What steel has the sharpest edge? Already have S30V.... want to take it further

wacki said:
Already have S30V, SR101 and a few other steels. What's the sharpest? Right now I'm under the impression that ZDP 189 is. It's brittle so people sandwich is w/ 440C.

Is that the top of the sharp end or is there something sharper?
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Depends on the skill and sharpening materials of the person doing the sharpening.
 
IMHO, there is such a thing as sharp enough, at least for knives. I can drop an edge to 20 degrees inclusive and polish it down to 6000 grit so that it push cuts tissue paper without tearing. Then, if I actually use that knife for 2 minutes that ultra fine edge is gone and I've still got a sharp knife, but I just put in an extra 30-45 minutes of work for that little bit of extra performance. It's kinda fun to do, but I don't generally find it worth the effort.

I will say, you'll notice a much bigger and longer lasting difference in cutting performance from thinning out the edge geometry than from sharpening something to an absurd edge that you'll have to tirelessly work to actually maintain. Get some S90V, M390 or good, hard CPM M4 and take the edge way down to 20 degrees and it'll slice beautifully and hold an edge for just short of forever. Just my 2 cents.
 
if your looking for a stainless, I recomend M390 it has great edge retention. S90V and Elmax are also up there. if your looking non-stainless, I suggest M4, D2 or 1095.

M390 is my favorite becuase it has great edge retention, is not very difficult to sharpen and is stainless so requires less maintenance.
 
unit said:
Not quite.

For any steel or alloy that a reputable knife maker would suggest for a blade, your statements would be somewhat accurate. However there are numerous offerings that are touted as straight razors that prove your statements to be completely wrong. If you like, I can point you to some resources where world renowned hone-meisters (a term reserved for HIGHLY skilled razor honers) have taken the challenge to make some of these blades shave ready (i.e. suitably sharp for shaving) and they cannot accomplish the task.
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Could you post these links? I hope they aren't talking about coticules, jnats, or any other stones that can't cut the carbides, because that isn't a steel issue, that is a hone issue. Removing scratches and reducing the edge radius with diamond, CBN, BC, etc lapping films and sprays should make anything shave ready. Of course, some people complain that Feathers or diamond honed blades are 'too sharp' and have to be drawn through a cork first.
 
hardheart said:
Of course, some people complain that Feathers or diamond honed blades are 'too sharp' and have to be drawn through a cork first.
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Drawing through a cork normally is used to get rid of the wire edge, alternatively one could use deburring pad for the same purpose.
 
Is there not different molecular stuctures in different steels?
if so, then surely a steel can be sharper.

If you zoomed in on a sharpened steel would some steels have blemishes etc
 
An article that mentions steel grain structure.

Sg 2 powder steel.


http://www.kershawknives.com/aboutus.php?brand=shun

Regular stainless steel would be like burlap. Strong but with lots of holes and hard to cut and sew. VG10 would be like denim. Much tighter weave easier to cut for sewing and a lot more durable. SG2 would be like fine silk. Super fine threads for maximum density, super flexible, easiest to cut and sew, and definitely the strongest fabric that will last the longest even though it is the thinnest. In all of the cutting steels that Ihave come across in my 17 years of housewares, SG2 simply blows everything else away for performance, edge retention, and re-sharpening. Because of the powderizing and HIP processes, you end up with an alloy that has a much higher density and grain structure with no imperfections or weak points. Just like silk. This allows us to increase the Rockwell hardness to 64, and the edge will still have flexibility so it won't chip, and can be re-sharpened. Even if it is paper thin.
 
I have found that you get a better experience with spending some more money on a knife (reasonably priced) I got this one junk Boker (ya' know $20 worth) and the grind angles are off so that is a mess to try to get sharp.

Since I went from a 90's Spyderco Delica (That was stolen from me) that was pretty much dull all the time, because I had a junk sharpening stone (yup you guessed it $15 -$20). Since then I've worked up to a ParaMilitary2 in s30v and it has been as much a pleasure as my G-10 cooking knives. also from the use of a Spyderco Sharpmaker.

Some of my buddies have spent some time on the forums, and it is easily found out how to get a good combination.. you guys remember black and white tvs before internet,.. ooh and your uncle who makes his own arrows, that would be one of the best guys to ask about sharpening blades because of his broad-heads. ha-ha, he would tell you the same thing "pay a little bit more and you will have a better experience" -Works for everything. -within reason. That 8cr13mov Kershaw steel is pretty good if you dig stuff from overseas or even some inexpensive Buck knives
 
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I like the laminated super gold powder steel that fallkniven use. Seems to hold a good edge for a wee bit longer than most. On the other hand, plain old carbon steel is my favourite.
 
Gator97 said:
O3? I can't find that anywhere, would you happen to have composition?
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misstype. I ment O2 :P

but I still stand by it - those steels can take egdes of way lower then 20 degrees...
a gyuto (japanese chef knife) made with one of those steels can go down as 7(!) degrees on the edge with a skilled sharpener
 
I will have to agree with coping, I have a kershaw jyd2 ti with SG2, its still the sharpest knife I have. Although I think it has more to do with how thin the blade is... I also have a 1095 custom fixed blade that lethal cutlery forged with a V edge, no micro bevel, that is on the same level.
 
INFI steel by Busse is fantastic. I'm not going to argue that its the 'Best ever' Steel for getting a good edge but its defiantly up there and probably one of the best all round steels you wont find anything tougher with the level of corrosion resistance and edge retention. Can't say I'm much of an expert but from my experience with knife usage (Yes I have tried a few knives) INFI is defiantly one of the best.
 
I get the best results with Spyderco's CPM M4 formula on the Gayle Bradley. I can get it sharp enough it seems biblical and it keeps a great edge for longer than any other steel I've tried.
M390 is pretty good, but I've only tried BM's formula and all of my BM's seem to be softer than metals in other brands.
D2 won't stay stupid sharp, but it'll cut for a long time.
ZDP 189 (ala Spyderco formula) does well.
INFI, for whatever reason, don't cut the mustard for me. I've been scanning this forum for years and have noticed the INFI zealotry by people that seem to know what they're talking about, but I just can't keep a stupid sharp edge for any length of time with it. I'm skilled at sharpening (requirement for my trade), but maybe I'm doing something wrong with INFI. INFI is tough, sure... I wouldn't rely on it for long lasting surgically sharp edges though.
I just got a S90V blade and I'm eager to see how it fares... hear great stuff about it.
Oh yeah, ELMAX is a good edge holder and quite easy to sharpen.

me - my opinion... could be worth 2 cents... maybe less
 
unit said:
Not quite.

For any steel or alloy that a reputable knife maker would suggest for a blade, your statements would be somewhat accurate. However there are numerous offerings that are touted as straight razors that prove your statements to be completely wrong. If you like, I can point you to some resources where world renowned hone-meisters (a term reserved for HIGHLY skilled razor honers) have taken the challenge to make some of these blades shave ready (i.e. suitably sharp for shaving) and they cannot accomplish the task.
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I'd like some specifics here. I've had razor come back from some of these "world renowned" hone-meisters, and they were no sharper than my own attempts.

I seriously doubt that there is a "sharpest" steel.
 
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