AFI Performance Flash Batch

[ABX2011]

The Centofante has a fairly shallow hollow grind. I took mine to a diamond stone and turned it into a flat grind. It's nearly zero ground and the edge was easily damaged. Chipping and rolling. After a few sharpenings it's better.
The geometry was too aggressive. That said, I don't think it's a very high hardness. I would guess upper 50s.
I'm attaching a photo. You can see the edge damage. I didn't want to sharpen it all out. Interestingly, I used the knife after regrinding only one side and it was perfect then. Cut much better while still retaining strength.

[Evil D]

The Centofante has a fairly shallow hollow grind. I took mine to a diamond stone and turned it into a flat grind. It's nearly zero ground and the edge was easily damaged. Chipping and rolling. After a few sharpenings it's better.
The geometry was too aggressive. That said, I don't think it's a very high hardness. I would guess upper 50s.
I'm attaching a photo. You can see the edge damage. I didn't want to sharpen it all out. Interestingly, I used the knife after regrinding only one side and it was perfect then. Cut much better while still retaining strength.

There have been a few people here who have tried to zero grind saber grinds with not so great results. Cliff Stamp took a Pacific way down, I'm sure he has a video of it on YouTube. I took a ZDP Delica down to about 10dps with no micro bevel and it wasn't pretty. I sold that knife to a guy I used to work with and he murdered the edge and I even put a healthy not-so-micro micro bevel on it. Then he had it "professionally sharpened" on a grinding wheel...

[Albatross]

I'd love to see 15V on a Delica AFI flash batch. I know Sal and BBB were discussing the steel in another thread, along with protocols for ht, and a sample batch Spyderco has to test out. It kinda seems like the perfect match. We're looking for a high performance steel and Spyderco just so happens to be expecting some 15V to arrive soon by the sounds of it. Spyderco doesn't often send U.S. steels to Japan, but an AFI run would make for a good excuse to break that rule. Just once.

Thanx Shawn,

Would you please email your exact tempering method? We're expecting a sample of 15V and we'd like to try to see if we can do that in production.

sal

Yes, I'll send over the latest protocol.

Thanks Sal.

[awa54]

In concept I'm on board 100%, but the task of picking a design, steel, color and bevel that gets 250 AFIs excited enough to purchase is going to give Sal, Eric & Co. nightmares...

I'd vote for the Centofante 3 (or 4) with standard stock thickness, but in FFG, with a "safe" scale color, or an N5 LW that's ground thinner behind the edge, but has the same spine thickness.

Also, in my opinion any super slicy AFI variants (if ever actually produced) should feature high edge stability steels and be heat treated for near maximum hardness... no S30V need apply!

A Nilakka in AEB-L, Blue Super or 52100 would certainly grab my attention.

[vivi]

The Centofante has a fairly shallow hollow grind. I took mine to a diamond stone and turned it into a flat grind. It's nearly zero ground and the edge was easily damaged. Chipping and rolling. After a few sharpenings it's better.
The geometry was too aggressive. That said, I don't think it's a very high hardness. I would guess upper 50s.
I'm attaching a photo. You can see the edge damage. I didn't want to sharpen it all out. Interestingly, I used the knife after regrinding only one side and it was perfect then. Cut much better while still retaining strength.

There have been a few people here who have tried to zero grind saber grinds with not so great results. Cliff Stamp took a Pacific way down, I'm sure he has a video of it on YouTube. I took a ZDP Delica down to about 10dps with no micro bevel and it wasn't pretty. I sold that knife to a guy I used to work with and he murdered the edge and I even put a healthy not-so-micro micro bevel on it. Then he had it "professionally sharpened" on a grinding wheel...

I've converted a few saber ground Spydercos to scandi grinds. This one has a microbevel but its been stable as a beater.

[ABX2011]

I've taken some to the belt sander too although I prefer doing that with other brands that I consider more disposable.

[jasonstone20]

sal,
I think you are going to make Cliff Stamp's day with the Delica. I would recommend for a steel choice M2, Super Blue, AEB-L, or 52100 and a full height or high hollow grind.

[jasonstone20]

sal,
Also, the blade at the spine doesn't need to be very thin, the regular thickness on a Para 2, Delica or Tenacious would be fine, as long as it is thin behind the edge. I have said performance starts at 15* DPS and "0.015 bte, I call it the rule of 15. A Delica in M2, Super Blue, AEB-L, or 52100 should be able to easily use a geometry of 10* DPS and "0.010 bte.

[aaronkb]

Bump

[sal]

I just received and am testing a Delica with a high hollow grind and thin edge.

sal

[skeeg11]

Which steel?

[JRinFL]

I just received and am testing a Delica with a high hollow grind and thin edge.

sal

Good news!

[sal]

Hi Skeeg,

The steel will be VG-10. I had wanted K390, but the steel was too hard to grind the high hollow. Since it was geometry we are testing, I figured VG-10 would be a good steel for comparison.

salk

[Wartstein]

Hi Skeeg,

The steel will be VG-10. I had wanted K390, but the steel was too hard to grind the high hollow. Since it was geometry we are testing, I figured VG-10 would be a good steel for comparison.

salk

Perfect! :)

[skeeg11]

Thanks Sal.

[ZrowsN1s]

Bummer that K390 didn't work out. The prospect of thin geometry with high edge retention was really exciting.

It will be a purer test of the geometry using VG-10 though. Hopefully this knife will be well received and we can get some different steels in the future, something easier to work with than K390, maybe Magnacut, HAP40, ZDP-189.

[JRinFL]

Hi Skeeg,

The steel will be VG-10. I had wanted K390, but the steel was too hard to grind the high hollow. Since it was geometry we are testing, I figured VG-10 would be a good steel for comparison.

salk

It will allow users to test directly against the Delicas they already own.

[Wartstein]

Bummer that K390 didn't work out. The prospect of thin geometry with high edge retention was really exciting.

It will be a purer test of the geometry using VG-10 though. Hopefully this knife will be well received and we can get some different steels in the future, something easier to work with than K390, maybe Magnacut, HAP40, ZDP-189.

Probably discussed before in this thread, but I personally am glad that it will be VG10:

- For me this is really about geometry, not edge retention
- VG10 is a steel I know and can better compare to other geometries
- I'd test such a blade really to the limit, and minor damages (chips...) will be a lot easier to repair with VG10 than K390
- Same is true for trying differen edge angles - a lot easier to change with VG10

Though I have to admit: I am not a master sharpener. Might be different if one is!

[Evil D]

VG10 is great for comparison sake right now but I do hope that if this idea takes off we do see other steels done this way. Maybe Golden or Taichung can do them if Seki can't?

[xceptnl]

I would actually prefer the VG-10 for comparison purposes. This is great news Sal. Let us know your thoughts when the time is right?