Sharpening (or lack of) the Speedform II (Elmax)?

D

DBAR

Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Messages
52
I recently received a Kershaw Speedform II, and when I got it, the bevel wasn't even on both sides of the blade. I talked with the company I got it from, and I could have sent it back, but I wanted to test out my sharpening skills. I've been trying to re contour the edge, and sharpen it, but it aint working. I bought the guided kit from DMT, and it worked ok on several of my knives, but I wanted to learn free hand, so I bought 3 of the bigger DMT stones. I've since touched up'd, and sharpened a few knives with great success, but the Speedform II with the Elmax blade ain't agreeing with me. I've used both the guided system, and the free hand stones, and it won't cut through paper very well. I sharpened a Benchmade Mini DeJavoo (S30V) free hand, and it's very sharp. I know I'm still new to sharpening, but either I'm doing something wrong with this blade specifically, or Elmax is tough for me to get the hang of????

I sharpened knives years ago with a regular stone, and I really like the DMT stones. I got the course (blue), fine (red), and the extra fine (green). I also have the extra extra fine in a smaller stone for the guided kit. I made a stroup, and I have some of the DMT polishing compound. I've read a LOT here about sharpening, and I can't for the life of me figure out what I'm doing wrong with this blade?! Anyone have any ideas, or experiences?

Frustrated....


DBAR
 
are you going all the way to the edge and getting a burr? mark the edge with a sharpie to see if you are making it all the way to the edge. if you are getting a burr, are you removing it all when you strop?
 
This is the first time I haven't gotten a burr the full length of the edge. I can feel a burr sometimes from the tip, to half way down. It's really frustrating! I've tried to sharpen this blade on 4 different times, and it still doesn't cut very well?


DBAR
 
maybe you need a different method for hand sharpening. if you want some help i'll be glad to give you a call which would be a lot easier. send me an email with your number and i'll give you a call. rje196021@gmail.com

you might want to check into the paper wheels. they will put a shaving sharp edge on your knife in no time. here is a link to a thread i started on them and a post you might find interesting. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9207988&postcount=710
 
Thanks for the help Richard, I hadn't evened out both sides yet, and trying to even out the different angles was labor intensive. I ended up getting both sides even after a LOT of elbow grease. I still haven't been able to get a really sharp edge going yet, but I aint going to give up yet, but I am going to take a break for a few days. I think I just need to leave it alone for a bit, and then revisit it with a clear mind.


DBAR
 
I don't know about this Elmax!? I sharpened this knife, and in my last post I said that I hadn't gotten this knife real sharp yet. So I sharpened it some more. I never really got it where I wanted it, so I had a guy at the local Gun Show sharpen it for me. He was an older guy that I've seen around, and I've always heard good things about him. He used a "paper wheel", and he took his time. He said that I still didn't have the sides even, and that he would take care of it. He worked with it for about 5 minutes, and thought he was happy, and went to cut some paper. It didn't cut so well. He looked puzzled, and worked on it for another 5 minutes or so, and cut the paper again. He shrugged his shoulders and said, that's as good as it's going to get. It isn't anywhere near as sharp as it should be?!

Anyone else having trouble getting Elmax sharp?


DBAR
 
i'm curious to see this knife to see what that guy did to it. it is possible he was not that good with the wheels or there is a problem with the heat treat. i'll give you a call tomorrow and talk to you about the knife.
 
Richard, would a bad heat treat cause the edge to be shinier on one part of the edge than the other? Before I got to the extra fine stone, I noticed that there was a portion of the edge that was shinier than the rest of the edge. I polished it with the extra fine, and extra extra fine DMT stones, and then the strope with some DMT compound, and it all looked the same. It looked perfect, but cut like hell. He used a 600 grit wheel, and another finer wheel with some jewelers rouge. It of course looked perfect. When I got home, and tried the paper test, I hit it with the fine (red) stone, and it was sharper, but the edge has that shiney spot on it again. It's still not sharp at all though.

DBAR
 
and what's the difference between a paper wheel, and a cardboard wheel? He used the cardboard wheel if that makes any difference.
 
Elmax is a very durable steel and, as such, is resistant to sharpening -- although between using diamond abrasives and the paper wheels, it should've become quite sharp by now. Did he use the grit wheel and THEN the slotted wheel or ONLY the slotted wheel w/ rouge? If he only used the slotted wheel, it would not have really "changed" or "evened" the bevels, particular on such a wear-resistant steel. It would have polished the existing edge.

The fact that one side is shinier than the other makes me wonder if he hit the proper angle on one side (causing it to polish up better) and was off (thus sharpening the shoulder) on the other side... do the three finger test and feel if he left a burr on there.

Richard is the king of paper wheels, so I'd follow his advice closely if you intend to use them as a sharpening medium... very effective, even on newer PM-type "super steels."
 
i'm curious to see the knife. i can get it rc tested to see how hard it is and then see what happens when i put an edge on it.
 
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