Too Sharp?

[Old Boy]

Being off from work for a few weeks has given me some free time to do some tool maintenance, so I decided to sharpen my Cold Steel American Lawman (AUS 8 Steel) from paper sharp to hair popping sharp.

I’m still old school and use my cheapo Harbor Freight diamond stones for really dull edges and 1000 & 6000 grit whetstones I picked up when I was in Japan for work.

The only place for me to test the sharpness was my disgustingly hairy legs. So now I have landing strips on my legs.

Anyway I’ve always resisted doing this to my AL. Compared to my Delica it’s a much thicker blade and the AL is my go to blade for semi heavy duty work like popping zip ties and cutting tubing. I love the Delica but I use it for office carry or food cutting only. I get a less grip on the handles and not sure what would happen if I used it on zip ties. My AL has survived light prying duties as well.

I love the AL, I break down once in a while and buy a new knife with better steel, but keep coming back to the AL.

Sorry for the wandering thread, but I’m wondering if our edged experts in the forum keep their knives exceedingly sharp or prefer their knives to be less sharp?

[SteveC]

I like to keep mine sharp enough 

[theonew]

My preferred level of sharpness

Disclaimer: I'm insane

[Aloha]

I also like all my blades crazy sharp. I really like giving the bevels a good high polish too.  I'm not sure when this happened but I can tell you from my many years in the kitchen as a chef I'd also keep all my knives exceedingly sharp.

[Old Boy]

Thanks for the replies guys! Yeah I gotta admit my first day with my knife this sharp has been fun. Couple of deliveries came in today and cutting open those padded envelopes was like cutting through butter compared to before.

When I get to “abusing” the edge a bit I’ll see how the AL takes it and decide if I like it this sharp.

I’m a bit of a nervous Nellie on this as I’m not an expert on sharpening so I only know 1 edge type I can place on the knife. If this was a kitchen knife I wouldn’t have any hesitation.

That was a crazy pic by the way, what was that smoky S? Blowing cigar smoke? 👌

[David]

I like a good sharp knife. It does not have the split hair or cut tissue paper.

[Old Boy]

I like a good sharp knife. It does not have the split hair or cut tissue paper.

My philosophy too, as long as it did the job. So I’m trying a small experiment.

[Dean51]

I've tried polished edges, it does make the edge look shinny  but I gave it up pretty quick. The edge didn't seem to hold up as well for cardboard, wood, zip ties or other hard or abrasive cuts.
 
Steels like AUS-8, 1095 get done with a 320 or 600 grit aluminum oxide stone.
For higher carbide steels like 154CM & D2 I use a 600 silicon carbide stone.
High carbide, vanadium steels like S30V & M390 get special attention. I relieve the edge to 17 per side then a 20 micro bevel with a 1500 diamond plate.






 

[gerleatherberman]

I just keep mine sharp enough to cut hot butter.

[ThePeacent]

That was a crazy pic by the way, what was that smoky S? Blowing cigar smoke? 👌

that's a whittled hair (meaning the edge that did that was so sharp to take shaves off a single human hair)   
Extreme sharpness   

[Old Boy]

That was a crazy pic by the way, what was that smoky S? Blowing cigar smoke? 👌

that's a whittled hair (meaning the edge that did that was so sharp to take shaves off a single human hair)   
Extreme sharpness   

Mad skills!

[Old Boy]

I've tried polished edges, it does make the edge look shinny  but I gave it up pretty quick. The edge didn't seem to hold up as well for cardboard, wood, zip ties or other hard or abrasive cuts.

Yeah that’s what was stopping me from doing this before. Nice to know there are real world experiences in this. I guess I’ll see what happens with my Cold Steel.  Hopefully the edge won’t roll too bad.

[Don Pablo]

That was a crazy pic by the way, what was that smoky S? Blowing cigar smoke? 👌

that's a whittled hair (meaning the edge that did that was so sharp to take shaves off a single human hair)   
Extreme sharpness   

Mad skills!

I would have thought that you would need an obsidian scalpel and microscope to do that. 
Mad skills doesn't do it justice. 

[theonew]

Having an edge like that is really fun and great for detail work but not so good if you slip and cut yourself

[pomsbz]

My benchmark is to smoothly and slowly push cut receipt paper. If it can do that it can slice through food packaging without ripping it.

[Don Pablo]

Having an edge like that is really fun and great for detail work but not so good if you slip and cut yourself

Hey, at least you won't feel the cuts due to them being sooo fine. 

[Dean51]

I've tried polished edges, it does make the edge look shinny  but I gave it up pretty quick. The edge didn't seem to hold up as well for cardboard, wood, zip ties or other hard or abrasive cuts.

