sharpening mcusta damascus steel blade? do's and don'ts?

B

bobthebob

Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
5
hey all - n00b question here - I have a very nice mcusta damascus knife I inherited and I want to either sharpen it myself or get it sharpened, my question is this: is there anything I need to do or not do on account of it being Damascus steel??

I am especially concerned since the knife has great sentimental value to me as well!

sorry if there is already a number of posts on this - I tried doing a general google search and then searching this site but couldn't find any info.
 
prep:
1. plastic/saran wrap the handle then duct-tape over.
2. remove thumbstud if possible.
3. painter/masking tape the whole blade only expose the bevel for sharpening.
4. sharpie the bevel

test:
5. strop on newsprint to find out bevel angle

sharpen:
6. use a stone finer than the one you think the edge needs sharpen with
7. light pressure & check result often.
a) stop if masking tape got scratches - maybe you shouldn't practice with your good knife!
b) if edge need more grinding, go down to the next coarser grit stone. repeat 7.
c) burr/deburr etc... go to finer grit stone. repeat 7 until finishing stone
8. optional - strop
9. remove tapes
10. smile in mirror!
 
Assuming your Mcusta is the same as mine, the 'damascus' is stainless laminate with VG-10 core (for the cutting edge). GREAT steel, pretty much worry-free, and the factory edges on these are fantastic (ground very thin; great slicers). The only thing I've ever needed to do with mine, for touch-ups, is some stropping (1 micron diamond compound works very well). I think these would also respond well to 'stropping' on some sandpaper, perhaps anything at or above 600 grit. That's what I'd be inclined to do; but, if you treat it just like any other VG-10 blade, I'm sure you'd be fine.
 
thanks for all the advice!
@bluntcut - I'm a little hesitant to practice my sharpening skills on this particular blade, well - make that *a lot* hesitant ;-) since I actually have very little experience sharpening (but I'm learning!)...

I do like the idea of stropping the blade since there's very little chance of me doing any damage to it that way... and the edge is so fine that I feel like that would probably be good enough to get it razor sharp again.

either way thanks for the advice!

-b
 
bobthebob said:
(...)I do like the idea of stropping the blade since there's very little chance of me doing any damage to it that way... and the edge is so fine that I feel like that would probably be good enough to get it razor sharp again.

either way thanks for the advice!

-b
Click to expand...

If you do decide to try 'stropping' with some sandpaper, start with a higher grit first. Using something like 1000 - 2000 grit will do a great job fine-tuning the edge, if stropping on leather with compound isn't quite enough. And, while you're learning the technique, the higher grit sandpaper will be more forgiving to small inconsistencies in technique. You might practice on some cheaper knives first, maybe kitchen knives with thin edges similar to the edge on the Mcusta (if you have some like that).

Good luck! :)
 
Practice on cheap knives first, even with a semi-guided device as the Spyderco Sharpmaker you can screw up your knife or get totally frustrated. Free hand is the way to go, trust me, I am still learning and improving but it is a great reward, you are independent to any jig and you can do it anywhere. A knife is a tool, as such it becomes more and more yours as you maintain and sharpen it. This is something I would not underestimate! You get to know your knife, it's angles, grind etc. I understand you don't want to damage it, therefore don't sharpen it! Either it is a user knife or a collector item. Leave it, practice until you feel confident. Don't even think about sending it in to have it sharpened. That is like having a sports car - and a chauffeur! Just my 2 cents. Listen to Experienced guys like OwE, watch you tube videos and practice!
 
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