s30v is so hard to sharpen

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dakota1820

Joined
Nov 20, 2011
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I bought a new Smith's knife sharpening system and still my s30v knife is difficult and takes a long time to sharpen does anybody else have this particular issue with this type of steel. it is almost miserable to own because of how long it takes to sharpen it back to hair popping sharp.
 
dakota1820 said:
I bought a new Smith's knife sharpening system and still my s30v knife is difficult and takes a long time to sharpen does anybody else have this particular issue with this type of steel. it is almost miserable to own because of how long it takes to sharpen it back to hair popping sharp.
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I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker for quick sharpenings. I sharpen the back bevel to 30 degrees inclusive, and the primary micro bevel to 40 degrees. If I were doing a serious reprofiling I would probably get some diamond sharpening rods but I don't let my knives get that dull that I have to remove that much steel to bring them back to usable condition. As far as hair popping, I could give a flip. I use my razor for that purpose. For use around my shop and yard 40 degrees with extra fine rod on the Sharpmaker works very well for a long time. S30v is good stuff and can be sharpened without issues. S110v, Elmas, or zdp-189 or some others are a little bit tougher for me to sharpen.

Here is a great video about the Spyderco Sharpmaker that may give you some valuable sharpening tips. It is by Sal Glesser, founder of Spyderco. This was his first Spyderco product and he has sharpened tens of thousands, may more, knives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB0r6GvESGg
 
Arkansas stones are not great for the high chromium steels. I recommend Spyderco ceramics or silicon carbide sharpeners. I am partial tp the Spydercos stones for stainless steel.
 
S30V is not hard to sharpen. So ... it's probably you.

Review the resources already provided in the previous posts. Also, YouTube has several vids on using the Smith system as well as others such as Lansky, DMT, Sharpmaker, KME, EdgePro, etc. The more you review, the more you'll learn.

Then ... practice, practice, practice.
 
S30V has a high carbide content (mostly vanadium carbides, I believe, which are extremely hard). That's one reason why it holds an edge for so long. And why it's difficult to sharpen on softer honing surfaces like Arkansas stones. Diamond hones work best for S30V and similar steels. I find S35Vn somewhat easier to sharpen than S30V.
 
Alberta Ed said:
S30V has a high carbide content (mostly vanadium carbides, I believe, which are extremely hard). That's one reason why it holds an edge for so long. And why it's difficult to sharpen on softer honing surfaces like Arkansas stones. Diamond hones work best for S30V and similar steels. I find S35Vn somewhat easier to sharpen than S30V.
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That is what will make sharpening S30V much (much) easier. :thumbup:

I'm assuming a diamond hone isn't being used already, if the mentioned Smith's system doesn't include it. An Arkansas stone system won't handle it well at all.

IF it is a diamond system, and results aren't good, there are probably other issues with technique (inconsistent angle control, not fully apexing, etc).


David
 
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Arkansas stones will make almost zero progress on S30V, so I'd skip those entirely, as has been hinted at by others. Really. It's a waste of time.

The other thing about S30V is, it will take a pretty fine edge, but it crumbles pretty easily under highly abrasive cutting tasks like cardboard. I found that a 100 micron belt, followed by just a couple of passes to remove the burr on a 5 micron belt gave me a really aggressive edge that outlasted the fine edge by a factor of 3, give or take.

Brian.
 
TravisH said:
S30V is not hard to sharpen. So ... it's probably you.

Review the resources already provided in the previous posts. Also, YouTube has several vids on using the Smith system as well as others such as Lansky, DMT, Sharpmaker, KME, EdgePro, etc. The more you review, the more you'll learn.

Then ... practice, practice, practice.
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It certainly can be time consuming, especially with something like a Sharpmaker, which would only ever be a last resort for me. It's a hard steel, so stating "S30V is not hard to sharpen" may be the case for you but it can certainly present challenges for others. It doesn't mean they're doing something wrong, it could be the sharpening system they're using. All S30V is not created equal either.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
That is what will make sharpening S30V much (much) easier. :thumbup:

I'm assuming a diamond hone isn't being used already, if the mentioned Smith's system doesn't include it. An Arkansas stone system won't handle it well at all.

IF it is a diamond system, and results aren't good, there are probably other issues with technique (inconsistent angle control, not fully apexing, etc).


David
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Absolutely the key to successful sharpening, imo. Until that concept is mastered, you'll never get there.
 
