Community Sharpening Journal

[ncrockclimb]

Nice work. Maxamet is not the easiest steel to sharpen, but it is far from impossible and rewarding when you get it right.

I put off working on this knife for a while because of all the Maxamet horror stories. The edge was super sharp from the factory, so I used it "as is" for months. After working on it, I have to say it is just slightly more time consuming than REX45 or M4, and not any more difficult to get a good edge. I am excited to see how it performs now that the edge angle is more acute.

[Wandering_About]

Nice work. Maxamet is not the easiest steel to sharpen, but it is far from impossible and rewarding when you get it right.

I put off working on this knife for a while because of all the Maxamet horror stories. The edge was super sharp from the factory, so I used it "as is" for months. After working on it, I have to say it is just slightly more time consuming than REX45 or M4, and not any more difficult to get a good edge. I am excited to see how it performs now that the edge angle is more acute.

I find it does better with a microbevel of maybe 15 degrees. The edge isn't super stable with such extreme hardness and carbide volume. At least that's been my experience, yours may be different. It's worth experimenting!

Would agree that it's only a bit more difficult than REX 45, and Maxamet deburrs very well. Actually having used both, Maxamet puts me a bit on the fence with REX 45... Maxamet is not that much more difficult to maintain and I certainly noticed better edge holding with it.

[Big John]

First experience with "Ultra Sharp" Diamond plates, which I ordered by accident while looking for replacement DMT's.

Set of 3 comes with 300, 600, and 1200 grit 8x3 plates.

Decided to start easy. I had an old Cold Steel Recon 1 in CTS XHP (back when they had a decent heat treat) laying around that needed an edge.

While the apex was dull, it was still somewhat useable, and the bevels from the previous sharpening looked fine. I decided that I wanted to sharpen the knife without forming a burr (or keep it as small as possible). With all passes being toward me, alternating hands, I only did about 5 passes per side, then 2 per side, and then many alternating passes. At one point I did achieve a small burr on the 300 grit plate, and made my already light pressure even lighter. The micro burr was extremely difficult to detect after this. I kept doing alternating passes for a good 5 minutes, monitoring the sharpness and inspecting the bevels and apex. I kept going after achieving shaving sharpness to see how far the sharpness would come up, but it seemed shaving sharpness was possibly as good as I could achieve (above the skin, it would only barely attempt to catch/jump off arm hairs). I kept on thinking, at this point on a DMT 325 the sharpness would have been slightly higher. I called it quits and moved on to the 600 grit plate, using alternating passes off the rip. 5 minutes later, with no detectable burr having formed, the sharpness was higher. It was catching hairs more readily, and felt stickier to the touch. I couldn't help but remember the many times I've achieved hair whittling sharpness off a DMT 600 grit plate or stone. I decided to strop it with some 2 micron diamond compound on paper and see what comes up. 10 passes later, it was quite sharp, just a step below hair whittling.

I do not consider this a complete sharpening, and I am not going to judge this product yet. But so far, it seems DMT 325 grit plate yields a far more aggressive edge than the Ultra Sharp 300 or the Atoma 400 for that matter. I'm going to try again later. Once I get a good idea of how these plates do on CTS XHP, I may try another more mild steel (Spyderco 8cr would provide interesting feedback), or I may go straight to k390. I'll post more updates on this accidental purchase later. Anyone else have these?

[Big John]

Update on the Ultra Sharp plates.

I sharpened my stretch 2 in k390 ultra light pressure through all 3 stones. While the edge is extremely aggressive, the sharpness isn't quite where it should be. More importantly, it has smoothed over the portions of the plate I was using in one use. In one use I have removed a considerable amount of diamonds from the matrix. I'm sure there is a break in period as with most other plates, but this seems so premature that I feel the quality is lacking. Just ordered a DMT coarse plate. I gave the ultra sharp plates a chance. I haven't given up on them completely, but they will likely be reserved for stock removal on softer knives at this point.

[Jurmuscle]

I'm going to be sharpening my pm2 cruwear for the first time soon. On the sharpmaker. It's not dull dull but I wanna resharpen. Would you reccomend microbevel on the 20dps or just stick to 15dps? What's pros and cons to both. Thanks.

[Steeltoez83]

Spent a few minutes with spy27 on my 400 super vit stone. I have been eye balling a goniometer to verify what my edge angles actually are. Versus making educated guesses.

[Wandering_About]

I'm going to be sharpening my pm2 cruwear for the first time soon. On the sharpmaker. It's not dull dull but I wanna resharpen. Would you reccomend microbevel on the 20dps or just stick to 15dps? What's pros and cons to both. Thanks.

If you only have the standard sharpmaker rods, just microbevel it at 20dps. The standard rods are no fun for reprofiling. If you have diamond or cbn rods, it may be worth it to reprofile the main bevel at 15dps. CruWear does pretty good for me with a very thin edge (I'm rocking something silly like 10-12ish dps at the moment), but it depends on your usage and what you are used to. 15dps main bevels with a 20dps microbevel is not a bad edge at all, and you can do touch up quickly on the microbevel and just work the main bevel once in a while when the microbevel gets too big.

