What is the hardest steel to sharpen?

Neo said:
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/M42_HSS_Inlay_Knife_Steel.html
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I know what M42 is, just never seen it used in a knife. They are typically used at very high hardnesses so it would be interesting to see the steel adapted for knife use. These days people either pick M2 or CPM M4 for knives. A "CPM M2" would be nice as it would be real tough.

AMRaider said:
I usually take the bevel all the way to a mirror polish, so sharpening any knife takes me some time. How long it takes, really depends on the grind, and on the temper, not just the type of steel.

And even though it has a lower carbide %, 154CM at RC 57-59 in chisel grind is harder for me to sharpen than S30V at RC 58-59 in standard double V. Consistent with that is AUS8 at RC 57-59 in double V, which sharpens up very fast for me.
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I do mirror polishes too, but it only takes maybe 15 minutes to go from 220 grit to mirror polish. It's the bevel-setting that takes me a while. If I have to remove significant amounts of metal I go to the power tools.

154CM actually has more carbide volume than S30V. It's 17.5% versus 14%. S30V's vanadium carbides are harder at 85 hrc though. The silicon carbide in ceramic sharpeners is even harder and has no issue handling it.
 
yultuz said:
ZDP-189 whose HRC is 67.
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Only McHenry Williams uses it to that hardness, right? How was the sharpening experience?

My ZDP-189 Mule I beleive is 65-66 hrc, it was actually not so bad, but significantly worse than the common cutlery steels like 154CM/S30V.
 
I use diamond stones so nothing is really hard to sharpen, some things just take longer. ZDP and M4 seem to take the longest time to sharpen.
 
since i use the paper wheels there isnt any steel thats hard for me to sharpen. some just take a minute or two longer.
 
Hands down, the most difficult bladesteel I've ever dealt with was when Spyderco reduced the RC hardness on their CPM440V and made it too soft (in an effort to solve their chipping issues). That was a poor move. Those blades should have NEVER hit the market. With all that vanadium in there and the "pakistan" heat treat, it was impossible to get rid of that wire edge. Frustrating to say the least. I've often wondered if it would be possible to send my Starmate off to Paul Bos and have it re-heattreated. Is that even a word? :o
 
Harry Callahan said:
Hands down, the most difficult bladesteel I've ever dealt with was when Spyderco reduced the RC hardness on their CPM440V and made it too soft (in an effort to solve their chipping issues). That was a poor move. Those blades should have NEVER hit the market. With all that vanadium in there and the "pakistan" heat treat, it was impossible to get rid of that wire edge. Frustrating to say the least. I've often wondered if it would be possible to send my Starmate off to Paul Bos and have it re-heattreated. Is that even a word? :o
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You can indeed send it off to get it re-heat treated. What's funny to me is that softening high-carbide steels doesn't really solve the chipping issues either, according to anecdotes I've heard of S90V being 55-56 and still chipping during chopping.

I remove my burr with a ceramic rod, just one light angled stroke on the edge removes it. Most of the steels I use stop burring past a certain grit though, very dependant on sharpening pressure of course.
 
Spyderco Paramilitary CPM-D2, hands down, but I think its because of the factory grind (and possibly me still trying a wrong angle). All the S90V and ZDP-189 I have sharpens up nicely for me.
 
cotdt said:
You can indeed send it off to get it re-heat treated. What's funny to me is that softening high-carbide steels doesn't really solve the chipping issues either, according to anecdotes I've heard of S90V being 55-56 and still chipping during chopping.

I remove my burr with a ceramic rod, just one light angled stroke on the edge removes it. Most of the steels I use stop burring past a certain grit though, very dependant on sharpening pressure of course.
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That's because you shouldn't use S90V for chopping.
 
I found SG2 really long wearing, and the burr is so hard to remove, even with power tools.

Everything else is cake with a belt sander and some paper wheels. Like Richard said, only takes a bit more patience.
 
J_Curd said:
I found SG2 really long wearing, and the burr is so hard to remove, even with power tools.

Everything else is cake with a belt sander and some paper wheels. Like Richard said, only takes a bit more patience.
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I just have a Sharpmaker, and yes, it took awhile for a hair splitting edge on Sg2, but it will hold it forever also.
 
Vascowear built it's reputation as tough to sharpen back in the days before diamond and ceramic sharpening systems. Rebeveling RC61 Vascowear on an arkansas was not fun. Like D2 at RC62. It's not bad at all compared to it's reputation with my DMT's. I find hard D2 and ZDP more difficult to sharpen.

I don't mind wear resistant steels at all. I hate chasing flopping burrs and overly soft steel much more.

ZDP is not difficult when you learn it. It takes technique and more tham an arkansas soft or medium. DMT's are fine with proper technique.
 
D2 for me. That is, out of the steels I have tried to sharpen. Haven't tried anything like S90V or ZDP.
 
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