I'd always heard SAK blades were soft...

[RimfireNZ]

I wanted to swap my normal carry of a Leatherman for a SAK today so I shuffled through my collection and decided on my Deluxe Tinker 

I fixed a window with it at work, fixed the fitting on the water filter (the pliers actually did the trick!) and then opened a few boxes. While opening the boxes I clipped an ordinary staple... and my blade went from razor sharp, shearing through thick cardboard as if it was nothing, to completely blunt... having to saw through bubble wrap and tape.

I'd always heard SAK blades were made of butter but please tell me this isn't normal...

My dad stopped using the cadet I gave him after a day and went back to his mercator because the cadet went blunt. I presumed he was exaggerating.

[zoidberg]

I often have to use the second smaller blade to finish a job.

[Caranthanus]

Never heard SAK was intended to cut the wire and remain razor sharp 

SAK rules ...
 

[jerseydevil]

I've done all-day box busting with a SAK at work plenty of times, though I prefer a more hand-filling knife when I'm doing a lot of cutting.  I keep a Lansky kit in the back room of the store, and I've usually got a small sharpening rod in my pocket as well for quick touch ups.  I've never really had a problem with the blade getting dull that quickly, and if needed a quick touch on the pocket sharpener brings a SAK blade back to life quickly.

[RimfireNZ]

Never heard SAK was intended to cut the wire and remain razor sharp 

SAK rules ...
 

Hey it was a scrape on a single tiny stationary staple... something that hasn't worried my folders in the past anyway.

I might get some thicker rope at home and run a few tests. See how many cuts it takes to go from hair shaving sharp to being a tiny cudgel.

[RimfireNZ]

I've done all-day box busting with a SAK at work plenty of times, though I prefer a more hand-filling knife when I'm doing a lot of cutting.  I keep a Lansky kit in the back room of the store, and I've usually got a small sharpening rod in my pocket as well for quick touch ups.  I've never really had a problem with the blade getting dull that quickly, and if needed a quick touch on the pocket sharpener brings a SAK blade back to life quickly.

Ok if that's the case then that's a bit relieving.

The problem with sharpening is I'm AWFUL at sharpening knives I can get the job done on an oil stone but that's about it. I'm considering getting one of these Lanskey kits (is that what you're talking about? If so are they decent?)

[Caranthanus]

Never heard SAK was intended to cut the wire and remain razor sharp 

SAK rules ...
 

Hey it was a scrape on a single tiny stationary staple... something that hasn't worried my folders in the past anyway.

I might get some thicker rope at home and run a few tests. See how many cuts it takes to go from hair shaving sharp to being a tiny cudgel.

Much better idea ... to cut rope instead of (tiny) ... wire
 

[Aloha]

I've got that Lansky kit and I've put some wicked edges on my knives.  Its takes some trial and error but watch a few vids and you should be good to go.  For quick touch ups I use the Lansky turn box ceramic rods.  http://www.lansky.com/index.php/products/4-rod-turn-box/. 

[jerseydevil]

The problem with sharpening is I'm AWFUL at sharpening knives I can get the job done on an oil stone but that's about it. I'm considering getting one of these Lanskey kits (is that what you're talking about? If so are they decent?)

Yep that's the one!  I've got two of them, one at home and the other at work.  It works well once you get the hang of it like Aloha said.  My carbon steel blades turn into razors using that sucker.......

[SAK Guy]

I've done all-day box busting with a SAK at work plenty of times, though I prefer a more hand-filling knife when I'm doing a lot of cutting.  I keep a Lansky kit in the back room of the store, and I've usually got a small sharpening rod in my pocket as well for quick touch ups.  I've never really had a problem with the blade getting dull that quickly, and if needed a quick touch on the pocket sharpener brings a SAK blade back to life quickly.

Thia has sorta been my experience as well...have a pocket rod handy and I like my SAK edges a little grabby so a medium grit rod usually does it.

