Which steel are you able to get the sharpest?

Surfingringo

Surfingringo

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May 25, 2013
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Just curious if there are any particular steels y'all find take a really sharp edge. Over the last few months I've worked with s30v, cpm154, h1, bd1, cts204p, m4 and a few others. I think of all those, I was able to get the craziest edges on bd1. I seem to remember m4 getting quite sharp as well, but I didn't have that knife long enough to work with it a lot. Cts204p is probably my least favorite of the bunch.

What about you guys? Anybody have a particular steel that you find you can get sharper than any other? Vg10? Superblue? Other carbon steels?
 
Being very thin made of carbon steel and at a high hardness usually allows for the greatest sharpness. White paper steel @64+ Rc can be made very sharp, I have also had good experience with M4, 52100, ZDP, and 1095. A lot of skip joint knives though not very hard are typically very thin and can be made extremely sharp.
 
Had good luck with s30v in bucks vantage pro. Opinels carbon steel, and moras carbon steel. 14c in kershaws ener g2
 
I've sharpened 154CM, D2, S30V, ect.

The sharpest I've ever got was Spyderco's VG-10 on an Endura. It was literally scary sharp. As in I didn't want to carry much because I didn't want to cut myself.
 
aquaman67 said:
I've sharpened 154CM, D2, S30V, ect.

The sharpest I've ever got was Spyderco's VG-10 on an Endura. It was literally scary sharp. As in I didn't want to carry much because I didn't want to cut myself.
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Yeah, I've heard that vg10 takes a nice edge. I have a feeling I would like that steel, but unfortunately I don't have anything in it....yet. ;)
 
Honestly probably 1095 on my 2012 Bladeforums traditional knife. I have gotten S30v and D2 very sharp but nothing like that. The blades seem to be pretty thin and took an exceptional edge. I could whittle free hanging hair. Scary light saber sharp.
They respond very well on a strop. Just a couple light passes bring the edge right back.
 
Good 1095 seems to get there the easiest; Schrade's older USA blades are my gold standard for the edges they'll take & hold, and the ease with which it can be done. Over time, I've also gradually stumbled into finding ways to duplicate the 1095's results on other steels like Opinel's XC90 'carbone' and also their 12C27Mod stainless (which REALLY has impressed me). Earlier comments re: VG-10 I agree with as well; it continues to surprise me, in finding new ways to finesse it up another notch. I sometimes even think D2 can approach this, though it takes a long time and a lot of patience. If persistent, the ceiling keeps raising with it.

The first knives I was able to sharpen to literal hair-whittling have been some rather 'lowly' stainless steels, such as Case's 420HC (Tru-Sharp) and some unknown-variety of Chinese stainless in an $8 'Chicago Cutlery' kitchen utility knife purchased at Walmart. I had used guided systems to put edges on those, so my own 'skills' at the time had little to do with it. But the 'cheap' steels really surprised me, in the edges they're capable of taking (holding them is another story).

Basically, anything with good heat treat (affects grain size) and minimal bulky carbides are always easier to put super-fine edges on. I'm sure this is why well-executed 1095 is a pure joy to sharpen up.


David
 
I really love how fine of an edge I can get with 1095. Superblue takes a VERY wicked edge as well!
 
my sharpest knives are all either, 1095, Vg10, M4, or ZDP - but geometry matters quite a bit as well.
 
I think a lot of it depends on the thickness of the blade, but my sharpest knives are made of 52100 carbon steel. I would say a close second is a knife that I have in s35.
 
Opinel XC90 without question, followed by other carbon steels, then m4.

I have a custom (hollow ground, thin geometry) Santoku coming that is being made with cts xhp @ 61hrc. I'm very curious as to how that'll sharpen up.
 
I can put any edge I want on any knife I want. Want a ceramic with a 640,000 grit edge. I can do it. Want a K390 mule with a 30k edge (a true 30k edge) I can do it.

Doesn't matter.

What matters is what geometry and finish the steel is capable of holding. While some take more time than others , if I run into anything too rough I have diamonds from 165 micron (coarser than a DMT XXC and an Atoma 140) , all the way to finer than 0.025 micron.
 
Geometry over metallurgy IMHO. I have a Kreined CQC-11 (154CM) that is sinister-sharp, and easily so. I have been able to put a pretty sick edge on my Southard (CTS 204P) and have a S30V WilZaan that has been on a Wicked Edge to the point of mirror polish that is a laser. Again, geometry.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Basically, anything with good heat treat (affects grain size) and minimal bulky carbides are always easier to put super-fine edges on. I'm sure this is why well-executed 1095 is a pure joy to sharpen up.
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Quoted for truth! Of course thin stock and keen bevels to start with help a lot, too. It really is as simple as that :)

Strigamort said:
I have a custom (hollow ground, thin geometry) Santoku coming that is being made with cts xhp @ 61hrc. I'm very curious as to how that'll sharpen up.
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I suspect you'll like it. XHP is pretty fine-grained. An excellent steel :thumbup:
 
My tenacious will get STUPID sharp! Probably the sharpest I own right now. And a close second would be my 89 Buck 110 FG. Its the 425M steel. It wont hold that edge forever but it's easy to touch up.
 
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