te blade is wrong
 
Sharpie the edge bevels and see where you are grinding. Maybe you're only grinding on the shoulders and have not reached the edge of the bevels yet. Observe the edge, straight on, under strong light. Look directly at the cutting edge. If it is approaching sharpness, it won't reflect light. If it is still dull, the places where the edge is still dull will reflect light back. The edge is "flat" in those areas. For a really dull blade it's not unusual to see one big solid reflective line when looking straight down at the edge.

Be sure to move the blade up and down to play the light off of it. You may only see the reflection at a certain angle. Meaning, point the front of the blade at the floor, and lift up slowly until it's pointed at the ceiling. At some point along that arc, you'll probably see reflected light.

My one experience with D2, so far, was on a thick fixed blade by Benchmade. It was heavily used and far beyond what you'd normally call dull. I used probably the wrong tool for the job: Waterstones. It took 4 or 4.5 hours for me to reform the edge and make it nice and sharp again. But I got it done. I think Benchmade runs D2 pretty hard since the waterstones were so slow with it.

Good luck.

Brian.
 
I have had both a 51 and a 32, never had an issue getting an edge that will shave hair and slice paper. The blades to me seemed relatively thin stock wise. D2 is just hard and a pain to work with.
 
I got the damn thing sharpened, the ferric acid etch killed the edge on it. I got. New smiths double sided sharpener and it sharpened it nearly razor sharp
 
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