[captain spaulding]

I've got that Lansky kit and I've put some wicked edges on my knives.  Its takes some trial and error but watch a few vids and you should be good to go.  For quick touch ups I use the Lansky turn box ceramic rods.  http://www.lansky.com/index.php/products/4-rod-turn-box/.

Just have to put it out their. I have a Lansky system and hated it. I could not get a good edge on anything and the coarse stone started to chip away around the edge after using it twice. The clamp did not work well either. It is a royal pain in the smurf to set up and you have to bend the flippin metal rods straight every single time you use it. This is just my experience with it though.

I should be getting a sharpmaker soon enough.

[Aloha]

I've got that Lansky kit and I've put some wicked edges on my knives.  Its takes some trial and error but watch a few vids and you should be good to go.  For quick touch ups I use the Lansky turn box ceramic rods.  http://www.lansky.com/index.php/products/4-rod-turn-box/.

Just have to put it out their. I have a Lansky system and hated it. I could not get a good edge on anything and the coarse stone started to chip away around the edge after using it twice. The clamp did not work well either. It is a royal pain in the smurf to set up and you have to bend the flippin metal rods straight every single time you use it. This is just my experience with it though.

I should be getting a sharpmaker soon enough.

I remember you having a poor time with this set up.  It takes some adjusting too for sure and it may be best to start with some kitchen knives ( I did ) and be patient.  It does eventually get easier and produce a wicked edge ( at least for me ) and I was also able to remove a chip in a beater knife as well. 

I cant wait to hear what you think of the SM set. 

[Luna Knife]

I got a lansky system but use the rods(medium) freehand then on to a very smooth ceramic for polishing to a razor edge. Pretend you are shaving a postage stamp off the rod when sharpening.

Stropping on glass, leather or cardboard requires even less sharpening and resets the edge




Yes its true, SAKS are softish and on the lower 50s end of the rockwell hardness scale but are very easy to sharpen in the field making them ideal companions for camping and fishing.

[zoidberg]

I got a lansky system but use the rods(medium) freehand then on to a very smooth ceramic for polishing to a razor edge. Pretend you are shaving a postage stamp off the rod when sharpening.

Stropping on glass, leather or cardboard requires even less sharpening and resets the edge




Yes its true, SAKS are softish and on the lower 50s end of the rockwell hardness scale but are very easy to sharpen in the field making them ideal companions for camping and fishing.

You use your SAK for fishing duties?

[Luna Knife]

I got a lansky system but use the rods(medium) freehand then on to a very smooth ceramic for polishing to a razor edge. Pretend you are shaving a postage stamp off the rod when sharpening.

Stropping on glass, leather or cardboard requires even less sharpening and resets the edge




Yes its true, SAKS are softish and on the lower 50s end of the rockwell hardness scale but are very easy to sharpen in the field making them ideal companions for camping and fishing.

You use your SAK for fishing duties?

I keep a Vic Huntsman on a lanyard on my fishing backpack.  The saw is an excellent fish scaler.  The scizzors are great for cutting fishing line.  I also keep a stainless Opinel #8 in the bag pocket. 

Yes, even though I wash them when I get home they are still smelly and the Huntsman probably has yuck under the scales

[zoidberg]

I got a lansky system but use the rods(medium) freehand then on to a very smooth ceramic for polishing to a razor edge. Pretend you are shaving a postage stamp off the rod when sharpening.

Stropping on glass, leather or cardboard requires even less sharpening and resets the edge




Yes its true, SAKS are softish and on the lower 50s end of the rockwell hardness scale but are very easy to sharpen in the field making them ideal companions for camping and fishing.

You use your SAK for fishing duties?

I keep a Vic Huntsman on a lanyard on my fishing backpack.  The saw is an excellent fish scaler.  The scizzors are great for cutting fishing line.  I also keep a stainless Opinel #8 in the bag pocket. 

