Sharpening XM-18

laurin

laurin

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Sep 5, 2007
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I've got new XM-18 these days and planning to resharpen - reprofile edge to 30 degrees inclusive to improve cutting ability for daily use.
What do you guys recommend - I've Spyderco sharpmaker - is it possible to do it on this Duratech 20 CV steel for (lets say) acceptable time :-)?
Thank you for all ideas.
 
my xm had a very obtuse factory grind. id guess about 50 degrees.

if yours is like mine was and you are going to reprofile, i would suggest something far more aggressive than the sharpmaker, even with the diamond rods.

i used an edge pro, and it took me a while. not because the steel is particularly hard to sharpen, it isn't. but because you will be taking a lot of metal off.

mine is now at 40 degrees, inclusive.
 
Seems it will be more complicated as I imagined :-O
I try it with "standard" rods on 40 degrees.
will see....
 
I used this method to thin out the bevel of my XM-18:







I thinned the shoulders at 30 with the benchstone and then sharpened the edge at 40 with the flats of the white Sharpmaker stones.
 
It's a Norton India oilstone, not sure what grit. It doesn't take long, but you have to be careful how you brace the benchstone against the Sharpmaker stone as you sharpen. It does the job though.
 
laurin said:
I've got new XM-18 these days and planning to resharpen - reprofile edge to 30 degrees inclusive to improve cutting ability for daily use.
What do you guys recommend - I've Spyderco sharpmaker - is it possible to do it on this Duratech 20 CV steel for (lets say) acceptable time :-)?
Thank you for all ideas.
Click to expand...

On a Sharpmaker it will take you days to reprofile it using the Brown rods or even the Diamond rods.

I would get some 80 grit wet/Dry sandpaper and attach it to the rods to reprofile it.

220 Grit wet/dry sandpaper after that to smooth out the edge then you can use the brown stones after that then move to the white stones to finish it off.
 
I realized now I read on another forum somebody wrap sharpmaker rod into abrasive paper - is anybody here who tried it this way?
I'll try to find more details....
Thank you.


EDIT : I've tought on something similar as Ankerson did :-)
 
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