What is the hardest steel to sharpen?

I know this is digging up an old thread but this is basically the topic I was going to start a thread with so better to continue this one, I hope. It's time for a new knife and I want something that is as difficult to sharpen as possible, in a good way. Please rule out Maxamet and 15v as I already have an example of both. While Maxamet can be interesting to sharpen I don't find it difficult or slow.

In the interest of the thread, the most difficult knife material I have ever sharpened was Kyocera black ceramic, the hardest, most chippy stuff I have sharpened yet and probably taught me the most about knife sharpening of any one material.
 
Ferro Titanit WFN at 71.2rc
Diemaker said:
I know this is digging up an old thread but this is basically the topic I was going to start a thread with so better to continue this one, I hope. It's time for a new knife and I want something that is as difficult to sharpen as possible, in a good way. Please rule out Maxamet and 15v as I already have an example of both. While Maxamet can be interesting to sharpen I don't find it difficult or slow.

In the interest of the thread, the most difficult knife material I have ever sharpened was Kyocera black ceramic, the hardest, most chippy stuff I have sharpened yet and probably taught me the most about knife sharpening of any one material.
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Sounds like hen's teeth. Who is making knives out of that? And what is a knife blade out of it like? Have you played with it yet?
 
Diemaker said:
Sounds like hen's teeth. Who is making knives out of that? And what is a knife blade out of it like? Have you played with it yet?
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Half the matrix is Titanium Carbide at 3200 Hardness Vickers vs Vanadium Carbide found in more common steels at 2800 Hardness Vickers
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1000x micrograph

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Chemistry

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Customized the heat treatment protocol

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71.2rc Hardness


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Took this many belts to grind thin.


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11dps,10bte

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Ferro Titanit WFN
 
Are the guys who say S30V is hard to sharpen, not using diamond stones?

Some say it is hard to sharpen, others say it is not.

I haven't had to actually sharpen my PM2 yet. I can strop it back to hair shaving when it does lose that edge. Haven't had to take it to a stone yet.
 
I agree... too many people reach for a stone or ceramic when a strop is all thats needed
 
S110V is the most challenging steel to sharpen I've encountered, but the results are worth it. My Military cuts like a miniature chainsaw and the edge lasts a long, long time.
 
All the comments on S30V are scaring me, LOL.

Hopefully mine won't be too bad when I do have to take it to the stone.
 
Will Batayte said:
First off I use a Sharpmaker.

I find S30V and D2 to be tough.

I absolutely love 154CM on my Benchmades. It takes an insane edge really quickly.
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I had to double check your name to make sure I didn't write this.

A lot depends on what the OP means by difficult to sharpen. If he means it takes forever to remove any steel and makes my stones cry in agony, then YEP I am right there with you - D2 and S30v. If he means never really seems to get that sharp no matter what, then- the old ATS34 Benchmade used to use. I can never get that sharp. Their 154CM, on the other hand, will take a serious edge pretty easily. Not sure what changed..... other than one seems to suck and the other doesn't.

I have never played around with M390, M4, S90v, or any of the newer super steels. I am a simple man. Gimme some 1095 (with Rowen's HT), 5160, or 52100 (with SRKW's HT) and I stay pretty happy :)
 
I recently acquired a DMT hard coat stone to use on tougher steels. It has worked well, especially ZPD-189.
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Alberta Ed said:
S110V is the most challenging steel to sharpen I've encountered, but the results are worth it. My Military cuts like a miniature chainsaw and the edge lasts a long, long time.
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2nd on that. Although I don’t find any steel to be all that difficult to sharpen some are just more time consuming but I wouldn’t call that difficult. & I use water stones only diamond if I need to reprofile
 
If you mean harder as in difficult, none really some just take longer than others, I guess certain ones have a stubborn burr, that can be annoying when the burr takes ages to get rid of. Some of the steels I found that took long to reprofile are some M2 HT to 65+ HRC, it did take ages to profile that, but it took a really nice keen edge. People say K390 is difficult, I have had no trouble with it. I can reprofile S30V and S35VN on soft king whetstones I don't see those as hard. Depends what stones you are using, I think people have trouble with certain steels if they use guided systems because you can't really put much pressure on the steel so it will probably take longer to remove lots of material on high wear steels on those dinky little guided rod stones.
Doing it freehand on large stones doesn't take that long, you can always use diamond stones which cuts wear steels pretty fast.
I was told a few times that King stones can't even sharpen S30V but I completely reprofiled S30V from a dull 1mm edge to shaving sharp within 15 mins on a King stone.
If you micro bevel the high wear steels they are all pretty easy to touch up on rods (Diamond or ceramic) without even hitting a stone. I was sent in a S110V for sharpening and was told it's just too dificult to sharpen, I never noticed it honestly, just took a little more patience but didn't react bad or anything. I keep hearing rumors that these steels are tough to sharpen but haven't found one yet that's gave me a hard time. I will tell you what did give me a hard time though Tungsten carbide at 90 HRC, I'm never sharpening that ever again, screw that stuff.
 
So far, I haven't had to go below a 200-300 grit Diamond stone to sharpen
steels as hard as Spyderco's ZDP-189 and S110V
I have a Manix2 in S110v and an Endura in ZDP-189
My Delicas in Vtoku2, Super Gold, and HAP-40 are pretty hard as well.
I think with all of these the combination of FFG and thin edge geometry make sharpening much easier.
I wouldn't want any thicker a blade than my Manix in any of these high HRC steels.

Sharpening on anything softer than diamond stones will often take a long time with these types of steels
if you're edge is truly dull or has any significant rolls or chips. Ceramic is good for touch-ups.
Lately I've been using Spyderco's combination CBN/ fine white ceramic stone for most of my sharpening.
I don't touch the ceramic much though.
These high-carbide steels cut better with a coarse, toothy edge for utility purposes.
 
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