W&SS Makers Challenge Knife

[Big Chris]

This is .095" CPM M4, 10.2" OAL with a 5.56" Blade, FFG, HT to 64-65 Rc by me.
I got very frustrated trying to finish this knife. For some reason it was harder to finish than some 10V knives I have made.
The best I could get was a 240 belt finish. My 320 SiC belts didn't seem to cut at all.
I rounded the top and bottom of the scales more than I normally would and it made a pretty big difference in the comfort level, so I learned something new on this knife as well.
Any comments, questions, and critiques are welcome.
Thanks for looking

 

[MeatRobot]

Looks like a sweet knife!
Look froward to hear how it preforms at that high hardness, I got 4 ground out but not heat treated yet.
I guess there is no point in going with CPM M4 unless your going over 62rc because finishing problems.
What grit did you have it finished to before heat treat?

 

[Big Chris]

Before HT it was only finished to 120. I did a very low flat grind to minimize straightening issues. The largest majority of grinding was after HT. This is where high quality belts like Blaze are worth the money. I have found that the cheap ceramics will not cut these high hardness high alloy steels very efficiently. It is ground to .007" to .008" before sharpening.

 

[fumbler]

That handle shaping and finish looks great. Nice design/fit/finish overall.