Yeah that’s what was stopping me from doing this before. Nice to know there are real world experiences in this. I guess I’ll see what happens with my Cold Steel.  Hopefully the edge won’t roll too bad.

A polished edge should not roll any more than a toothier edge at the same angle.
If you make the edge angle too acute then steels like AUS-8 will roll and steels like S30V will micro chip.

[Dean51]

Having an edge like that is really fun and great for detail work but not so good if you slip and cut yourself

Hey, at least you won't feel the cuts due to them being sooo fine. 

[Old Boy]

I've tried polished edges, it does make the edge look shinny  but I gave it up pretty quick. The edge didn't seem to hold up as well for cardboard, wood, zip ties or other hard or abrasive cuts.

Yeah that’s what was stopping me from doing this before. Nice to know there are real world experiences in this. I guess I’ll see what happens with my Cold Steel.  Hopefully the edge won’t roll too bad.

A polished edge should not roll any more than a toothier edge at the same angle.
If you make the edge angle too acute then steels like AUS-8 will roll and steels like S30V will micro chip.

Good to know!!!

[Old Boy]

My benchmark is to smoothly and slowly push cut receipt paper. If it can do that it can slice through food packaging without ripping it.

Don’t laugh, but I rushed over to the kitchen to look for receipts. Lol.

Looks good!  I wish I have access to a better camera and show some pics.

I have noticed that I could never get the edge next to the heel as sharp as the belly edge as the American Lawman doesn’t have a sharpening notch.

So when I slice something from beginning to end it’s always a bit tougher at first then smooths out at the end.

At this sharpening rate though eventually that heel will eventually disappear. My only niggling complaint on this wonderful knife.

As a side note when they came out with the same model but CTS XHP steel I immediately bought it in case my old one gets lost. But after a few days I shelved it. For some reason I really love the AUS 8. Very forgiving when I need to fix the edge.

I notched the blade one time accidentally cutting through some sheeting and cut into a rock. Took me only 10 minutes to fix.

In the Massdrop site I waxed poetically about budget steels and mentioned innocently that the super or high end steels were not as forgiving to sharpen and got slammed on my sharpening skills as a response. Hatahhhs!!!!

Gotta love  social media. 

[theonew]

Hey, at least you won't feel the cuts due to them being sooo fine. 

My neighbor and close friend borrowed a kitchen knife from us and when she returned it, placed it on our magnetic knife holder right next to the sharpest polished kitchen knife we own. We then sat down together for a beer when she noticed that the side of her hand was bleeding. She swore that her hand never came in contact with the other knife and from what I saw it didn't look like she did. That gets into the realm of scary sharp

[ThePeacent]

Hey, at least you won't feel the cuts due to them being sooo fine. 

My neighbor and close friend borrowed a kitchen knife from us and when she returned it, placed it on our magnetic knife holder right next to the sharpest polished kitchen knife we own. We then sat down together for a beer when she noticed that the side of her hand was bleeding. She swore that her hand never came in contact with the other knife and from what I saw it didn't look like she did. That gets into the realm of scary sharp

has happened me on occasion with factory edged knives from Cold Steel and Spyderco.
Embarrassing but makes you  at your new acquisition   

[Old Boy]

So after giving the new edge a test drive I’m thinking of keeping it this way. Biggest reason is that my wife was going through her purse collection 🤣 and I noticed that some of the stuff she was throwing away actually had some nice size clips I can use a carabiners. Nice brass rings too that I can repurpose.

I’m constantly using carabiners for something or the other and the ones she had on her purses were made of sturdier stuff.

Anyway the knife went through leather like cutting mud. Nice!! For sturdier material I noticed that as long as I cut firmly and slowly like popping zip ties the edge seems to hold up. Anything faster or harder seems like the edge needs touch up.

Off topic, but I wish that the crowd in Massdrop is as nice as the folks here. I give Grant and the other moderators kudos for maintaining a kind culture.

Massdrop has some great deals on knives and such but seem to attract trolls and steel snobs. I realize that AUS8 is a budget steel but when done right it has its place.
I never learn, but I’ll leave a comment on budget steels and I get trashed for some reason or the other.

I mean I get it, we live in a life of embarrassing riches and better knife steels. But there are a few folks who love the old school back locks and don’t need adamantium claws for EDC 😜

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Thanks everyone for their responses!!

[ThePeacent]

So after giving the new edge a test drive I’m thinking of keeping it this way. Biggest reason is that my wife was going through her purse collection 🤣 and I noticed that some of the stuff she was throwing away actually had some nice size clips I can use a carabiners. Nice brass rings too that I can repurpose.

I’m constantly using carabiners for something or the other and the ones she had on her purses were made of sturdier stuff.

