Questions About VG-10 Sharpening

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sfs08

Joined
Apr 2, 2005
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Hey Guys!

Just got my first spydie! FRN delica 4 with a straight blade...and I love my new baby!

But my old edc was a 110, with the 420HC steel.

Questions for you guys are,

What angle do the spydies come stock with for sharpening?

And how hard is it to get an edge on the vg10 steel?

How does it compare to 420HC?

Thanks guys!

But it did seem weird that it didn't really come sharp from the factory!
 
You had a Delica that didn’t come sharp from the factory?!!:eek: That is just plain strange. So strange, in fact, that I’d be willing to believe that someone between you and the factory either used it or tried to sharpen it (doing a poor job of it). The only one of my Spyderco’s that came without a super sharp edge was my Delica that I bought at a gun show, and I know for a fact that the dealer I bought it from sharpens the knives he sells because I’ve seen him doing it. I figured that he was the one who made it dull, or it was slightly used.

Your VG-10 Delica should be sharpened at 15 degrees per side. That’s what they come from the factory at, and that steel can handle the angle.
 
sfs08 said:
What angle do the spydies come stock with for sharpening?
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30° in total (or 15° per side)
sfs08 said:
And how hard is it to get an edge on the vg10 steel?
Click to expand...
It's easy to sharpen VG-10 (much easier than S30-V e.g.)
sfs08 said:
How does it compare to 420HC?
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It's much better :D

Congrats to your Delica (it was my first Spydie too, now I own 71 :o ), you will enjoy it :thumbup:
 
I sharpen my frend's 110 and of course my VG10's and I will say without reservation, you will love the Delica and VG10. The Buck dulls MUCH faster than the VG10. The VG10 is no problem to sharpen.
 
Thanks guys!

I know that it wasn't sharpened by someone else just by looking at the edge. Im pretty sure.

I have one of those sharpeners where you mount the knife, then use the stones with preset angles. Lanskey sharpening system I believe, so a new question.

Do I put the stone in the thirty degree angle slot or the fifteen degree slot?
 
sfs08 said:
Thanks guys!

I know that it wasn't sharpened by someone else just by looking at the edge. Im pretty sure.

I have one of those sharpeners where you mount the knife, then use the stones with preset angles. Lanskey sharpening system I believe, so a new question.

Do I put the stone in the thirty degree angle slot or the fifteen degree slot?
Click to expand...
Use the lowest angle. That 30 degree setting is per side. That means 60 degrees inclusive:eek: . Actually, there is no 15 degree angle slot on the Lansky, it's 17, and I wouldn't trust it. When I put my Crossbill on the Lansky at 17 degrees, I checked the angle by holding the clamped knife up to the Sharpmaker, and it turned out to be 20 degrees. The Lansky system isn't definite because there are too many variables that can affect the angle. Every time you reclamp the knife the angle can change. Likewise, the angle can change depending on how wide and how long the blade is. No matter, you'll probably not get a 15 degree angle with it.

However, if the Lansky is your best method of sharpening, then go with it untill you get something better. Better a sharp knife at a 40 degree angle, than a dull knife at 30 degrees.

if it's really bad, you could send it in along with $5 for shipping. The have lifetime sharpening.
 
sfs08 said:
But it did seem weird that it didn't really come sharp from the factory!
Click to expand...

That's surprising, seems like most folks get a razor sharp spyderco out of the box. My delica was wicked sharp out of the box. VG-10 is easy to sharpen, follow the good suggestions above and you won't go wrong.

Andy
 
my stainless handled native came shaving sharp , as did my ladybug , harpy , and byrd flight , which means that every spyderco i have bought so far came razor sharp . after a fair bit of use my ladybug still takes hair off my arm . i`m a collector , so the other knives i mention remain unused
 
sfs08 said:
Hey Guys!

Just got my first spydie! FRN delica 4 with a straight blade...and I love my new baby!

But my old edc was a 110, with the 420HC steel.

Questions for you guys are,

What angle do the spydies come stock with for sharpening?

And how hard is it to get an edge on the vg10 steel?

How does it compare to 420HC?

Thanks guys!

But it did seem weird that it didn't really come sharp from the factory!
Click to expand...


