sharpening s90v

MORIMOTOM

MORIMOTOM

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Oct 29, 2005
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i cant find it, but i remember a thread where sharpening options were discussed for the s90v millie.

remember something about carbides, and other characteristics. carbides falling out? or something along those lines.

were i to get one, would i need a diamond stone for sharpening? i currently use the apex edge pro and/or sharpmaker for all my knives.
 
From what I hear, Diamond is the only way to go. And even then, it still takes a long time.
 
Lets see if I can help you, S90V while a hard steel is not really that hard to sharpen, if you have the right tools and good skill. I use DMT diamond hones and spyderco ceramics for sharpening my S90V millie and can take it from dull to razor sharp in less than a hour. Stropping seems to be the hard part, I was forced to buy diamond paste because the Chromium Oxide I was using had little to no effect. The first time I stropped S90V I stoped 2 hours into it because it wasn't working and the bur was still on the edge. I aquired some diamond paste (1.0,0.5,and 0.25 micron) and it made a huge difference not only on my millie but on all my knives, it still takes a long time to strop but it works. I know the thread you are talking about and IMO it's a lot of guesses about the steel not accual fact. If your a steel junkie like me then you will want this steel, it seem like you have the right stuff to sharpen it just get some diamond paste for stropping. The apex uses diamond hones right?
 
the coarse stones on the apex cut everything. reprofile on the coarse stones, then switch to the diamonds.
 
Your edge pro will do fine. You might want to get a new course stone before you start, mine had to get flattened every 5 mins. The course stone still has life left in it. Now its smaller than the others, thus throwing off the angle when you go to do you next knives. Now that stone(course) is set aside for heavy work, should I score some more folding s90v. :D

My 306UF will get my s90 hair whittling sharp in just a few mins. No need to strop. Also its very weird, but in my case it seems s90 feels much like bg42 on the UF stones. It will hold a edge longer than ZDP(IMHO), and it not that hard to touch up. ZDP feels like it skipping across my UF stone. Both great steels, as much as I love ZDP..... I like S90 better. :cool:


Hope that made a little sense, I am on very very little sleep. (all our kids are sick:grumpy:)
 
I recommend getting a course diamond hone regardless of what you're sharpening. They work much faster on everything.
Sharpening can be done with regular ceramics just fine, it's only when you have a lot of metal to remove that the diamonds really show their worth.
So if the knife is completely dull, then use the diamonds. If it just needs a touch up, the ceramics should work just as well.
 
Concerns were raised due to the very high vanadium content. Vanadium carbides are very hard. When some of us tried to find out just how hard, we found charts comparing abrasive hardness of various materials that showed it to be harder than aluminum oxide (sapphire), and even harder than some forms of silicon carbide (carborundum). The few hardness charts I was able to dig up placed vanadium carbide one or two steps below diamond, which would make it too hard to be shaped by conventional abrasives. Since I've been using diamond hones for twenty years, it didn't particularly bother me, and I've had no problems putting a shaving sharp, lasting edge on S90V on those hones.
 
I use the XF diamond edge-pro , then the 800 edge-pro water stone to polish, then 2K and 7K tapes, then strop with .5 micron diamond, then .25 micron diamond.

I get a mirror shiny, hair splitting edge.
 
thx for all the replies.

im not really interested in purchasing more sharpening gear right now, though id still like to get an s90v millie.

im torn.
 
You can sharpen it with a waterstone if that's all you've got. It just takes a long time.

And you'll never regret getting an S90V Millie. I have one, and I also have a CPM D-2 Millie. And someday, I plan to have a CPM M-4 Millie! :thumbup::p:thumbup:
 
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