XM-18 Sharpening

[rprocter]

I have an XM-18 with DuraTech 20 CV blade which i have been EDCing for over a year now.
it has become quite dull and there are 2 small chips in the edge where it begins to curve towards the tip.
i have used the Sharpie trick with both my EdgePro and SharpMaker and followed with a few light strokes on the ceramic rod at a slightly greater angle. i have no experience with freehand sharpening.
i have not yet fully removed the small chips, but have sharpened all the way to the edge, yet i cannot get it shaving sharp.
actually it was not particularly sharp when i received it and it "binds" if trying to cut through sticks greater than 1/2" diameter.
i would like to know what others with this knife in this steel have experienced as well as any tips to help get the edge truly sharp.
thanks, roland

 

[65535]

If you have an edge pro, you shouldn't have much of a problem with sharpening even getting the chips out. The only thing freehand sharpening would help with is using a very course stone but I'm not sure it would be beneficial to try to fix the bevel on that knife freehand without a lot of experience.

I've never used that particular steel, I freehand btw. but it sounds like your knife is so dull that even though you think you're hitting the edge it's been worn down to the point of almost a slight convex, but just right at the edge not a true convex. The knife is pretty thick I wouldn't really expect it to cut 1/2" sticks without binding due to thickness.

Anyways go at it a little longer with a 120grit stone or better yet a diamond stone in your edgepro make sure you hit both sides evenly. Watch the edgepro video it's a great demo.

 

[Kaizen1]

I edc a Gen 2 XM-18 and it currently can whittle hair. I sharpen freehand. It sounds like it's just a sharpening issue and the 20CV steel isn't part of that problem. If you have chips in your edge, you're going to have to take off a good amount of metal before the chips are gone, even if you're doing the sharpie trick. And trying to take off that much metal with ceramic stones, even if you know what you're doing, will take a loooong time.

The marker ink being gone means that you are sharpening to the edge.The problem is that the chips are not as far as the edge- that portion of the blade has been broken off. So you are sharpening the other parts of the edge that are still in tact. My suggestion is that you don't practice freehand on such a nice knife and you send it to someone to sharpen it out. There are plenty of members on this forum with great reputations and excellent sharpening skills that can do that job for you.