[Jurmuscle]

I'm going to be sharpening my pm2 cruwear for the first time soon. On the sharpmaker. It's not dull dull but I wanna resharpen. Would you reccomend microbevel on the 20dps or just stick to 15dps? What's pros and cons to both. Thanks.

If you only have the standard sharpmaker rods, just microbevel it at 20dps. The standard rods are no fun for reprofiling. If you have diamond or cbn rods, it may be worth it to reprofile the main bevel at 15dps. CruWear does pretty good for me with a very thin edge (I'm rocking something silly like 10-12ish dps at the moment), but it depends on your usage and what you are used to. 15dps main bevels with a 20dps microbevel is not a bad edge at all, and you can do touch up quickly on the microbevel and just work the main bevel once in a while when the microbevel gets too big.

Thank you for the advice. It still have factory edge. I do have CBN rods and ultra fine as well.

[Big John]

https://youtu.be/_dXFAj2ppcI

Figured I would leave this here. Lots of new science on sharpening has been discovered in the past 2 years or so. It would be interesting to hear from others who have experimented with new methods and techniques.

https://youtu.be/SCkFYhXrmfY

This video also goes over some of the same principles with picture evidence from "Science of Sharp".

I want to experiment more with edge trailing sharpening, and fully deburring/"de-rooting" with a virtually unnoticeable micro-bevel using extremely fine abrasive. I have some deep seeded habits from a lifetime of sharpening, but I always feel there is so much to learn, and I plan on experimenting with different techniques in the future.

[vivi]

https://youtu.be/_dXFAj2ppcI

Figured I would leave this here. Lots of new science on sharpening has been discovered in the past 2 years or so. It would be interesting to hear from others who have experimented with new methods and techniques.

https://youtu.be/SCkFYhXrmfY

This video also goes over some of the same principles with picture evidence from "Science of Sharp".

I want to experiment more with edge trailing sharpening, and fully deburring/"de-rooting" with a virtually unnoticeable micro-bevel using extremely fine abrasive. I have some deep seeded habits from a lifetime of sharpening, but I always feel there is so much to learn, and I plan on experimenting with different techniques in the future.

got a summary? im not trying to watch a 20 minute video on removing burrs.

[Big John]

https://youtu.be/_dXFAj2ppcI

Figured I would leave this here. Lots of new science on sharpening has been discovered in the past 2 years or so. It would be interesting to hear from others who have experimented with new methods and techniques.

https://youtu.be/SCkFYhXrmfY

This video also goes over some of the same principles with picture evidence from "Science of Sharp".

I want to experiment more with edge trailing sharpening, and fully deburring/"de-rooting" with a virtually unnoticeable micro-bevel using extremely fine abrasive. I have some deep seeded habits from a lifetime of sharpening, but I always feel there is so much to learn, and I plan on experimenting with different techniques in the future.

got a summary? im not trying to watch a 20 minute video on removing burrs.

We're in the same boat. I didn't pay much attention to these kind of things for many months. With all the misinformation online in the realm of sharpening, unless you're unhappy with your current skill level and results, it seems too cumbersome to look at what you feel is 90% likely to be the remains of a horse that died of a thousand lashings post mortem, only to be forced into sifting through the BS to find what is worth analyzing. I stumbled across the stuff while looking at other knife related things, and I'm glad I was bored enough to pay attention. I am only presenting this because I truly find the info interesting, and because it seems quite plausible. I still don't have first hand experience testing what is reflected in these videos and texts. But perhaps someone else here has. I know many skilled sharpeners that are unaware of some the things mentioned in those videos.

I don't think I could do a proper summary. One word misused may convey something I feel isn't accurate enough. I'd say save it for a rainy day.

Edit: I will say it delves into newly found pros and cons of sharpening with edge leading vs edge trailing strokes, as well as new findings/concepts regarding burr formation and burr removal, as well as specifics on apex width in correspondence with different techniques, and the abrasion process itself. At some point the material should peak the interest of any edge junky.

[Steeltoez83]

I never use a strop in my setups. I personally look at my spydercos as tools not shaving gear. Gentle passes along the corner of the stone usually dictates to me with precision where residual burr resides. The wasted time on stropping is better served imo thinning the knife for better push cutting for the duration of the entire lifetime of the knife. My choice of steels usually have lots of carbides in comparison to simpler steels. And having those carbides hook into material at 1k or less surface finish seems to give me the best mileage and overall enjoyment. My system has worked for me so I dont feel any need to experiment with technique. Just my 2 cents.

