Tired of supersteels

Bob Denman said:
I've been using it, and growing more and more comfortable with i!
You just need to have p a t i e n c e
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Is that directed at me? Patience with what, the Sharpmaker? If so, no thanks, I would much rather utilize a system that can reprofile or hone in less than half the time.

If the Sharpmaker works for you; great drive on, glad you found something you like.

I don’t find the preset angles to match much of what I own, and without investing in the diamond sticks, it takes far longer than other methods of getting edges where I want them.

I’ve owned the Sharpmaker for at least 10 years, so I am pretty well settled on my opinion by now.

Of course YMMV.
 
kafolarbear said:
Im theory, according to Larrin’s charts anyways, 1095 at 58 HRC has a toughness of about 10 ft/lbs while Cruwear at 62 HRC has a touch over 20 ft/lbs of toughness. There seems to be a certain mythos about 1095 that doesn’t really hold up to the measured data. I’d take cruwear over 1095 on a working blade any day.
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What's that have to do with ease of sharpening? 🙃


My entire post was that Cruwear is awesome when the edge isn't buggered but is significantly more difficult to freehand with a stone due to it being harder which isn't surprising. I have a Cruwear blade in my pocket as I type...but it I could sharpen 1095 with a medium Arkansas stone where the Cruwear is pretty much going to need a diamond if it requires a reprofile.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
What's that have to do with ease of sharpening? 🙃


My entire post was that Cruwear is awesome when the edge isn't buggered but is significantly more difficult to freehand with a stone due to it being harder which isn't surprising. I have a Cruwear blade in my pocket as I type...but it I could sharpen 1095 with a medium Arkansas stone where the Cruwear is pretty much going to need a diamond if it requires a reprofile.
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Well, I am, I don't want to say "stuck" with, but I have a ton of diamond stuff - hone, diamond strops and stones for KME, I strop w/ diamond... CBN rods...
So what I ask, if you just carry around CBN/diamond (like a pocket hone or SM in my bag) is it closer to the ease of sharpening low-alloy w/ stones, or does it still take more than twice the time?
 
Bob Denman said:
😁 Have you been reading my emails?
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Me @ approx 2:25pm yesterday
Image gppp.webp
 
I think the key with super steels is not to let them get to dull. I use a leather strop with green or black compound and something about that sound of the edge sliding across is therapeutic lol .It always brings them back hair popping sharp. But again I never let them get very dull we’re they need re-profiling on stones just to were they won’t glide threw paper effortlessly but still would cut just not a push cut .I have a edge pro, work sharp, spyderco sharp maker and freehand stones which I’ve used to sharpen many knives for friends but never super steel. I’d like to try it sometime and let them get dull and give it a shot. Any particular knife never stays in my pocket longer then a day or two in the rotation and I am a light user cutting normally only some boxes , rope cutting and plastic wrap.
 
TheFactor said:
I think the key with super steels is not to let them get to dull. I use a leather strop with green or black compound and something about that sound of the edge sliding across is therapeutic lol .It always brings them back hair popping sharp. But again I never let them get very dull we’re they need re-profiling on stones just to were they won’t glide threw paper effortlessly but still would cut just not a push cut .I have a edge pro, work sharp, spyderco sharp maker and freehand stones which I’ve used to sharpen many knives for friends but never super steel. I’d like to try it sometime and let them get dull and give it a shot. Any particular knife never stays in my pocket longer then a day or two in the rotation and I am a light user cutting normally only some boxes , rope cutting and plastic wrap.
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Amen! Catch them quicker, and heal them faster!
 
I like the number 7. And I like MagnaCut. And I'm pleased to have the seventh post in this thread naming that wonderful steel. It is super, but sharpens easily. Any knife will be a breeze to maintain if ground thin enough behind the edge, and sharpened with diamond.
 