( The other thing about S30V is, it will take a pretty fine edge, but it crumbles pretty easily under highly abrasive cutting tasks like cardboard. I found that a 100 micron belt, followed by just a couple of passes to remove the burr on a 5 micron belt gave me a really aggressive edge that outlasted the fine edge by a factor of 3, give or take.

Brian.[/QUOTE] )

Interesting. I use a Leatherman Charge TTI with an S 30 V blade. It continues to be a challenge to me to get sharp. I do well sharpening 1070, 1095, VG10, and CM154 But the S 30 V is another matter... I also noticed that the more "toothy" aggressive edge holds better..
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
That is what will make sharpening S30V much (much) easier. :thumbup:

I'm assuming a diamond hone isn't being used already, if the mentioned Smith's system doesn't include it. An Arkansas stone system won't handle it well at all.

IF it is a diamond system, and results aren't good, there are probably other issues with technique (inconsistent angle control, not fully apexing, etc).


David
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^^^ What he said! DIAMOND.
 
Will one of these work?

SCHDDS_1024x1024.jpg


I dont know squat about sharpening and I ruined my glock knives with it
 
DPC said:
Will one of these work?

SCHDDS_1024x1024.jpg


I dont know squat about sharpening and I ruined my glock knives with it
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It can, but the very small contact area will still limit how fast it does certain jobs, like rebevelling. A sharpener like that would be best for maintenance touch-ups on steels like S30V and such, and the cone-shape of the rod is obviously best for serrations as well. These types of sharpeners also require some getting used to, to get a good technique down. The key with them is very, very light pressure, because the narrow contact area will focus pressure on a knife edge. Too heavy, and results will be disappointing. It can also be more tricky to hold a consistent angle from one pass to the next, on such a small, narrow rod; especially if it's used in-hand, with blade in the other.


David
 
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The knife is a kershaw camber and the sharpener is a coarse diamond and a fine diamond stone with a tool in th e kit that keeps the knife at either a 20 or 25 degree angle. I have been doing 20 degree . Its pretty well impossible to screw up sharpening technique with this system.
 
Try the "sharpie trick" to see if your stone is hitting the bevel. The problem is most likely that the Smiths system angles do not match the stock edge angle so you will need to spend some time re profiling the edge. Make sure to take a picture of where you mounted the clamp on the blade so you can repeat the same angle every time you sharpen, otherwise you will be sharpening at a slightly different angle each time.
 
dakota1820 said:
The knife is a kershaw camber and the sharpener is a coarse diamond and a fine diamond stone with a tool in th e kit that keeps the knife at either a 20 or 25 degree angle. I have been doing 20 degree . Its pretty well impossible to screw up sharpening technique with this system.
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It's likely not fully apexed, if so. With the setup you're using (diamond w/angle guide), that narrows down the variables considerably. With any abrasive, diamond or not, S30V will still take longer to get there than with more common steels; sometimes 2X-3X as long. Going to a lower angle will extend the time it takes even further, because more steel needs to come off to fully apex at the lower angle. Most anyone who's ever tried S30V for the first time has noticed this, and it takes some getting used to. Stick with it, and you'll get there.

(S30V was the very first steel that made me understand what 'wear resistance' really means in knife steels. It was radically different than anything I'd tried, and a great lesson in sharpening and patience, for the same reasons you're experiencing.)


David
 
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bgentry said:
Arkansas stones will make almost zero progress on S30V, so I'd skip those entirely, as has been hinted at by others. Really. It's a waste of time.

The other thing about S30V is, it will take a pretty fine edge, but it crumbles pretty easily under highly abrasive cutting tasks like cardboard. I found that a 100 micron belt, followed by just a couple of passes to remove the burr on a 5 micron belt gave me a really aggressive edge that outlasted the fine edge by a factor of 3, give or take.

Brian.
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This. Both Parts. Diamond of something similar is recommended.
Also second the thought about the aggressiv edge in the s30v. Had my BM 940 back from a smith from a regrind and at first was shocked because of the rough edge (he is rather well known) with a coarse belt finish... Until I started cutting. So evil. Much better than a too smooth edge.
 
FW JSB said:
It certainly can be time consuming, especially with something like a Sharpmaker, which would only ever be a last resort for me. It's a hard steel, so stating "S30V is not hard to sharpen" may be the case for you but it can certainly present challenges for others. It doesn't mean they're doing something wrong, it could be the sharpening system they're using. All S30V is not created equal either.
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Maybe we should differentiate between "sharpening" and "reprofiling". Different activities in my opinion.
 
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