CPM 15V Sprint sharpening and performance thread

[Enactive]

All the different uses and approaches are cool. Diversity is good. Sameness is boring.

We don't really need to be dissing what others like. No need to squash diversity around here.

The vibe has been kinda off-putting around here lately.

[troutinCO]

I am sorry I am using my knife to cut things that I need to cut, not what others need or want cut. Right now for me I have a ton of cardboard I want to cut into little pieces. I also only have one and getting another for purposeful testing, be it semi-abusive or destructive, seems unlikely. So this knife will see what it gets to see in its journey with me.

Sarcastic remark:
I did use to cut open my Lynch box this evening so I could put the stonewashed clip on it for my instagram photos.
Instagram-ish potato photo:

Note:
I don't have an instagram account to post to. I post pics here sometimes. But I do like my new Lynch clip on the knife. I love these kinds of steels; I don't want to have to sharpen or touch it up it all the time. It totally works with my daily uses. More please and not sprints....

[Coastal]

Hadn't heard of Rockscales until after I already had a set of AWT scales and they only offer theirs in the "skinny" config unfortunately for purists. I probably would have gotten the standard shape if it were offered though. I was going to use the AWT's on my S30V blade, but the 15V seemed like a better candidate to me.

Despite how they may look in photos, they're almost the same handle shape minus the finger hump. They honestly don't feel that different holding them side by side with my G10 example, but I'm not that sensitive to ergos I guess.

I almost went with AWT, because they didn't look as skinny as Rockscale's skinny ones. But I already have some Rockscales and I knew they would work for me, and I knew they eliminate the liners, which I couldn't tell about with the AWTs. Now that I've seen yours, I almost wish I had given AWT a try. I doubt this will be my last Manix, so maybe next time.

[Mage7]

You can just press the edge into a bar of soap then measure the angles with a protractor to get a reasonably accurate estimate.

How do you measure something that small with a protractor? Are you talking a drafting protractor or a machinist protractor? I tried this method before and the depression left in the soap was just too small for me to reliably measure.

[Rymanz]

My AWT scales sitting atop my G10 model and vice versa for reference

Which color and finish did you go with? Looks great!

[Guts]

Which color and finish did you go with? Looks great!

It's their anodized FDE. Closest brown equivalent they had.

[electro-static]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

[WilliamMunny]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

I think my hope, like many is edge holding close to Maxamet but toughness closer to K390, especially with the added attention to heat treatment.

[vivi]

K390 on my Police has no issues on wood. looking forward to hearing how 15V does.

[Deadboxhero]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

Just make sure not to commit the biggest sin in knife testing, testing for steel when in fact you are testing differences in geometry.

[toxophilus]

Mine came in with uneven bevels which is no biggie for me; 17°/ 15°, will even that out upon the first sharpening...

[WilliamMunny]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

Just make sure not to commit the biggest sin in knife testing, testing for steel when in fact you are testing differences in geometry.

I thought we already agreed, that whole edge geometry thing is just a fad.

How is the baby doing, getting any sleep?

[Deadboxhero]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

Just make sure not to commit the biggest sin in knife testing, testing for steel when in fact you are testing differences in geometry.

I thought we already agreed, that whole edge geometry thing is just a fad.

How is the baby doing, getting any sleep?

Sleeping is for before and after parenthood.

[WilliamMunny]

Sleeping is for before and after parenthood.

Very true, my 10-year-old woke me up 4am yesterday with a fever. My older one has high school sports until 8:15pm every weeknight (6am on Saturdays), then wants dinner. Never a slow time even when they are older.

Like I said before, give it 2 months, and he should sleep through the night and you will feel more human.

On the good side I did get a BBB Manix that my boys will be gifting me for Christmas, they knew I wanted one, too bad I had to hunt it down that was the hard part.

[electro-static]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

Just make sure not to commit the biggest sin in knife testing, testing for steel when in fact you are testing differences in geometry.