TheFactor said:
I think the key with super steels is not to let them get to dull. I use a leather strop with green or black compound and something about that sound of the edge sliding across is therapeutic lol .It always brings them back hair popping sharp. But again I never let them get very dull we’re they need re-profiling on stones just to were they won’t glide threw paper effortlessly but still would cut just not a push cut .I have a edge pro, work sharp, spyderco sharp maker and freehand stones which I’ve used to sharpen many knives for friends but never super steel. I’d like to try it sometime and let them get dull and give it a shot. Any particular knife never stays in my pocket longer then a day or two in the rotation and I am a light user cutting normally only some boxes , rope cutting and plastic wrap.
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I also have a Wicked Edge (I forget which model), with stones from 50/100 up to 1000/1200 and some 5/3.5 & 1, 0.5 leather that I haven’t tried yet. I have like $400 invested in that damn thing but I’ve tried a few knives with it and didn’t like it at all.
I need more time/practice with that for sure, because I’ve heard/seen people get awesome results like mirror edge or close to it with this setup.
But time is not on my side, I’m usually at work making money to buy more knives 🤣
 
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That’s what I love about the sharpmaker, (the ease of being able to bring an edge back quickly) so I think for the time being I’m going to stay away from 20CV/M390 for my daily users and try to snatch up more of those discontinued ZTs with the S35VN off the exchange on here. (got a 0909 in the mail, and I could definitely see a CRK in the near future :-D )
 
tony281sc2 said:
I also have a Wicked Edge (I forget which model), with stones from 50/100 up to 1000/1200 and some 5/3.5 & 1, 0.5 leather that I haven’t tried yet. I have like $400 invested in that damn thing but I’ve tried a few knives with it and didn’t like it at all.
I need more time/practice with that for sure, because I’ve heard/seen people get awesome results like mirror edge or close to it with this setup.
But time is not on my side, I’m usually at work making money to buy more knives 🤣
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Go to the Wicked Edge website. Then move your cursor to 'Resources' and then click on 'Knowledge Base'. There are plenty of helps and videos there to help you use your Wicked Edge properly to get great results. Works for me!
 
helobite said:
The HVAC guys installing my new air conditioner, they carried box cutter knives. The primary reason, they lost knives frequently “I can’t keep a knife”. One of them said, “I will buy a $5.00 knife and see how long it lasts”. The Boss of the unit had a cheap small fixed blade knife, looked like a copy of a Puma, and it was dull. He was given it, and he used it as a pry bar. He also did not carry mulitools because his “multi tools would “disappear”.

I like D2. D2 can be found on lots of $50 and $75 folding knives. D2 takes a good edge and holds it well.

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Before the Trump tariffs, this cost $35.00 delivered from China. And it is a great $35.00 knife.

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You know, this knife cost me $50.00 delivered, and it is probably 440A. And it cuts just fine. I am surprised on how hard the steel is, for 440A, but it is not as hard as D2. (what sunk these Komoran's was theU2X. No one wanted to pay the original MSRP for a mystery steel) So what, you don’t need to spend ridiculous amounts to buy a very serviceable knife.


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If you are an early adopter, you are going to pay for the privilege of owning the steel du jour. And you are going to pay through the nose for that privilege. But give it time. I remember when AUS 8 was considered a super steel. This was an expensive knife.



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My new 1987 one hand AG Russell knife, which cost almost $200 in today’s money, it was AUS 8, and I did not find that out till shortly before AG’s death, when he came out with a N690 version. Back in 1987 AUS 8 was cutting edge high tech and expensive. About a year ago I purchased a number of Schrade frame lock knives in AUS 8. They were $15.00 each. Nothing wrong with AUS 8 at that price.

This was expensive, and it is AUS 6. How much would you pay for an AUS 6 knife now?

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There is a deliberate planned obsolescence with steels to create product churn. Lacking standardized testing, you really don't know how much better the steel du jour is compared with the last fashion cycle. In my opinion, it does not pay to be an early super steel adopter. A couple of fashion cycles down the road, you can buy today's latest and greatest for a lot less.
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Cruwear (Yes, not the CPM), 10V, D2. all very old steels.
Hell, D2 won us the war 😂
 
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