Community Sharpening Journal

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Doeswhatever, glad you're getting into freehand sharpening!

Thanks Pelagic my work is a bit rough and not too attractive right now but it sure does cut :)

[vivi]

That's the important part! Once you get bored with purely functional edges, then you can worry about cosmetics :)

[Cambertree]

Maybe I am missing something, Cambertree but is this just 1 knife the PM2 S30V you are having the crumbling blade issue with?

If so perhaps it has a flawed heart treatment? Might be worth sending it into Sal and let them look at it seems to me with all the ways you have tried and your skill level what you are experiencing should not be happening.

Yes it seems to be.

As mentioned, despite my experiences with this S30V PM2, I do have four other S30V knives. They seem to be ok, although I always nurse them a little in use, and I'd like to get past that feeling that I have to baby S30V a bit - which is probably just down to this one outlier of a knife.

The custom Loveless style 4" drop point I have seems fine - although that only gets used on dressing out game - mostly Sambar deer. I run that with an edge straight off the diamond SM rods, then a couple of aligning passes on the brown rods or a ceramic 'steel'.

The Yo2 has never been used except to test cut paper. I've stropped it lightly.

The lefty Millie and Kapara have both been thinned out and microbevelled lightly at 15dps, then very lightly at 20dps, but I haven't used them very extensively.

I don't think I would feel right sending the knife back to Spyderco, considering that I've already used and resharpened it a lot for over five years. I do have trust that most of Spyderco's S30V doesn't behave like this, and I'd like to try working through it a bit more before I consider asking them to check it.

I think my next course of action will be to alternate carrying another S30V knife - probably the lefty Millie or Kapara - every other day along with the problem child PM2.

I have noticed that the microchipping seems to have cleared up except for the tip area of the knife and around 1" back from the tip. I'm hoping if I keep stripping away more steel every time I see some microchips, I'll get down to good steel.

Here's a slightly better pic with the phone camera lens held right up to the 10x loupe:



You can see the scratches from the coarse 60 grit diamond stropping paste. :eek:

I've always felt strongly that most knife users are going to see a bigger jump in edge holding by improving sharpening skills rather than buying a new steel. I get over twice the edge retention from VG10 and S30V compared to when I first started sharpening them.

Yep, I agree with this 100%, Vivi. :cool:

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

oh I did not mean to return it to Spyderco for warranty or anything like that but I have see where they have asked folks to send things in so they could check them out.

Helps Spyderco and helps us when they figure out where something did not go quite right and why.

In your case I was thinking they might want to test it to see what was going on in this instance.

[vivi]

I was picking up some stuff at a hardware store and I noticed some $3 combination benchstones. No box, brand name, nothing, but I figured for $3 why not mess around with one? I think I'm going to see what I can do using just that stone on a really dull knife. May even make a video with it.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

The boss showed me the knife he was carrying and asked if I would sharpen it for him. He said it was his son's. His son thought he had lost it.

I think it is a Benchmade Mini Griptilian in 154CM will take it to the Atoma Plates and get all the chips out of the poor little thing. if you run your fingernail down what is left of the edge it has more in common with a dull serrated edge than a plain one.

Here are the before pictures, will share the after pictures once I am done. Guess we are going to see if what I learned from Murray Carter was worthwhile or not. :D

[Bloke]

May even make a video

[vivi]

Forgot to include a picture of that POS stone:

The boss showed me the knife he was carrying and asked if I would sharpen it for him. He said it was his son's. His son thought he had lost it.

I think it is a Benchmade Mini Griptilian in 154CM will take it to the Atoma Plates and get all the chips out of the poor little thing. if you run your fingernail down what is left of the edge it has more in common with a dull serrated edge than a plain one.

Here are the before pictures, will share the after pictures once I am done. Guess we are going to see if what I learned from Murray Carter was worthwhile or not. :D

That's pretty rough! Looks like someone tried to sharpen it at a more obtuse angle than factory too. It'll be really satisfying restoring that back to a smooth cutting edge.

[jpm2]

My mistake.

[jpm2]

The boss showed me the knife he was carrying and asked if I would sharpen it for him. He said it was his son's. His son thought he had lost it.

I think it is a Benchmade Mini Griptilian in 154CM will take it to the Atoma Plates and get all the chips out of the poor little thing. if you run your fingernail down what is left of the edge it has more in common with a dull serrated edge than a plain one.

Yeah the 556 is a mini grip. I have a couple in m4 and one s30v. Also a 555 m4. Gave the 154cm and D2 versions away, but still have the mini stryker in that steel.
It shouldn't take long to remove the damage and get it razor sharp. Benchmade 154cm sharpens up very easy and really well.

[Cambertree]

oh I did not mean to return it to Spyderco for warranty or anything like that but I have see where they have asked folks to send things in so they could check them out.

Helps Spyderco and helps us when they figure out where something did not go quite right and why.

In your case I was thinking they might want to test it to see what was going on in this instance.

Ah, no worries Doeswhatever. Yes, I’ll keep that option open. My guess is that the issue is due to overheating, either from the edge going into heat treat ground too thin, as Jpm2 mentioned, or from powered grinding heat buildup burning the thin edge area when setting the factory edge.

Hopefully I’ll be able to report that the whole issue has settled down soon.

