S30V

[jeffrice6]

Just out of Curiosity, how sharp do you get your S30V?

I have a few spyderco's with the steel & it's been my experience that they function/perform noticeably better with a toothy edge vs that of a mirrored polish.

Any S30V owner care to chime in with their findings or sharpening techniques....

[tomk556]

Curious about this too. I have a benchmade with S30V and haven't really figured out how to work it yet.

[therealnickb]

I asked a Buck staff member about sharpening S30V I meant ATS-34.I believe he used the word, determination.

Geeze, just caught my mistake here.

No trouble sharpening S30V with a stone.

[jeffrice6]

Big fan of the steel, but for me, I stop sharpening at toothy (medium) ~ Seems to cut better than shiny

[therealnickb]

Big fan of the steel, but for me, I stop sharpening at toothy (medium) ~ Seems to cut better than shiny

I think you get a really fine “serrated” blade like that. And it works!

My favorite ATS-34 blade is my alpha hunter with stag handle. I could shave with it before I gutted my first deer.

[baranski]

I had a Chris Reeve S30V and sold it due to the poor ability I had to get what I consider acceptable edge on it.

[tomk556]

Had a good one to share with this: so pondering this one, I called Benchmade today (yeah, I know about Benchmade of late...) to ask if I can speak to a blade smith. Only customer service will speak to me. I explain I have a 417 with S30V, that I decently know my way around the stones, etc., and inquire about their recommended method of working such steel.

Them: "Generally we recommend diamond stones."
Me: "Um, okay... makes enough sense... how coarse?"
Them: "Diamond."
Me: "Um... hmmm, so like, 400? 800? 1000?"
Them: "Yeah, diamond."
Me: "Okay well let me try this like this, say you're working both a 154CM and a S90V blades, would the 154CM stone be finer?"
Them: "No..., S30V and 154CM basically have the same methods."
Me: "lol, wut... okay, well thank you for your time."

I wanted to ask like :yeah, okay cool, is there a fat guy in an apron I can talk to? Probably has a few pencils in the apron? Probably a beard? And like, a name that ends in 'y' or otherwise prefers people address him as 'mister _____?'

The rep also recommended this: https://www.worksharptools.com/ken-o...sharpener.html...

[sealocan]

Had a good one to share with this...

I wanted to ask like :yeah, okay cool, is there a fat guy in an apron I can talk to? Probably has a few pencils in the apron? Probably a beard? And like, a name that ends in 'y' or otherwise prefers people address him as 'mister ______
...

( ^ This is fugone hilarious!)

Come on you know him, he's the guy that smells like metal shavings in oil! ..

He's the guy that would make a painful wincing face if he heard you say just "diamond" didn't know what grit you were talking about!!!



Their phone representative replies...

" Oh, you mean Mr. Smithy.

He quit when we cut up all those guns. I've never seen a grown man cry like that. "

[tomk556]

"We turned around and saw him loading his tools into his 1987 Subaru and drove off..."

Yeah I won't lie: I expected them to be able to do better than canned bs answers. Oddly, I wouldn't expect that from a gun manufacturer, but something about knives strikes me as being more skilled and technical (on that my perception is probably wrong). With all that's been going on and coming to light, probably time for me to learn about other manufacturers.

[mtndragon]

S30V is one of my favorite steels. I keep my knives as sharp as possible. At a minimum, shaving sharp. In my experience, S30V is easiest to work with if you never let it get too dull. I touch up on a ceramic rod often, and when needed, use a Smith's 8" tri-hone, although, I never use the Arkansas stone side. Course Diamond, Fine Diamond, then on to the ceramic rod. Most of my knives I only sharpen maybe once a year on the stones, the rest is just regular touch up on the rod. I did two elk this last season with the same two knives (S30V), and they still don't need to be sharpened after a little touch up on the rod. My EDC knife is also S30V, I use it several times a day, every day, and touch it up once a week on the rod. Its always shaving sharp. Two weeks ago, I put a small nick in the edge after abusing it working on a wiring project, and a few passes on the stones, finish on the rod, and back in the game like new.

[NapalmCheese]

Most of my knives I only sharpen maybe once a year on the stones, the rest is just regular touch up on the rod. I did two elk this last season with the same two knives (S30V), and they still don't need to be sharpened after a little touch up on the rod. My EDC knife is also S30V, I use it several times a day, every day, and touch it up once a week on the rod. Its always shaving sharp. Two weeks ago, I put a small nick in the edge after abusing it working on a wiring project, and a few passes on the stones, finish on the rod, and back in the game like new.

I do the same thing with my favorite kitchen knife, a ten inch K Sabatier in XC75 carbon steel treated to 54ish RC. Though I might take it to the stones twice a year as this is the knife I use to make breakfast, dinner, and sometimes lunch nearly every single day.