Steels and levels of sharpness

Kaizen1

Kaizen1

Joined
Jan 4, 2006
Messages
6,294
Hey all,

I've been interested in finding out which steels you can get the sharpest and in which order. My experiences with steels has changed as my freehand sharpening skills have gotten better over time. Here's what I've experienced so far, in order of sharpest to not so sharpest, top to bottom.

S30V
VG-10
440C
H1
Tie: AUS-8A, 440A, whatever's on my old version Leatherman Wave

What have you experienced?
 
edge geometry and quality in HT are key and stainless and non stainless should be separate.

I haven't sharpened a huge variety of steels but here I go:

O1
154cm (my leatherman wave)
1080
and thats it! I dont own any s30v but i hear it is good!
 
I think all steels can get sharp. However, I have 3 that just seem to get that little bit sharper a 52100, A2, and what ever is in my SAK.
 
yeah, my SAK seems to get stupid sharp too but i think its more about the thickness and edge angle. with that aside here's how i rate mine.
carbon V
SAK
440V,154cm
AUS-8

I also think cheap knives with 420,440A, and other like steels get very,very sharp but only until the first use.
 
Level of sharpness:
1. Shave.
2. Cut free hanging hair while knife moves slow.
3. Split hair.

I able to ge it on INFI, however I did not try my new sharpening equipment and technic on other steel so far. Currently I am sharpening 154CM on Caldwell 1-6.

hair-08.jpg


Thanks, Vassili.

P.S. - as I expected - I was able to split hair with 154CM as well.
 
ignoramus said:
........Here's what I've experienced so far, in order of sharpest to not so sharpest, top to bottom.

S30V
VG-10
440C
H1
Tie: AUS-8A, 440A, whatever's on my old version Leatherman Wave

What have you experienced?
Click to expand...

My list would have A2 and (especially) 154CM right up at the top with S30V. I don;t have and H1 or VG10 so I couldn;t rate them.
 
My sharpest knives are made of D2. But perhaps that's because I put more effort into them. My A2 knives are also scary sharp.


Actually, I honestly believe that the amount of effort you put into it is more of a determing factor than the steel. All of my knives are shaving sharp. And these include D-2, A-2, 1095, Carbon V, AUS 8A, 440C, 420, 12C27 and numerous unknowns.:D
 
In order of spooky sharpness for me, 15/30 deg inclusive, stropped to mirror, with a fully polished edge,
1095
5160
ATS34
154CM
S30V
440C
440A/420HC
This is the order of my choices based on the ease of getting to the sharpness level I wanted, and the ease of polish it would take with the strop.
In the end they all got about the same level of sharpness, and lost it almost the same amount of time, except for the 440/420, those didnt hold an edge for shit.
VG10 and D2 seemed to not want to polish as well and seemed to take a rough edge better?
 
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