That Benchmade will be a good test. It looks to me like the sort of edge damage that results from being repeatedly pulled through one of those worthless tungsten carbide V ‘sharpeners’.

You could use Cliff Stamp’s plateau sharpening technique of grinding away all that fatigued and damaged steel, holding the knife at right angles, as if cutting into the stone, before sharpening to a fresh edge.

Looking forward to the video, Vivi.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Darn sorry I did not read about the Cliff Stamp technique first. Oh well part of this great thread.

Just finished and it is not pretty :) Knew it would not be but he is a hard user not a collector so he will love the performance, and yes he is prone to using those garbage v cut so called sharpening tools.

I thinned the secondary edge first but I have to say I sharpened a S30V Cold Steel and the Black coating bench made uses is very weak by comparison to Cold Steel and Spyderco. Color me clumsy yes and also unimpressed.

The steel is very easy to work with repair was easy.

So I took pictures along the way started with Atoma 140 took pictures at each step and went to 1200 then stropped with a wicked edge balsa wood strop at 3.5 micron free hand. While it is not pretty it is wonderfully sharp.

Each picture starts with Atoma Grit being used showing honest work and effort that can only get better Lol.

[Cambertree]

Nice work, mate.

Yeah, I find it quite a challenge to do most of the work on the Atoma 140. It's easy to leave scratches up the flats. I usually lay down a bit of electric tape to prevent this, as even if you are holding a super consistent angle, a loose piece of coarse diamond grit can leave gouges.. Did you have to adjust your sharpening angle to account for the thumbstud? One more reason why the Spydiehole is such a great design feature. I'm not that familiar with Benchmades, but I believe you can remove the thumbstuds when sharpening.

If he's been using pull through sharpeners, then this knife will probably be the sharpest it's ever been - especially since you've thinned it behind the edge. Good stuff, and good on ya for jumping in freehand - he should be well pleased with it.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Interesting what you are saying about the 140 is this an issue once they have broken in?

Have to admit I like the feedback from the King Waterstone better.

The Atoma 140 was used for swift material removal and it certainly did. I probably could have started with the 400 and stopped at 600 then went to paste but wanted to break the Diamonds in some more.

I considered taking the thumb-studs out but decided to leave them in. The angle I used is how Murray Carter sharpens not perpendicular to the stone but at an angle.

Little knives are more difficult than large ones I have found that to be true even with guided systems.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

You know I think I am deep down the knife rabbit hole. I actually carry a back up knife in my tool kit it is a Cold Steel Broken Skull.

Yesterday my boss wanted me to sharpen his knife the one shown above, he said but dang it I hate being without a knife. Knowing how he felt I handed the broken skull to him so he would not be in a terrible way, that is to say Knifeless. Lol now I am lending knives while sharpening them and repairing them for others and for free. Ha, Ha, Ha I laugh at me.

Today I brought the Benchmade to work and asked him to never put it through another carbide V shaped sharpener toy. He laughed. Then I took out some telephone book paper and gave him a nice demonstration Lol I wish you guys could have seen the look on his face as he exclaimed Wow! Now that is sharp.

He could care less about the black coating getting diamond trails all he wanted was a super sharp blade to work with. I also learned a valuable lesson about the Atoma 140 thanks for pointing that out Cambertree.

[Deadboxhero]

Just lock your wrist more so it doesn't cause the blade to wobble when moving back and forth.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Just lock your wrist more so it doesn't cause the blade to wobble when moving back and forth.

Thank you, I appreciate the tip.

[Deadboxhero]

Just lock your wrist more so it doesn't cause the blade to wobble when moving back and forth.

Thank you, I appreciate the tip.

There might be more useful tips in this video.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Thank you for the video your technique of sharpening is very similar to the way Murray Carter teaches in his DVD’s.

I really got allot out of this video and appreciate the detailed explanation especially the points you made about correct pressure.

I saw how you thinned out a Spydie Chef a while back and know you are great at this.

Do you have any tips for thinning out the secondary edge With stones?

Thanks again.

[The Meat man]

You know I think I am deep down the knife rabbit hole. I actually carry a back up knife in my tool kit it is a Cold Steel Broken Skull.

Yesterday my boss wanted me to sharpen his knife the one shown above, he said but dang it I hate being without a knife. Knowing how he felt I handed the broken skull to him so he would not be in a terrible way, that is to say Knifeless. Lol now I am lending knives while sharpening them and repairing them for others and for free. Ha, Ha, Ha I laugh at me.

Today I brought the Benchmade to work and asked him to never put it through another carbide V shaped sharpener toy. He laughed. Then I took out some telephone book paper and gave him a nice demonstration Lol I wish you guys could have seen the look on his face as he exclaimed Wow! Now that is sharp.

He could care less about the black coating getting diamond trails all he wanted was a super sharp blade to work with. I also learned a valuable lesson about the Atoma 140 thanks for pointing that out Cambertree.

Nice work Doeswhatever!

That's exactly what I did once, except I lent my most expensive Spyderco (Advocate) to my co-worker for a couple days while I sharpened up his Kershaw Launch 7. He's a bit of a knife guy and besides I don't think he could've hurt the Advocate if he tried. :) It was his favorite of all my knives and I thought I'd give him a chance to try it out. Fast forward a couple months later, and now all he carries is his own Advocate (purchased at discontinued close-out price.)