Some S110V Shallot impressions

Nice review, now I really want one!

Send me a PM or email, we'll talk sharp ;)
 
Will do, but it's quite a blow to my soft, fragile ego to go from being able to get hair-whittling edges on every steel I've owned to getting just a scrape-shaving edge on this puppy when I'm lucky.
 
If you think yours isn't sexy anymore you should see mine - beat it like a red-headed stepchild, used a grinder to change the handle profile, dremelled in some thumb-ridges, and then covered in stair-tape. MAN that's an ugly knife. But boy does it work all day . . . .

Actually, that does sound sexy. Must see pic.

Knifenut1013 gave me some pointers on sharpening S110V and I got it hair-popping sharp tonight. Will work on getting it hair-whittling sharp tomorrow night.
 
How does S110V like the high grit finishes? Is it about like S90V, or different in some ways due to the chemistry. I have one, but I've never tried it past 2,000 grit ( DMT) with a strop , sometimes even less.

The Vanadium heavyweights are going to cut regardless if you do a competent job, sometimes cutting cardboard and such better at lower grits IMO.

I don't have it all figured out yet. Far from it. I've found that Elmax likes higher grit finishes than S30V, for instance. At typical factory hardnesses anyway. Much to learn. Joe
 
You've got me, Joe. Don't own any S90V here.

It wasn't until I compared the time needed to restore S110V with handtools to VG-10, H-1, and AUS-8A that the thought of using a steel with a high carbide fraction (other than SG-2 and ZDP-189) even appealed to me. Under non-gardening circumstances, I'd rather have a steel that holds a very sharp edge for a noticable while and then smoothly dulls (13C26, 14C28N) over one that instantly loses that edge that was so hard to form (S30V, 154CM) and then holds that "shut up. It's cutting stuff, isn't it?" edge for a very long time.

13C26/AEB-L, 12C27M, and 14C28N are may favorite stainless steels (and still remain so), but I'm finally starting to see the appeal of these high carbide goodies: a blade that aggressively cuts like it's serrated, but doesn't require the tedious care of dull serrations. Recently resharpening a dull Vaquero Grande with the Lansky croc stick made to fit its tiny serrations was one of those "maybe those perpetually toothy steels have a large enough nice after all" object lessons. :o
 
Finally got the S110V to whittle hair! And it did so with a steeper-than 42° inclusive angle! It very barely whittles hair with my limited skillsets, but it does it. Here's the pic:

shal_09.jpg


Needed two secret weapons: 1. Instructions from knifenut1013 and 2. A piece of wood smeared with diamond paste:

shal_10.jpg
 
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