sharpening Military CPM440V

KBR

KBR

Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
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How difficult is it, or is it possible, to achieve a "hair poppin" edge on my Military? I have a good shaving edge on it right now, but I have yet to achieve the level of sharpness where hair just "pops" off without me touching the skin.

Is is possible to get the CPM440V steel that sharp? I know that it's a tough steel, but have had no problem maintaining the edge it had out of the box.

Thanks for your feedback.:D
 
How difficult can only be answered by you as it is related to your proficiency at sharpening. For me to say, it is possible, would be a huge assumption, especially after I read all the complaints this steel receives from people on these forums.

After touching up my Mili on the flats of the white stones of the 204... then laying the blade flat against my leg, I am able to pop hair off easily by sliding the flat of the blade on the skin(blade parallel to leg), with the edge going through the hair, which leaves me with a bare leg. Sorry no picture. :) (blade edge is 30 degrees)

The only advice I can give is to make sure your stones don't become clogged with this steel.The 440V seems to clog them especially quick. I use a pink eraser and after three or four passes on the stone the eraser cleans it up which keeps them cutting and keeps your edge from deforming.
 
roguesoul, I prefer to sharpen the edge to that 40 degree angle on my Mili. It provides a stronger, more durable edge IMO. I've managed to sharpen my blade to the same extent as you, lying the blade flat against my leg shaves with no problem. I was just curious about that "hair poppin" sharpness. The level of sharpness where you don't even touch the skin and the hair just "pops" off when touched by the blade.:eek:

I agree with you about those stones getting clogged up. :mad: I usually just use an abrasive cleaner and a scouring pad with some warm water. Cleans up those stones with no problem. I don't mind in the end though, that CPM440 has become my favorite, along with VG-10, where steels are concerned. Edge retention is awesome.

Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices. :rolleyes:
 
I have a pair of Chinooks, made out of the same incredible steel, and both are SO sharp that the hair on MY arm jumps-off when it SEES the blade coming at it!.:D.:D.
 
I've read into some threads that have recommended the 30 degree angle as best for having that prime cutting edge on the CPM440 steel. Because of the toughness of this steel, could that 30 degree edge hold up to everyday use, as long as the blade is used strictly as a cutting tool and nothing else? :confused:
 
I've been using my Temperances, Blue Native, Gunting, and Military at 30 degrees and they're all CPM-440V. They've all been fine. I don't chop with them or anything like that so I haven't experienced any problems.
 
I don't usually bother with "hair-poppin'" sharpness on my knives, including my 440V Native plain-edge. It's just too much trouble for me, most of the time. "Pretty darn sharp", which is a notch below "hair-poppin'", is usually good enough for me, and easier for me to achieve. I have a Sharpmaker, the Lee Valley green honing compound, etc. I just can't be bothered to work to "hair-poppin'", most of the time. It's too fussy, although maybe it's my technique. Also, I figure that "hair-poppin'" will, in use, degrade fairly quickly down to "pretty darn sharp" anyways, so why bother, except for the fun or as a challenge. Sometimes, for fun, I'll work towards "hair-poppin'", but usually I won't. The brief, extra gain in sharpness usually isn't worth the effort involved.

And, I can slice myself up pretty darn well with a blade far less sharp than "hair-poppin'", anyways.
 
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