Sharpening

[Gerhard Gerber]

I was sort of expecting trouble considering my experiences grinding the knife out of a piece of D6, but I was still surprised 

I borrowed a WorkSharp to create the bevel, that didn't go great, and a new belt seemed to do something for a few strokes.

Next on to the Spyderco Sharpmaker (also borrowed  ), got a bit further, but not much.

Since I had an even bevel thanks to the WorkSharp I went home and got busy with stones.....and eventually everthing short of files that could be used for sharpening a knife.

I got a few parts of the edge scary sharp, but the best part is just laughing at me.....

I can assure you there is nothing wrong with the steel, this is all my lack of skill and equipment.

Made me wonder.

The best steels in my collection is D2 and 154CM, both are very sharp non-users.

How often do we hear about super steels that are difficult or impossible to field sharpen, and to be honest I couldn't quite understand this.

This experience with D6 has changed my mind, and at the very least re-affirmed my preference for simpler carbon steels.

I am seriously questioning the worth of a knife as a user if I can't sharpen it myself, easily.

[Crow]

Could it be uneven tempering that causes this?

[Steinar]

Field users should be tough and impact resistant, two traits which in steel both undermine extreme abrasion resistance anyway.

Not really surprised about your experience, I've had some very sobering bouts with super steels and micro-chipping. (It was a steel which I won't mention where I either could use a diamond hone and get extreme micro-chipping, or use a ceramic hone and hardly affect it at all. So I first had to shape it with the diamond, then use ages remove the chipping with the ceramic ones. No. Fun. At. All.  )

[Steinar]

Could it be uneven tempering that causes this?

D6 has ridiculous amounts of carbon and a lot of carbide forming elements (chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, wolfram), so it will be very abrasion resistant when hardened.

http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=D6&ni=240&hrn=1&gm=0

It's IMHO a tool steel not too suited for knives, as it will not be very tough and it will not be able to hold a very acute edge. (It will form huge carbides which will need more of the steel matrix to support them.) For tool steels, those are not relevant problems.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Field users should be tough and impact resistant, two traits which in steel both undermine extreme abrasion resistance anyway.

Not really surprised about your experience, I've had some very sobering bouts with super steels and micro-chipping. (It was a steel which I won't mention where I either could use a diamond hone and get extreme micro-chipping, or use a ceramic hone and hardly affect it at all. So I first had to shape it with the diamond, then use ages remove the chipping with the ceramic ones. No. Fun. At. All.  )

That seems to explain exactly what I experienced......one step forward 2 steps back.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Could it be uneven tempering that causes this?

D6 has ridiculous amounts of carbon and a lot of carbide forming elements (chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, wolfram), so it will be very abrasion resistant when hardened.

http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=D6&ni=240&hrn=1&gm=0

It's IMHO a tool steel not too suited for knives , as it will not be very tough and it will not be able to hold a very acute edge. (It will form huge carbides which will need more of the steel matrix to support them.) For tool steels, those are not relevant problems.

 

I did my research before the course and understood what I was getting into, but I guess now I know the difference between reading and experience.

Good news is about 5mm at the sharpening notch is extremely sharp, so it's a question of getting the rest there.

Don't know why, but I constantly hear Darth Vader's voice saying " Your WorkSharp belt is no match for my Abrasion Resistance"