What damages VG-10?

S

SuzukiGS750EZ

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Dec 30, 2008
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I was just thinking about this in the woods today marking out a trail. We had a buck 110 in 420HC. Scraping the hard dirty bark off of trees didn't damage the edge much, i'm sure it dulled it but it didnt damage it. What damages VG-10 as far as rolling, chipping and flat spots? How about tips, why do they break off? I constantly check my blades for flat spots and most of the time i check ill see a shiny tip, i'm guessing from my old sharpening habits which i've broken. But what will damage this knife, specifically my delica which i am having a hard time using. I do this all the time. Spend 100+$ on a knife and then am afraid to use it because of the money i've spent on it. I use the crap out of my SAK's with no remorse but can't bring myself to using my delica right now. I'm sure once i use it and see how good of a user it is ill be fine, but my abilities to sharpen out damage to the blade worry me. What damages a blade in general besides for something harder than it?
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
What damages a blade in general besides for something harder than it?
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Applying more force than the blade will tolerate will damage the blade.

One example, might be using a thin blade as a pry bar.

Another example might be chopping with a very hard blade. What you are chopping does not have to be harder than the blade. It just has to be stronger.
 
People damage knives. If your not reasonable about a certain knifes capabilities, then a damaged knife may be in your future.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
What damages VG-10 as far as rolling, chipping and flat spots?
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That depends on the heat treatment and edge geometry.

No ceramic plates, of course. Don't twist the blade when it's in any tough material, don't do any "light chopping" (this is very hard on thin blades), and don't drop it on any rocks.
 
Use it and find out for yourself, when it goes dull sharpen it.
 
You didn't damage the Buck because it's a cheap, pliable, soft steel. It was not made to give good performance, it was made to withsdtand abuse by people who don't know any better.

The higher end knives will give far better cutting and edge holding performance, but they were designed for "knife people" who don't abuse their blades and don't try to use them for prybars.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
I've never pryed with a knife, thats what prybars and screw drivers are for lol.
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Actually screw drivers are for screwing and unscrewing screws ;):p

Spyderco has a very good VG-10 it will hold up to quite a bit of use, dont be afraid to use your Delica
 
I find VG-10 and 154CM to be very close in wear when edge geometry and heat treat are the same. I can get 154CM a hair sharper, and VG-10 rolls a bit more before chipping compared to 154CM.

They are both fine working steels. Kershaw's 154CM is harder than Benchmade's, which is where I originally learned to love 154CM. Good good stuff. Spyderco's VG-10 seems a bit harder that the Kershaw Lahar, but similar to the Kershaw Nakamura. The Nakamura is a phenominal knife, far under the radar.
 
What damages VG10?

Abuse. That will damage any blade. Unfortunately for me, I've found out the hard way. No prying, screwdriving, chopping with a pocket knife, etc. (Although I have used the screwdriver on an electrician's knife (TL-29 clone) for prying, and it was okay after.

thx - cpr
 
Ben Dover said:
You didn't damage the Buck because it's a cheap, pliable, soft steel. It was not made to give good performance, it was made to withsdtand abuse by people who don't know any better.

The higher end knives will give far better cutting and edge holding performance, but they were designed for "knife people" who don't abuse their blades and don't try to use them for prybars.
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There are many here that will heartedly disagree with that statement.

While 420HC is not the latest super steel or something exotic its a steel that with the Buck HT has GREAT performace at a spectactular price point. Oh by the way it takes a much keener edge than you give it credit for.
 
spidyman said:
There are many here that will heartedly disagree with that statement.

While 420HC is not the latest super steel or something exotic its a steel that with the Buck HT has GREAT performace at a spectactular price point. Oh by the way it takes a much keener edge than you give it credit for.
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uh yeah; i disagree too...while 420hc doesn't hold the edge (edge holding being relative to what work you're doing on it) as long as a "super steel", it sharpens up way faster and gets back into service sooner...as for performance, buck 420hc blades have 50+ years of it...
 
Careful where you cut... Any time you place something on the ground, metal surfaces, stone and ceramics there is a fair chance that it can damage the blade/ tip.
 
spidyman said:
There are many here that will heartedly disagree with that statement.

While 420HC is not the latest super steel or something exotic its a steel that with the Buck HT has GREAT performance at a spectacular price point. Oh by the way it takes a much keener edge than you give it credit for.
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420HC is barely qualified as a knife steel. Looking at the specs it is in the same league as AUS-4, something a lot of people would abhor having on a knife.

People give credit to the heat treat. While it is good, polishing up a turd doesn't make it any better.
 
The most damaging thing to any steel is an idiot who hasn't realised that a knife is for cutting.
 
Josh K said:
420HC is barely qualified as a knife steel. Looking at the specs it is in the same league as AUS-4, something a lot of people would abhor having on a knife.

People give credit to the heat treat. While it is good, polishing up a turd doesn't make it any better.
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People also forget what knives are used for in the real world. I daresay I qualify as a 'knife person' and I'm not willing to bash Buck's 420. There are a whole lot of 110's and 119's out there giving good service to their users avery day.

Just as a thought exercise I tried really hard to remember all the cutting tasks I have done this past week. I can't think of a thing I did (and I did quite a bit) that really required the superior edgeholding of ZDP 189. A plastic clamshell pack can't tell the difference between the Chinese mystery steel in the Rough Rider on my desk and the S90V in my Manix 2. The pencil I sharpened with my ZDP Delica probably didn't realize it was being honored to be sharpened by so great a steel.

Yes, VG-10 is a significantly better steel.... to those who know the difference. But 420 in the hands of Buck makes a far better knife than he average consumer will ever appreciate. You just don't happen to be the average consumer, so you notice the difference. My Dad carried a Buck folder for several years and loved it. He would have hated VG-10. "Too hard to sharpen!"
 
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