Sharpening re-profiled edge on a 3 dot 112 S30V blade

G

gphunt

Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
35
Hello All

With your help, I bought a NIB 3 dot Buck 112 for my daughter's boyfriend. Around the same time, and knowing nothing, I also bought a Buck 3-way sharpening system I found on e-Bay (wood, not plastic - looks good) and a 135 stone in a cedar box.

You gave me the great tip of sending it into Buck for a "spa treatment" and WOW! It looks new and opens easily. I worked with Joe Houser to do that and he was awesome.

Joe recommended re-profiling the edge to the Buck standard 26-32 degree to make it easier to sharpen. Since the recipient is going to use it, I am not worried about collector value.
I have been reading posts on sharpening and am totally confused.

So -- here is the question: What does everyone recommend for sharpening this knife? Recommendations for pocket sharpeners also welcome.

Thank you!!!

:D:D:D:D:D



 
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Wow, excuse me for saying so, but you really need to go back and redo the post as it's extremely hard to read with that tiny green font.

I'm confused, if the three dot was NIB it wouldn't have had an S30V blade. It would have one in 440C. If it was new in the box, why did it go to Buck for a spa treatment?
 
OK .. for at home i use wet auto sand paper on plate glass,,
yes it works very well on the s30v or 420 hc
and the sand paper is not expensive
i use it for all my kitchen knives also
i would recoment a diamond stone for pocket carry
s30v is not as easy as 420hc ...
but the stones still work !
the most important thing is holding a consistant angle of the knife to the stone
any verance will tend to round the edge a little
i hold my finger tip behind the back of the knife and hold the angle steady that way
 
Thanks Plumberdv

It looked big to me. I have edited it.Hope it is easier to read now.

I read that the 3 dot was the last year of the s30v blade. Is that wrong.
It was new, but after 30+ years, it needed some polishing.
 
110 Dave,

I read on another thread your recommendation to use wet auto sand paper on plate glass.

Would you be willing to expand on this and perhaps even make it into a sticky?

Thanks
 
gphunt said:
Thanks Plumberdv

It looked big to me. I have edited it.Hope it is easier to read now.

I read that the 3 dot was the last year of the s30v blade. Is that wrong.
It was new, but after 30+ years, it needed some polishing.
Click to expand...

The 112 never has had an S30V blade except for perhaps some Limited Edition or such. You must remember wrong, the 3 dot was the last year for 440C not S30V.
 
Yes, agreed. The post needs some reworking/ rewording for me to understand the concern. If it's a 3 dot, it will have a blade of 440C and coming from Joe it would have been sharpened and fully hollow ground.
Thus, not needing to be reprofiled or sharpend. Also, that Buck 3 stone sharpening model 135 are Arkansas stones which will sharpen that steel slowly . A Norton IB-8 coarse/ fine India stone is a better option and
can be delivered to your door for 25$. Sharpen to a 16-17* angle per side working up a burr on the coarse stone and removing it on the fine. Good luck. DM
 
Misinformation and thus confusion abound about Buck models on the internet. Glad you posted here as you'll get the real skinny on things. DM
 
Gphunt, in my life working on things, I've come to accept there are some things I can DIY with a bit of common sense and gumption, and then there are things that require patience and practice to gain competence. For me, freehand sharpening is in the latter camp.

I use the Lansky system which relies on stones with guide rods. I do most of my knives the same, with a primary bevel at 17 degrees and cutting bevel at 20. The normal stones in the basic kit deal with 420HC just fine. I may pick up a course diamond stone for settin the edge on 440C.

I sharpen my knives regularly and this system gives this idiot fairly idiot-proof and repeatable results.
 
I feel pretty stupid. One of the main reasons I bought this knife is that I thought it was the s30v blade. From what I have read, the 440c is not as good.
Although I did this with Joe, he did not say anything about "fully hollow ground."
Did I make a mistake? I spent three months trying to learn about and looking for the "right" knife and now think that I made a mistake and should have just bought a new one. I am really frustrated with myself.
I have not given it to my daughter's boyfriend yet. Should I start over?
 
Here is the email from Joe Houser with what he recommended for the knife: (David and Pinnah - any comments?)

Joe Houser <JHouser@buckknives.com>
12/11/12

to me
Hello Gail,
I don’t think you can go wrong with the 3 dot 112fg. If you think this person might have trouble sharpening it, we could always reprofile the edge to make it easier. To the collector, this would be a horrible thing to do but it sounds like maybe he will be using it? If that’s the case, we may as well make it as enjoyable to own as we can. (more text deleted)

Sincerely,

Joe Houser
Director of Customer Relations
Buck Collectors Club Liaison
Company Historian

Later, when I asked about the blade, he replied:

"The edge should be our standard 26-32 degree included and should be easier to sharpen. It still takes a lot of practice to sharpen on a stone. I haven’t mastered it yet myself."
 
gphunt said:
I feel pretty stupid. One of the main reasons I bought this knife is that I thought it was the s30v blade. From what I have read, the 440c is not as good.
Although I did this with Joe, he did not say anything about "fully hollow ground."
Did I make a mistake? I spent three months trying to learn about and looking for the "right" knife and now think that I made a mistake and should have just bought a new one. I am really frustrated with myself.
I have not given it to my daughter's boyfriend yet. Should I start over?
Click to expand...