Will do! Everything will be profiled to the same angle on a KME system, 17 dps, 600 grit finish 4um CBN, 1um diamond, 0.25um cbn on leather for stropping.

Do you think I should go more acute?

PS: Congratulations on your baby

[Deadboxhero]

I will be going camping over this vacation, always gives my knives a workout (even K390) will let you guys know how it performs. Maxamet microchips when handling some wood tasks, K390 doesn’t. So this should be an interesting comparison.

Just make sure not to commit the biggest sin in knife testing, testing for steel when in fact you are testing differences in geometry.

Will do! Everything will be profiled to the same angle on a KME system, 17 dps, 600 grit finish 4um CBN, 1um diamond, 0.25um cbn on leather for stropping.

Do you think I should go more acute?

That's a good place to start, if you see damage you can increase to a thicker angle (skip 18,19 to 20°dps) and if the cutting ability is not to your liking you can always lower it (skip to 15°dps)

I think a lot of us have to realize though that serious durability for any knife, any steel starts at 20° per side and up. This is especially true for fixed angle systems.

With freehand there is more convexity happening towards the apex at the perceived angle held at the shoulder with the angle convexing thicker by ~1-5° per side depending of the sharpener coordination, abrasive, skill, etc

For example, you can have a freehand guy/gal holding 17° at the shoulder and its actually convexed to 20° at the apex.

So these Degrees per side values are not universal between all of us and there can certainly be "perfection through omission" happening.

One of the biggest problems in our community is that not all of us have access to laser goniometers to see how the light reflects off of the angles we think we are making; there can be some convexity at the apex hiding boosting the perceived durability we are getting at a given angle or hindering sharpness and cutting ability if severe enough.

So, its mind numbing to see folks saying " My 18° per side edge on Steel A can hold 18° no problem, your 18° per side edge on Steel B cannot, must be because its Steel B"

Nope, have to rule out geometry out first.

If the laser ain't reflectin, than geometry you ain't detectin


Keep in mind, this isn't a big deal for personal use, I don't need people losing their minds running out to get goniometers or misinterpreting what I'm saying here that you need some fancy piece of equipment to enjoy your knife.

No

The goniometer is if you're more serious about making conclusions about steel by helping further rule out the biggest barrier (geometry) to observing the steel in order to compare apples to apples.

After all

Geometry, geometry, geometry.

[vivi]

wise words.

[RustyIron]

Keep in mind, this isn't a big deal for personal use, I don't need people losing their minds running out to get goniometers or misinterpreting what I'm saying here that you need some fancy piece of equipment to enjoy your knife.

I'll usually be the first one to acquire some fancy tool or measuring device, but you're right, knowing the precise angle is not necessarily relevant. Being able to precisely apex the edge is important. Whether it's 24.5 degrees or 25.2 doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Sitting on my workbench right now is a 65 year old mercury dampened precision level. It's occurred to me to use it to figure out the angle of my edges, but really, that knowledge won't improve my sharpening. But one of these days I'll set it up... just for the fun of it. I think that's the value of a goniometer for most of us: we play with it just for the fun of it.

[ZrowsN1s]

Will do! Everything will be profiled to the same angle on a KME system, 17 dps......

It's a real pain to get the nut loose on the kme eyelet. (I think it's red loctite). But if you CAN get it loose, you can turn the eyelet upside down and get lower angles on the kme.

[gunmike1]

I’m going to get my CPM 15V reground to be very thin. The problem will be finding a knifemaker that wants to deal with knocking a .025” thick 15V edge down to .006”-.007”. I just had Tom Krein do some regrinds for me so I don’t want to bug him again so soon. I’d love for Shawn to do it since his logo is on the blade and he really knows that steel, but with a newborn son and his normal custom work he probably wouldn’t have the capacity to take it on. I know the regrind wouldn’t be cheap, but I’d just love to be able to compare it like for like against my other thinned out Manix 2s in a variety of steels from Cruwear to S110V. Does anyone else want to have theirs thinned out?