Steel X is Harder to Sharpen Than Steel Y; HUH?

Lenny

Lenny

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Oct 15, 1998
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I've heard this so many times.
So answer me this; if we compare any 2 random knife steels, one considered easy to sharpen,
one considered hard to sharpen, both at HRC 61.
If both have the same hardness, what EXACTLY makes the "harder to sharpen" steel harder to sharpen?
Thanks
 
Blade thickness, edge thickness and geometry, and grind type and height for starters. Unless the two knives are completely identical in every way, the comparison is practically meaningless.

And even then that doesn't account for anomalies or errors in processing or heat treat. That's why the vast majority of comparison threads here are completely meaningless and devoid of almost all valuable information. A sample size of one is a horrible place to start, even if everything else was perfect.

Sam⚔️⚔️
 
OK, let's normalize everything.
Compare 2 of the EXACT same blades, only difference being blade steel.
Is it still a valid statement that one can be more difficult to sharpen than the other?
 
Yes of course, that can be a valid statement. And there are definitely different alloying elements in the steel that are going to make some more difficult to sharpen than others. It also depends on which sharpening method/media is being used. Different steels respond in various ways to different stones/methods.

Not sure if that covers everything you're after, but this can be a rather complex situation when you start getting into various steels and the many different factors involved in different blades and the methods to shatpwn them.

Sam⚔️⚔️
 
I think when you hear " harder to sharpen" they are trying to say they can not get X as sharp as Z.

An example: I find that a few touch up passes on a sharp maker brings S45VN back to screaming sharp, however the same on S35VN leaves a more toothy edge ( which I like by the way) The folks are noticing the difference makeup of the steel and the resulting edge.

at least this is what I think they are trying to describe.
 
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We don’t even have a proper definition of what harder to sharpen means. Takes longer? Doesn’t get as sharp? Etc.

I’ve had 2 identical knives from the same manufacturer that sharpened differently.
 
I agree that it is possible for one steel to be more “difficult” to sharpen than another (though in practice after sharpening 100 different blades for my CATRA study the differences aren’t as stark as you might think, at least with CBN stones). And it is also true that most of the people talking about relative differences come from edge geometry, heat treating, and placebo rather than the steel.
 
Lol, don't get too hung up on words guys. This is like the question: "What's the most dangerous tool in the shop?"

"Well, there's no such thing as a dangerous tool, only unsafe practices."

OK, sure. But some tools sure seem to have a lot more serious accidents associated with them. So word it as you like, I guess. Having spoken with hundreds of people (customers and non customers) one of the most common questions is "Is that steel hard to sharpen?"

Just something to think about. A 26 mile race isn't harder than a 5 mile race, it just takes longer.🤣🤣

Sam⚔️⚔️
 
It is more probable that the two steels will NOT both be at 61 HRC. And that may be why one is easier to sharpen than the other, again depending on what type of sharpening medium you use (natural stones or diamond plates etc.).
 
The simplest answer is two steels of the same hardness can be steel alloys with much different levels of abrasion resistance.

You can take a look at one of Larrin's charts where hardness and TCC cuts are compared. At any given hardness, some steels will have much higher abrasion resistance than others. Those steels will be more difficult to sharpen, if every other factor is made equal.

Diamond stones can soften that difference, but it will be there.
 
I think the differences may not matter if you always touch up the edge before it gets too dull.
 
If you paid more for steel X as opposed to steel Y, it’ll be harder to sharpen because you’ll stick with it longer.
 
A blade at 61HRC may contain some Vanadium Carbides at 82HRC that contribute to wear resistance. Stones in cement can increase the life of the “steps”?
 
Lenny said:
OK, let's normalize everything.
Compare 2 of the EXACT same blades, only difference being blade steel.
Is it still a valid statement that one can be more difficult to sharpen than the other?
Click to expand...
Sure, one alloy can have greater wear resistance than the other.
 
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