- Joined
- Apr 7, 2021
- Messages
- 5
I have a Benchmade Barrage with S30V Steel and it seems like it has poor edge retention now. I need to sharpen it basically every week or two with minimal use. When I first bought it, it had the factory edge (which was literally razor sharp and stayed that way for a long time), then I did not have a can opener, so I cut a aluminum can open with the knife (which it did flawlessly with no damage except dulling), then had it professionally re-sharpened by the store I bought it from (who is a certified Benchmade dealer, and says that they can put a factory edge on it), it is never as sharp as the original factory edge, nor is the edge retention as good. Now regarding it is not as sharp as the original facory edge, that has an explaination, he claims that he sharpens so many knives that he doesn't have time to do special edges or super sharp edges that a lot of people request. Even my Buck 119 knife and my $10 Home Depot knife has better edge retention currently than my Benchmade Barrage. The professional knife sharpener also told me that the sharper that you make a knife the weaker the blade will be and so not putting a razor edge on it is a compromise between strength and sharpness.
Ever since cutting that can, I have had such poor edge retention that I simply open a few boxes (cutting the tape, not the cardboard) and cut some paper (in testing) and whatever sharp edge it had from sharpening goes away almost instantly.
I used the Lifesharp service one time and they did not get it as sharp as the original factory edge, and nor did it solve the issue of the edge retention. I had some guy at a local gun show sharpen it recently and that has had the best results so far. I went 3 weeks of mild use (instead of one week) before the "razor edge" went away.
I bought the knife specifically because it is a Benchmade (which have very good knives), and because it is made of S30V (which is very good steel). I know that S30V is not designed to have a razor edge like S110V or 420HC is, however, it had a razor edge from the factory. I see YouTube videos of people who take a Benchmade knife made from S30V and they are able to cut 200+ pieces of cardboard before it will stop removing hair from their arm. The original edge that I had would have been able to do that, but the current edge is one piece of cardboard before it will remove hair if the professional sharpened it sharp enough to do so in the first place).
I would sharpen the knife myself, but I lack the fancy equipment and only have a wetstone to sharpen it with. Did I get a bad blade, did the can damage it beyond repair, or is S30V not that good of steel?
Ever since cutting that can, I have had such poor edge retention that I simply open a few boxes (cutting the tape, not the cardboard) and cut some paper (in testing) and whatever sharp edge it had from sharpening goes away almost instantly.
I used the Lifesharp service one time and they did not get it as sharp as the original factory edge, and nor did it solve the issue of the edge retention. I had some guy at a local gun show sharpen it recently and that has had the best results so far. I went 3 weeks of mild use (instead of one week) before the "razor edge" went away.
I bought the knife specifically because it is a Benchmade (which have very good knives), and because it is made of S30V (which is very good steel). I know that S30V is not designed to have a razor edge like S110V or 420HC is, however, it had a razor edge from the factory. I see YouTube videos of people who take a Benchmade knife made from S30V and they are able to cut 200+ pieces of cardboard before it will stop removing hair from their arm. The original edge that I had would have been able to do that, but the current edge is one piece of cardboard before it will remove hair if the professional sharpened it sharp enough to do so in the first place).
I would sharpen the knife myself, but I lack the fancy equipment and only have a wetstone to sharpen it with. Did I get a bad blade, did the can damage it beyond repair, or is S30V not that good of steel?