[vivi]

I never use a strop in my setups. I personally look at my spydercos as tools not shaving gear. Gentle passes along the corner of the stone usually dictates to me with precision where residual burr resides. The wasted time on stropping is better served imo thinning the knife for better push cutting for the duration of the entire lifetime of the knife. My choice of steels usually have lots of carbides in comparison to simpler steels. And having those carbides hook into material at 1k or less surface finish seems to give me the best mileage and overall enjoyment. My system has worked for me so I dont feel any need to experiment with technique. Just my 2 cents.

I can't the last time I stropped. I can get shaving sharpness right off a 200 grit stone and hait whittling sharpness right off the medium sharpmaker rods, so it seems kind of pointless. Plus it can ruin the toothiness I seek for most my edges.

[Big John]

SteelToez, I am a stropping minimalist myself. I have never looked at a single knife as shaving gear in my life. I seldom go above a 300/400 grit edge. My general goal is big teeth and high aggression, refined to hair whittling sharpness if possible. No matter how gentle your passes are, there is an inherent difference between edge leading and edge trailing passes. And no matter how good your burr detection skills are, there are times when even the most skilled sharpeners designate a blade as deburred prematurely. "My system has worked for me" describes me completely as well. I didn't post the videos to change anyone's mind. It's just information. Feel free to disregard it, or learn from it.

[Big John]

I never use a strop in my setups. I personally look at my spydercos as tools not shaving gear. Gentle passes along the corner of the stone usually dictates to me with precision where residual burr resides. The wasted time on stropping is better served imo thinning the knife for better push cutting for the duration of the entire lifetime of the knife. My choice of steels usually have lots of carbides in comparison to simpler steels. And having those carbides hook into material at 1k or less surface finish seems to give me the best mileage and overall enjoyment. My system has worked for me so I dont feel any need to experiment with technique. Just my 2 cents.

I can't the last time I stropped. I can get shaving sharpness right off a 200 grit stone and hait whittling sharpness right off the medium sharpmaker rods, so it seems kind of pointless. Plus it can ruin the toothiness I seek for most my edges.

Fair point, I was the same way for a long, long time. But if you have a 200 grit edge and strop with 0.1 micron abrasive, 1-3 light passes per side, how much tooth are you removing? 200 to 200,000 grit is quite a jump. It won't kill your aggression, but it will remove some of the fatigued steel from the burr you inevitably formed/removed from sharpening, while making the apex narrower. In contrast, something like 1 micron, or especially 3-4 micron will kill aggression quite quickly.

[vivi]

I've tested diamond compound between 45 and 0.5 micron. You'd be surprised how fast even 1 micron polishes off the teeth.

[Big John]

I've tested diamond compound between 45 and 0.5 micron. You'd be surprised how fast even 1 micron polishes off the teeth.

I wouldn't be actually. I'm fully aware. That's why I'm a stropping minimalist. I just know that 1-3 extremely light passes at a tenth of a micron won't make or break an edge. Fortunately, the principles the videos speak of have more to do with stone work than stropping.

[vivi]

I've tested diamond compound between 45 and 0.5 micron. You'd be surprised how fast even 1 micron polishes off the teeth.

I wouldn't be actually. I'm fully aware. That's why I'm a stropping minimalist. I just know that 1-3 extremely light passes at a tenth of a micron won't make or break an edge. Fortunately, the principles the videos speak of have more to do with stone work than stropping.

1-3 passes of 1 micron is enough to reduce slicing aggression on a toothy edge. That's why I stopped stropping. I get better edges that way.

[Big John]

I've tested diamond compound between 45 and 0.5 micron. You'd be surprised how fast even 1 micron polishes off the teeth.

I wouldn't be actually. I'm fully aware. That's why I'm a stropping minimalist. I just know that 1-3 extremely light passes at a tenth of a micron won't make or break an edge. Fortunately, the principles the videos speak of have more to do with stone work than stropping.

1-3 passes of 1 micron is enough to reduce slicing aggression on a toothy edge. That's why I stopped stropping. I get better edges that way.

I tried writing it as 0.1 micron and "tenth of a micron", even 200,000 grit for extra clarification. Somehow you keep seeing "1 micron". There is a 10x difference between the two (2, II). We're in agreement.

[vivi]

I've tested diamond compound between 45 and 0.5 micron. You'd be surprised how fast even 1 micron polishes off the teeth.

I wouldn't be actually. I'm fully aware. That's why I'm a stropping minimalist. I just know that 1-3 extremely light passes at a tenth of a micron won't make or break an edge. Fortunately, the principles the videos speak of have more to do with stone work than stropping.

1-3 passes of 1 micron is enough to reduce slicing aggression on a toothy edge. That's why I stopped stropping. I get better edges that way.

I tried writing it as 0.1 micron and "tenth of a micron", even 200,000 grit for extra clarification. Somehow you keep seeing "1 micron". There is a 10x difference between the two (2, II). We're in agreement.

I wrote 1 micron because that's what I have. I don't have any experience with 0.1 micron. I was writing about my own experiences. no need to be condescending.