Good heavens no! You did good, there are those that think the sun rises and sets on 440C. It's harder to sharpen, true, but as pinnah said, a Sharpmaker works pretty well for those of us that are sharpening impaired and lack the skills to use stones freehand.
 
The 3 dot 110/112 are great knives. 440C is just about as as hard to sharpen as S30V but in my opinion I like the 440C better. You cant go wrong with a 112 in any steel, and they are even better as gifts. Give it to the kid, he will enjoy it and probably has no idea what kind of steel it is any way...

It takes allot of use with different steels to know the difference.
 
gphunt said:
One of the main reasons I bought this knife is that I thought it was the s30v blade.
Click to expand...

Buck let folks buy 112's from the custom shop for a short time, one of the blades offered was a S30V. I was lucky and had them make me a few. The BCCI Heritage set had a S30V 112 in the set.....so there are a few of them out in the market place and will be hard to find. Your 440C 112 is a fine knife and will serve your daughters boyfriend well!
IMG_6207.jpg

IMG_6214.jpg

j4570
 
Thank you Plumberdv, I was feeling really stupid! Joe had it "reprofiled" to make it easier to sharpen. Does that make sense?
Thanks so much!
 
Dear mbjannusch,

Thank you! I did, however, make a whole spiral notebook about this knife, a lot of it based on it being the s30v blade. Guess I will have to do some of those pages again!
 
Gail, 440C is excellent steel. Just great stuff.

I've reprofiled both of my Bucks from that era and don't regret it on bit. For general use I find it far far better. I think the concern that Joe mentioned really only applies to serious collectors who prize things being 100% out of the box original.
 
well well quite the subject
i bought my first 110 in '67
440 i cut my sharpening teeth on quite well ...
NO i dont think it is any harder to sharpen the newer steels!
it was a thicker blade at the edge is all .. so more metal to remove if it got real dull

the 3 dot is my fave old blades in my 110 and some 112
the heat treet on the 3 dots is better then on the 2 dots ( imho)
the THREE DOT blades were made in the first year that Bos worked at Buck
there is a story in what he did and why.. but an other time..
the four dots were a steel that at first was great but devloped junk in them later
SO yes that 3 dot is a great knife to give some one !
but then he might like a newer 112 also
for me the best knife for this younger 'tackal' age is the 560!!
consiter that and keep that 3 dot for your self!

as to sharpening... i learned how on tri-stones at age 14..
learned to even sharpen with a smooth river rock (dont try it )
i took up wood working and useing plainer's
thoes blades need to be done right ...
fine wood working there was an artical on plane blades useing sand paper and glass
but look here if you have time ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVF6pUslaeU
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4--HIDogrc8
these show you some of what i would take to long to explain
this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY4q08ElU18 is more basic but still applys
i dont recumend useing the dry sand paper jest the wet and on plate glass
as the glass is almost as flat as the grant block in the seconed one..
all stones will get out of flat !!! and need to be reflatened to be any good!
wet dry sand paper is relatively cheep and Replaceable!!! jest dont drop your plate glass ..

humm i would like to know if any one else here has used wet dry sand paper ?
post if you have!!!
 
gp, Don't worry we're all learning. I think 440C is a great cutlery steel, certainly on par with S30V in many areas. I've tested some 440C blades that performed just as well in cutting tests as S30V. I think it is a better stainless and they are both hard to sharpen. Still, they are different animals as one is of powder metallurgy and the other billet steel hence, one can be finer grain than the other but much depends on heat treat. Your 3 dot blade is by no means a back seat steel. It can ride shotgun in most anyone's book. It's not a lower classman. Most any internet knife chat sites will argue long about steels. So, you can give it to him with pride or (if your hearts set on it) start looking for one of the S30V models. Atleast now you know which has what steel. DM
 
David Martin, 110Dave and Pinnah

You guys are great. Really kind. I appreciate it a lot. This is embarrassing, but maybe if you know I am a girl, it will be ok -- reading what you wrote, and that you took the time to write to me, made me cry. Thanks so much!
Just FYI, the person getting it is in his twenties, has recently returned from Afghanistan, where he was a dog handler. He is a wonderful guy and I wanted to get him the best 112 I could. I love that my daughter and he are together (look below for great story.)
Since this one has been engraved and looks great, I will give it to him and will start looking for another one. I am wondering about the 110 Rosewood, CPM154 (is that right?), heat treated by Paul Bos.

Fun Little Story - My daughter met Todd NY Eve, 2012 at a bar in Chico that Todd's brother owned. Todd just came up for the day before he left for Afghanistan the next day. He spotted my daughter and then found an opportunity to protect her when someone accosted her in the bar (good move!). They talked and talked, went for a walk, kissed and said good-bye. For the next ten and a half months, Kelsey and Todd skyped and emailed, when they could, got to know one another deeply and fell in love. Todd says she saved his life over there. My daughter was a wreck the whole time he was gone. Todd came home in November and got to her as soon as he could. Now, they live together and are getting married this summer!
 
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