Yes, even though I wash them when I get home they are still smelly and the Huntsman probably has yuck under the scales

     

[comis]

I wanted to swap my normal carry of a Leatherman for a SAK today so I shuffled through my collection and decided on my Deluxe Tinker 

I fixed a window with it at work, fixed the fitting on the water filter (the pliers actually did the trick!) and then opened a few boxes. While opening the boxes I clipped an ordinary staple... and my blade went from razor sharp, shearing through thick cardboard as if it was nothing, to completely blunt... having to saw through bubble wrap and tape.

I'd always heard SAK blades were made of butter but please tell me this isn't normal...

My dad stopped using the cadet I gave him after a day and went back to his mercator because the cadet went blunt. I presumed he was exaggerating.

I rarely put my SAK blades to cutting hard objects, but they do have a fair share of cutting open boxes and the likes.  I guess what it may lack in the impact toughness department, it may have made up in the edge retention.  One would be surprised when it is compared to other material or blade on the market:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,29188.msg501269.html#msg501269

http://www.thetruthaboutknives.com/2014/06/knife-review-victorinox-compact/




In terms of sharpening, I did hear many good things about the Lanskey system, but I also like to recommend the Spyderco sharpmaker.  It requires no setup, and the result is amazing.  The angles it provided is perfect match for SAK, and it's a great investment for any frequent SAK users or collectors.

[dork]

I use a Work Sharp Field Sharpener to maintain my blades and I love it. After moderate use, my Vics get honed on the ceramic rod and then stropped a few times and BANG they're splittin' hairs. I like the softer steel for that reason. I've also run a blade or two over a staple and paid dearly for it, but again the WSFS came through with the rough grit + fine grit diamond plates




Sent from my mind to your mind through the sorcery of language.

[neillcurrie]

I keep my Lansky rods assembled in the various stones permanently, no need to keep bending the rods each use then. I put cut-outs for the rod-ends into the plastic Lansky box so they will all sit in nicely together, organized properly.
Apart from the Lansky, all I use after sharpening, is a strop I made from 15 inches of old leather belt stuck to a piece of particle board.
As SAK's are easy to sharpen, and obviously have softer steel than some other knives, I am sure they would go blunt if run against a steel object, edge-on, but I am pretty sure any other knife edge would suffer too.....maybe not quite so badly, but still need a touch-up.

[sir_mike]

I use a Sharpmaker for my sak's most of the time but if I am in a hurry or need to sharpen my Manager keychain sak, I have the Lansky Mini Croc pull thru ceramic one that works great for small sak's.

[Aloha]

Let me also echo the use of a strop.   I like to touch up my work knives with the turn box ceramic rods as mentioned but I also strop from day to day to bring back the edge.  I use the ceramic rods when I've neglected stropping.   I also feel stropping after any system really finishes the edge and takes your blade to the finished level. 

[VictorLouis]

Sharpmaker takes care of simple needs well. I'd LOVE to see Spyderco make one up in 'half-scale', so as to keep in the desk drawer, for example.

[Steinar]

I'm really not fond of sharpening knives either, but to me it boils down to one of two relevant options:

1: Something like a SAK, which has soft, but usable steel. I will have to touch it up pretty often, but it's robust and forgiving.

2: Something with a "super steel", which will keep sharp for a long time and laugh at stuff where the SAK gets blunt or gets problems with edge rolling. On the other hand, if I smurf up, repairing the edge will be Really No Fun At All® and there's the problem of micro chipping...

I have both kinds of knives, but most of the time, I opt for the softer, but forgiving, edge.

[Steinar]

Yes its true, SAKS are softish and on the lower 50s end of the rockwell hardness scale but are very easy to sharpen in the field making them ideal companions for camping and fishing.

