vg-10 losing an edge fast after sharpening O.o

Sal Glesser said:
Hi Kimberfan.

When sharpening with an abrasive (stone, etc.), one is usually leading with the cutting edge. The burr is cut away from the edge. When stroppig, one is trailing with the cutting edge, actually forming a burr. That's why one strops a razor for shaving, rather than sharpen on a stone. Stropping brings out the burr, which works best when shaving. It sounds like you moving a burr which "comes out" when stropping, but is not a strong enough edge to support cutting harder materials than hair. What angle are you sharpening at? Do you use a loupe?

sal
Click to expand...
i'm sharpening it at the factory angle so 17-20, maybe i'm over stropping? I'm doing about 20-24 strokes a side with green compound after coming off my arkansas P.s. I only use a good magnifing glass as i havent found and loupes
 
Last edited:
t1mpani said:
The most consistent way I've ever come up with for immediately removing a wire edge is taking a piece of scarp hardwood (maple or oak work great) and pull the edge perpendicularly across it from ricasso to tip. You don't have to really bare down, just put a little pressure on it so that the edge is cutting into the wood a little bit. This medium is soft enough to not dull or damage the edge bevel (not in one pull, anyway) but the wire edge will embed and tear off. Do this during your sharpening as the edge is really beginning to feel sharp, and then check again. If your true bevels aren't quite meeting yet, you'll see the shiny spots. I haven't chased a wire edge in fifteen years. :)
Click to expand...
awesome idea i'll give it a try Ok just did it and no dull spots and still pops hair
 
t1mpani said:
Sounds like it's time to test that edge retention again. :)
Click to expand...

You are so right its soo much better today after the second sharpening, cut open 3 bags of soil and some weeds/plants and its still hair popping, still has that one chip its just enough to barley catch my finger nail on but it will come out in time much better edge retention today :D
 
Good to hear--I mean, even Spyderco can mess up a HT now and again (they're only human) but man, I can't imagine a company that it's less likely from. Welcome to the world of VG-10! :)
 
singularity35 said:
Well, you want shiny? Strop it on leather with diamond paste. That's gonna get you're bevels shiny. And no, I don't think 2000 grit is too fine. Here's my orange millie finished with 1micron diamond paste on balsa wood.

orangemilliemirror2.jpg
[/URL] Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]
Click to expand...

now thats what I want for an edge...
I don't use stone cuz I find it a lil bit hard to shrpen on stone, especially when I work with big belly blade...
BTW ow long does your millie how the razor edge? Longer than VG10?
 
Dao.Hung_105 said:
now thats what I want for an edge...
I don't use stone cuz I find it a lil bit hard to shrpen on stone, especially when I work with big belly blade...
BTW ow long does your millie how the razor edge? Longer than VG10?
Click to expand...

VG-10 holds a hair whittling edge just a bit longer than S30V but loses that working edge faster.
 
Never strop your utility/hunting type of knives, they will not hold that barber's knife edge for very long. Finish them on very fine stones and you'll be fine.
 
singularity35 said:
There, fixed that for you.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's my opinion but it's an educated opnion based on feedback from many hunters and outdoorsmen that hand sharpen their knives and use them pretty hard. I've never encounter anyone who thinks that an edge stropped like a barber razor is good for a heavy duty/utility knife. Great stuff for facial hair cutting though, but that ain't the same as field dressing a moose...
 
Depends what you're doing--a high polished edge is better if you're doing push cutting, planing, splitting or chopping, both in terms of edge performance and retention. Slicing, however, is better served by a toothier, more coarse edge, which will continue to cut in saw-like fashion even after the initial keen quality has been lost.
 