You will want to sharpen a double-bevel grind on your new knife. The secondary bevel, the big one that you easily see is at about 30 degrees total. The tiny dinky primary micro-edge bevel should be sharpened at 40 degrees (20 degrees per side). This is what Spyderco recommends and it works great.

Here is some info about sharpening. Lots of folks decrease the sharpening angles and get better cutting performance. However, it is a lot of work and sometimes results in a edge subject to chipping or more frequent need for sharpening.

420HC is a knife steel that is okay. Nothing special. It is stainless but usually not hardened to a higher Rockwell hardness value so it doesn't hold an edge like your 440-C blade will. I'm a great fan of 440-C. VG-10 has lots of that good radioactive cobalt in it. It holds a good edge and is not hard to sharpen.

Do you have a Spyderco Sharpmaker? This is the best, and easiest sharpening system around for plain and serrated knives. Get at strop/hone with some chromium oxide paste and you will an awesome sharpener!

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036

http://www.handamerican.com/scary.html

http://users.ameritech.net/knives/

http://www.drsharpening.com/leatherhone.html

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=368828
 
That is a big jump in steel grade. with 420 HC being a softer low end steel and VG-10 being much harder and more high end. The Delica 4 was my first Spydie too and I will never not love it. I find VG 10 rather easy to sharpen as long as it is routine and not regarding major chips or dents. I have my Delica hair whittling sharp and all I do is use 400, 600, 1000, 2000 and then newspaper. It sounds like a lot but it takes five minutes tops. If you keep a mirrored edge it will last longer and makes sharpening less harsh. I just hone the edge on an old piece of worn 2000 grit wet-dry paper when I get home from work and it stays beautiful. It is not, however a heavy use knife. because of it's possibility to chip I usually pair it with my Tenacious. I have used my Delica for food, cardboard, tape, paper, leather, fabric, and pretty much any other light use task you can think of. It has a well defined point, and contrary to some reviews that I have read, has not shown even the slightest amount of blade play. I holds an incredibly fine edge and is unbelievably corrosion resistant.
 
A nonsharp Delica makes me curious as to where you got he knife. Are we 100% sure it's a legit Spyderco?
 
I've gotten a few new Spydercos from reputable dealers that were not sharp from the factory. They sharpen most of them freehand on a belt, so it wouldn't be that hard for a burr to get left on, or to not quite hit the very edge with the final polish. Most do come very sharp, but it's not unusual to get a dull new knife (from any company).
 
VG-10 is a more complex steel than 420HC, with a higher carbide content. I understand it was developed in Japan for cutlery, specifically cutting tools for pruning. Its cobalt content is supposed to enhance the other elements in the steel. Judging by my F1, it holds an edge as well as Carbon V, but is more time-consuming to sharpen -- takes a while to get that burr off. Fallkniven rates it highly for strength in its tests. That being said, Buck's 420HC is nothing to be sneezed at. Finer-grained, it takes a screaming sharp edge and is easier to sharpen than VG-10.
 
Factory angle is about 30 degrees total (15dps)

VG10 steel is da shit, very nice to sharpen and capable to give ( quite easy ) a mirror finish.

8088b4b5bedf4a2e25cf18f3f978bbb4.jpg


Delica, best, Knife, eveeeeeeeeeeeerrrr.


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I'd be surprised if the edge angle was actually 30 degrees from the factory. None of the 3 Delicas I've had were that exact. All has to be rebeveled to be 30. That said, VG10 is nice steel an takes a sharp edge without much fuss.
 
me2 said:
I'd be surprised if the edge angle was actually 30 degrees from the factory. None of the 3 Delicas I've had were that exact. All has to be rebeveled to be 30. That said, VG10 is nice steel an takes a sharp edge without much fuss.
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Yup, that's why you have to hit most factory edges with the 40 degree setting since the 30 degree setting won't touch the edge.
 
shipwright said:
I've gotten a few new Spydercos from reputable dealers that were not sharp from the factory. They sharpen most of them freehand on a belt, so it wouldn't be that hard for a burr to get left on, or to not quite hit the very edge with the final polish. Most do come very sharp, but it's not unusual to get a dull new knife (from any company).
Click to expand...

Yes, agreed. I've had a lot of Spydies, and this is NOT unusual. No problem; it's fun to sharpen it to your taste.

BTW, mrapex, where did you come up with this old thread? :)
 
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