The First Sharpening

[The Tourist]

As you know, I purchased a new S30V AR several weeks ago. While the right bevel was not uniform and the grind marks could be seen with the unassisted eye, the edge was very sharp and sliced newspaper cleanly. I oiled it up and stuck it in my pocket "as is."

I'm not as hard on knives as Lynn Little, but I noticed the other day that I had to push a bit harder to open a padded mailer. Since the knife has been my only EDC since purchase, I checked the edge with a lighted loupe and I could see blunt spots. The edge still cut.

But since I had taken today off, I decided to sharpen the AR for the first time on the Edgepro. Fearing S30V was harder than usual cutlery steels, I set aside the entire afternoon.

After a few strokes with the 180 waterstone, the edge developed a nice burr. I wanted to have a "toothy" edge, so I cleaned the burr off with the 220 waterstone. The edge is slighter more polished than the original, but polish marks are still visible. The edge once again cuts a piece of newspaper cleanly with its own weight.

Total time sharpening--twelve minutes, and that includes setting up the machine! It actually took longer to clean the stones, Tuff-Cloth the knife and oil the pivot! Well, there goes the afternoon!

Needless to say, I'm pleased with the knife and await the new SnG I now have on order. I definitely like this new steel.

 

[L.O. Little]

Ichabod Poser, it's good to "see" you back on the forum! I'm curious, what angle did you sharpen your AR at?

 

[The Tourist]

L.O. Little, actually, I was lurking, just not posting. When the SnG comes you might have to torture me to shut up!

The angle of the AR was steeper than I had thought. With the knife positioned with the bar stock on the Edgepro bed (not the the flat grind), the arbor setting was between black and blue. I believe Ben says this is +/- 18 degrees. I'd of guessed 20 to 22 degrees. However, I've noticed from the pictures that while most AR bevels are very narrow, mine is a bit wider; I think the slack belt hit mine at a steeper angle.

No prob, I slice with my knives, and I do not chop. My wife's Boa had a minor chip which polished out, and I don't believe that S30V is as brittle.

Also, I have a light touch when sharpening. I sharpen until a slight burr forms, then I stop. The left bevel on mine still shows some of the original grind marks.

 

[L.O. Little]

"With the knife positioned with the bar stock on the Edgepro bed (not the the flat grind), the arbor setting was between black and blue."

You lost me there. What's the bar stock? Are you talking abouth the non-beveled portion of the blade, near the choile? My AR measured around 24-25 degrees (a little above the blue mark) with the beveled portion of the blade laid on the bed of the Edge Pro...