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

[Cementite]

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?

FWIW, I have found that different steels respond differently to different abrasive types, and without any rhyme or reason that I can identify.

For my ordinary kitchen knives and non-wonder-steel knives, I use several different stone types, including Norton India (alum oxide), Norton Crystolon (silicon carbide), various Washita and Arkansas stones, diamond plates, ceramic stones, etc.

I don't know what hardnesses the steels are (other than "not super hard") but some steels seem to respond well (with good feedback, good sharpenability in a reasonable amount of time, etc.) to some stones, while not responding well to other stones. And it's not always the same stones. One particular stone might work well with one particular knife, but for a different knife, it might be a completely different stone. And I can't really figure out what's different in the steel to make it easy to sharpen on stone x versus difficult to sharpen on stone y.

Sometimes it will be the softer stone (AlOx) that seems to cut better...other times it will be the harder stone (SiC) that seems to cut better. Sometimes one type of stone won't seem to bite into a certain steel type (like trying to file quenched, hardened steel)...but a different stone (and not always a harder stone) will seem to bite into that particular steel just fine.

 

[elevator man]

I bet it would have to do with the "other" qualities of a heat treat. Like if a steel wouldn't deburr well.

I personally find 15v easier to sharpen than 8cr13mov. It just does every step perfect textbook. Builds a small easy to detect burr, then deburrs so easy without hardly any effort. Shaves right of a fine dmt stone. Strops to a very sharp edge quickly. No muss no fuss. I find a knife I have with 8cr13mov takes more effort to deburr and get to a good sharp edge. And 15v has 7 or more HRC points on it.