Outdoors Fanatic said:
Yes, it's my opinion but it's an educated opnion based on feedback from many hunters and outdoorsmen that hand sharpen their knives and use them pretty hard. I've never encounter anyone who thinks that an edge stropped like a barber razor is good for a heavy duty/utility knife. Great stuff for facial hair cutting though, but that ain't the same as field dressing a moose...
Click to expand...

so in your opinion, what's the difference between field dressing a moose and professionaly dressing, skinning and portioning many many many hogs, lambs, and whatever you call the baby of a goat in english ( :p ) directly from the hunter/farmer still hot and dirty with the skin, the guts etc???

because i've done that and in my experience a properly polished and stroped edge will work wonder for all that, except for one single thing : making the initial cuts through the dirty and gritty skin and hairs, for that i use another knife and every serious hunter i know uses antoher knife or a gut hook for this.
 
VG-10 is one of my favorite steels; my F1 in VG-10 (non laminated) held up as well as my buddy's Cold Steel Master Hunter in Carbon V when we skinned a black bear one time, to my surprise. After cutting through that oily/gritty hide both needed a touch-up on the DMT, and VG-10 took longer to restore to a shaving edge -- a reasonable trade-off I figured, as VG-10 is highly resistant to corrosion. I've found that highly polished edges (which I prefer), don't always cut flesh and fibrous materials better than a coarser edge. VG-10, D2, S30V seem to have a better 'bite' when sharpened with a DMT medium (red), rather than finishing with the ultra-fine DMT (green). I suspect this may have to do with the carbide size.
 
In my opinion, the "task defines the edge". Knives to be used on hard-surface like bags, cardboard, wood perform best when they have a "working edge", and at an angle of 30-40 degrees inclusive. All my VG-10 blades sharpened on the Sharpmaker at 40 degrees hold an edge for a long time. Razor edge is more suited to working on soft material like food, or shaving, where the target is not so hard to dull the edge quickly.

Another problem I notice while sharpening (and happens with me too), is impatience. Haha, yes, most of the times I have botched my edges because I pulled too fast, and wanted those 20 strokes to complete in a blink of an eye. You see Sal doing it in the video, and think "me too", and the edge is messed up. Slow, deliberate, and controlled strokes get a very reasonable edge. A once-a-week touch-up job on the fine grit (white) rod of the sharpmaker keeps all my knives healthy and wise. :-)
 
t1mpani said:
Depends what you're doing--a high polished edge is better if you're doing push cutting, planing, splitting or chopping, both in terms of edge performance and retention. Slicing, however, is better served by a toothier, more coarse edge, which will continue to cut in saw-like fashion even after the initial keen quality has been lost.
Click to expand...

I still think that coarse edge has bur on it and will roll and make the knife dull faster than polished edge, in any task....?
just my thought, and I tried once.
Well have to admit that I like the way a coarse edge grab the material when it cuts...
 
Nope, it only has a burr on it if you leave one there. Break it off and sharpen with a coarse stone until it shaves---and it absolutely will. :)
 
t1mpani said:
Nope, it only has a burr on it if you leave one there. Break it off and sharpen with a coarse stone until it shaves---and it absolutely will. :)
Click to expand...
I'll try it :P

You are so right its soo much better today after the second sharpening, cut open 3 bags of soil and some weeds/plants and its still hair popping, still has that one chip its just enough to barley catch my finger nail on but it will come out in time much better edge retention today
Click to expand...
I find VG10 is a bit on the soft side, about 57RC, and the blade is chipping? Do you think blade chipping issue is because of the blade hardness, edge angle or because of the material your cutting?
 
Dao.Hung_105 said:
I'll try it :P


I find VG10 is a bit on the soft side, about 57RC, and the blade is chipping? Do you think blade chipping issue is because of the blade hardness, edge angle or because of the material your cutting?
Click to expand...

i think it just had some brittle steel from the HT, its held up awesome since i last sharpened it, took it to the stones today tho as i hit some chicken wire cutting some stuff by the pen on accident and left a rough spot that didnt come out with stopping or fine stones and i tend to like my edge nearly perfect lol so i worked a burr up on both sides with my course stone and then my fine and now it shaves and i still have extra fine + extra fine arkansas+green compound lol
 
haha
Well maybe yours is just a bit over 57-58RC.
That's good, cuz if I were you I'd rather have my knife a bit on the hard side, it can held up great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top