Vic gives the hardness as HRC 56. There's not a lot of carbides, if any, in that steel, so it will have lower edge holding ability when cutting in soft materials compared to something with a lot of carbides, like 440C, for instance.

http://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Knife+Blade

[Syph007]

Yes compared to modern super steels, SAK blades are pretty soft.  I can take one from dull to damn sharp in a couple minutes though on the sharpmaker.  I have the lansky too, but honestly IM too lazy to get it out and setup all the clamp do-dads.  The sharpmaker you just go for it with coarse then fine rods and a SAK is back in action pretty fast.

[harronek]

I have a Lansky and to tell you the truth the only thing it was good for was teaching me edge angles and the absolute  necessity of maintaining that angle , also micro bevels
I then taught myself how to freehand sharpen on stones and I can get all of my knives shaving sharp quickly . Depending on the knife and its duties I will strop the blade , but on a work toothy edge I won't .
Take some time and learn to sharpen a knife the old fashioned way , its a great skill to know .


Ken

[AimlessWanderer]

I sharpen most of my knives these days on one of the pen type diamond pocket sharpeners. If there's serious metal to be removed, I'll break out the worksharp

I find SAKs hold an edge perfectly well providing they don't hit any hard obstacles, but even when they do, it's an easy fix to get back up and running again. That's how I prefer my knives, and I actually work these steels harder than the hi-tech stainlesses that are on a couple of my blades, as they're just too much of a PITA to get back to full working condition.

[cbl51]

I sharpen most of my knives these days on one of the pen type diamond pocket sharpeners. If there's serious metal to be removed, I'll break out the worksharp

I find SAKs hold an edge perfectly well providing they don't hit any hard obstacles, but even when they do, it's an easy fix to get back up and running again. That's how I prefer my knives, and I actually work these steels harder than the hi-tech stainlesses that are on a couple of my blades, as they're just too much of a PITA to get back to full working condition.

This^^

A SAK will hold a good edge for a good amount of time. Yes, there are other knives that will run rings around the SAK steel in edge holding and hardness, but they are a PITA to re-sharpen. With my SAK, I can takeout the little cut down Eze-Lap diamond hone in my wallet, or use the bottom of a coffee mug, and have the edge right back in just a few new york minutes. That edge lasts well but running over a staple, even a small one, is the same as running the edge over a steel wire. That's going to mess up any sharp edge. It probably it din't really dull it as much as just turn the edge over. A stropping on any kind of steel would have brought it back. A screw driver shank, back of a butter knife, top of a car window. Maybe even a leather strop or belt.

I overwhelmingly prefer a SAK that I can restore a quick edge than a wonder steel knife that will hack through super mans cape but takes gizmos and an hour to sharpen up.

Oh, those other knives that hold a way better edge? They fall by the wayside when a screw needs to be tightened, or a cold one needs to be opened at the end of the day, or a pull tab on a can comes off and you need a can opener right then. SAK's are so much more than a knife.

SAK sharpener:

[derekmac]

The only SAK blade that I abuse is my 98 Pioneer, and I haven't had any problems with it dulling easily. 

I had to trim 1 gauge wire down to fit into a 4 gauge terminal, and I used the blade to cut the wire, and it was still sharp afterwards.  I've skinned a bunch of wire, and cut heavy cardboard, and yep, it's still sharp.

For a sharpening system, I love my Lansky, and it can easily put a razors edge on a blade.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Joe58]

I think some of this perception may from the plethora of knives and different steels, as well as sharpening systems, that we may get caught up in thinking that your knife must be kept razor sharp at all times, and if does lose a bit of the edge during the day cutting through cardboard, which is tough on an edge, or other tough things, the knife is deemed as having an inferior steel.

Perhaps I'm not wording this quite properly so I'm hoping you're catching my drift. Your knife will still function for 99% of your daily tasks just fine with an edge that isn't quite ready for surgery. Then just give it a quick touch up that evening.

That's also a reason I tend to prefer an electrician. That little blade on there does cut like crazy and will get just nasty sharp quickly. And I'm always amazed at what good cutters those small blades on my Minichamp are.