Easiest Sharpening Spyderco Steel

[RustyIron]

What I mean is sharpening high hardness and wear resistant steels isn't necessarily hard, but rather tedious. You just have to go at it for a long time

I don't find that to be the case, either. I like the angles that Spyderco provides from the factory, so on a new knife, it might take five to ten minutes to get the angle I want. I recently got a Microtech in M390MK. The angle wasn't anywhere near what I like. I wasn't timing myself, but I can't imagine it took more than 10 or 15 minutes. To me, that's not slow and tedious. I'm happy with that. For finish work, I use diamond matrix stones. For hogging off a lot of material, I use some cheap diamond plates.

Where you might be getting the impression that working with fancy steels is tedious is from the folks who are reprofiling their knives using ceramic stones on a SharpMaker. The Sharpmaker is GREAT when using it for its intended purpose. It's not so great when used for purposes for which it was not intended. When I read about people who watch the entire Godfather trilogy while sharpening a knife, I wonder if they might benefit by using different tools. But if that's what they want to do, good for them. Everyone has their own way. It took Hatori Hanzo a month to make a sword for Beatrix Kiddo. I don't have that kind of patience. Nor am I looking to cut God if I should run across him in my travels.

[vivi]

My favorite to sharpen are the sprints in Micro-Melt PD#1. It's easy to get a beautiful and razor sharp edge.

My hardest Spyderco to sharpen is my Tasman 1 in H1. But thats because it's a hawkbill and I don't have any rods, only diamond stones and a paddle strop.

IMG_20250411_093558885.jpg

sheet of sandpaper wrapped around anything with a hard edge will make touching up the tasman very easy. I used to do that with a piece of leftover grip tape with my SE tasman.

[8th_Note]

My favorite to sharpen are the sprints in Micro-Melt PD#1. It's easy to get a beautiful and razor sharp edge.

My hardest Spyderco to sharpen is my Tasman 1 in H1. But thats because it's a hawkbill and I don't have any rods, only diamond stones and a paddle strop.

IMG_20250411_093558885.jpg

sheet of sandpaper wrapped around anything with a hard edge will make touching up the tasman very easy. I used to do that with a piece of leftover grip tape with my SE tasman.

Thanks for the tip

[Chieftjs]

Great Information folks, Thank you! I guess to clarify a bit I was a little tongue in cheek wanting the steel that I’d have to sharpen the most because I’m enjoying using my sharpmaker so much. I have a VG10 Delica and a couple VG10 Endelas as well. The Para3 just seems to be my Excalibur at the moment.

[Pacu0420]

For me, it's Spy27. It also hold an edge quite well. S90v is pretty easy too. Of course, I'm using a fixed angle sharpener with diamond stones. So "easy" isn't really the right metric. It's more about how long it takes. Especially when reprofiling.

[cjk]

…
I got a Sharpmaker recently and have been obviously sharpening everything in sight so what Para3 can I buy that I’ll need to sharpen a lot (lol).

The Para 3 lightweight in BD1N.

[JMM]

Easiest to sharpen: 8cr, bd1, 52100

Can get sharpest: vg10, superblue, xhp

[Deadboxhero]

Learn to sharpen, fear no steel.

[Chieftjs]

Learn to sharpen, fear no steel.

Best excuse I’ve heard to order the Maxamet!

[KeepCalm&Carrion]

I've only sharpened PE VG-10 thus far, and I gotta say I was shocked at how easily and quickly I could bring that blade back to an impressively sharp edge.

[Coastal]

I don't know which is the easiest, but the ones I enjoy sharpening the most are 52100, H1 and K390.

[Fireman]

Part of the equation should be how many times you can strop the knife to a good edge before needing to sharpen again. Also the edge angel plays a big part.

[Enactive]

Part of the equation should be how many times you can strop the knife to a good edge before needing to sharpen again. Also the edge angel plays a big part.

The edge is a ghost, not an angel!

[cabfrank]

Not both?

[Chieftjs]

Great name for a new knife. The Ghost Angel!

[Brock O Lee]

LC200N for me

[Nestor]

H1/H2

[horzuff]

What I mean is sharpening high hardness and wear resistant steels isn't necessarily hard, but rather tedious. You just have to go at it for a long time

I don't find that to be the case, either. I like the angles that Spyderco provides from the factory, so on a new knife, it might take five to ten minutes to get the angle I want. I recently got a Microtech in M390MK. The angle wasn't anywhere near what I like. I wasn't timing myself, but I can't imagine it took more than 10 or 15 minutes. To me, that's not slow and tedious. I'm happy with that. For finish work, I use diamond matrix stones. For hogging off a lot of material, I use some cheap diamond plates.

Where you might be getting the impression that working with fancy steels is tedious is from the folks who are reprofiling their knives using ceramic stones on a SharpMaker. The Sharpmaker is GREAT when using it for its intended purpose. It's not so great when used for purposes for which it was not intended. When I read about people who watch the entire Godfather trilogy while sharpening a knife, I wonder if they might benefit by using different tools. But if that's what they want to do, good for them. Everyone has their own way. It took Hatori Hanzo a month to make a sword for Beatrix Kiddo. I don't have that kind of patience. Nor am I looking to cut God if I should run across him in my travels.

I don't understand what You are trying to argue here. I did write using diamond abrasives nullifies the issue pretty much, though not completely. You still need to spend more time on the stone, whatever grit progression You choose, when forming an edge on a high edge retention steel vs a more simple alloy.

What does angle have to do with anything when we're comparing steels not geometry?

I'm not getting my impressions from anywhere else but the hundreds or thousands knife sharpenings I did over the years with pretty much every sharpening method and abrasive there is. And I still say that supersteels take longer than simpler steels.

Or do You mean to claim that there is no difference between sharpening/reprofiling a knife made of, let's say AEBL vs something like REX121? Because that's just not true factually.

[RustyIron]

I don't understand what You are trying to argue here.

I wasn't trying to argue.
My goal was just to clarify the answer to the question.
Maybe others can an be more clear.

[apollo]

Part of the equation should be how many times you can strop the knife to a good edge before needing to sharpen again. Also the edge angel plays a big part.

The edge is a ghost, not an angel!

I know Sal says that. But in my experience an edge can indeed be an angel or even a devil when it comes to sharpening...