Anyway the knife went through leather like cutting mud. Nice!! For sturdier material I noticed that as long as I cut firmly and slowly like popping zip ties the edge seems to hold up. Anything faster or harder seems like the edge needs touch up.

Off topic, but I wish that the crowd in Massdrop is as nice as the folks here. I give Grant and the other moderators kudos for maintaining a kind culture.

Massdrop has some great deals on knives and such but seem to attract trolls and steel snobs. I realize that AUS8 is a budget steel but when done right it has its place.
I never learn, but I’ll leave a comment on budget steels and I get trashed for some reason or the other.

I mean I get it, we live in a life of embarrassing riches and better knife steels. But there are a few folks who love the old school back locks and don’t need adamantium claws for EDC 😜

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Thanks everyone for their responses!!

AUS8 and 420HC are two of my favorites even after using and owning knives in ELMAX, CTS-XHP, S30V, etc.
in fact AUS8-A is the steel I have more folders with (about 22)
Just too good for everyday use and ease of sharpening   

[Don Pablo]

My favorite super steel is ordinary Vic steel. 

[gerleatherberman]

So after giving the new edge a test drive I’m thinking of keeping it this way. Biggest reason is that my wife was going through her purse collection 🤣 and I noticed that some of the stuff she was throwing away actually had some nice size clips I can use a carabiners. Nice brass rings too that I can repurpose.

I’m constantly using carabiners for something or the other and the ones she had on her purses were made of sturdier stuff.

Anyway the knife went through leather like cutting mud. Nice!! For sturdier material I noticed that as long as I cut firmly and slowly like popping zip ties the edge seems to hold up. Anything faster or harder seems like the edge needs touch up.

Off topic, but I wish that the crowd in Massdrop is as nice as the folks here. I give Grant and the other moderators kudos for maintaining a kind culture.

Massdrop has some great deals on knives and such but seem to attract trolls and steel snobs. I realize that AUS8 is a budget steel but when done right it has its place.
I never learn, but I’ll leave a comment on budget steels and I get trashed for some reason or the other.

I mean I get it, we live in a life of embarrassing riches and better knife steels. But there are a few folks who love the old school back locks and don’t need adamantium claws for EDC 😜

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Thanks everyone for their responses!!

AUS8 and 420HC are two of my favorites even after using and owning knives in ELMAX, CTS-XHP, S30V, etc.
in fact AUS8-A is the steel I have more folders with (about 22)
Just too good for everyday use and ease of sharpening   

Thank you Peacant!  I really enjoy aus8 and 420hc as well. Anything harder and it seems the blades chip more easily! A lot of people on MT.o trash talk 420hc, but when I hit a staple and roll an edge cutting a box open, it is nice to know I won't be spending all night putting a clean edge back on it.

[Aloha]

I'm not sure I agree, "a lot of MTO folks trash talk 420HC".  Could be I'm not reading those posts  .  What I will say is, who the smurf cares what others preferences are when it comes to steel.  Use what works for you and sharpen to the level you find works best.  I think we all can agree that the manufacturer needs to heat treat the steel properly.  As long as this is done then whatever steel is used it will be at its best. 

I have a variety of steels and what I find neat is many of us along with our super steel blades carry a SAK.  I even see those with really expensive blades carry a SAK.  You'd think if someone was a steel snob they'd not carry any steel other than a super steel.  I also find it interesting that those same folks carry a MT.  While LM has a MT with S30V there aren't a lot of super steel MTs.

I've personally never had any issues getting my Waves blade just like I like.  I carry a 1095HC fixed blade for work as well and same goes for it.  Both perform wonderfully and both are well used.     

     

[Don Pablo]

I'm not sure I agree, "a lot of MTO folks trash talk 420HC".  Could be I'm not reading those posts  .
   

+1. 

[ThePeacent]

I'm not sure I agree, "a lot of MTO folks trash talk 420HC".  Could be I'm not reading those posts  .
   

+1. 

that also made me 

in this forum precisely you see a love and appreciation for Gerber, Leatherman and Buck's 420 and for Victorinox steel that you never see on other forums.   
Compared to MT.org, Spyderco forums or BladeForums are "steel snobs meeting points" and all the non-super steels are ridiculed, smashed and trashed by the members there all day long.
Here is just the opposite   

[gerleatherberman]

I'm not sure I agree, "a lot of MTO folks trash talk 420HC".  Could be I'm not reading those posts ?
   

Perhaps. OR. Everytime a Wave vs. Charge thread comes up, the biggest thing is how much better the Charge is, because of s30v plain blade. My argument is that 420hc is still a fine steel for blades and s30v is not worth the extra $80! My mind may be poisoned beyond reproach on the subject, because of that. My apologies. I'll stand corrected for the time being.