Help on one I can't get sharp!

[shawnba67]

I've got a kershaw blur with the S30V steel. I have never once been able to get this knife to shaving sharp. I tried with a lansky kit for couple years then I recently bought a ken onion work sharp( amazing) and still can't get it as sharp as I feel it should get. Once I got it back to shaving sharp but usually just short of that. On the new work sharp I usually do several knifes at one time run them through change belt and so on. The others almost always come out satisfactory save one small buck pocket knife. Any ideas ?? I've decided I have a steel defect. LOL but seriously does s30v take a different technique?? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Dean C.]

In my personal experience S30 has not been terribly difficult to sharpen (now M390 is a bit of a pain in the ass). If I may ask what angle are you trying to sharpen the knife at and what grit belts are you using? When I sharpen a knife I create a bur on the edge so I know the edge has been apexed properly and the entire edge is being sharpened then I precede to the actual sharpening going through the stones and what not. Generally Kershaws are at a 40-45 degree inclusive edge if you are going much lower or higher than that the work sharp might not be enough to properly apex the edge and sharpen the knife.

 

[shawnba67]

Tried 25degrees forever just recently switched to 22.5 degrees. I only run the burr on the coarsest belt then alternate strokes on rest of the belts. 6-10 per side per belt. I get really good results on almost every other knife I've sharpened. I'm up over 20 different knives at this point. ( friends and family find out you've got a new sharpener do dad and your gonna be busy. Lol) I really try to watch and be sure I don't apply extra pressure on the blade or differing pressure either. I am upset with this knife! I will say for the s30v while mine has never been really sharp it stays 90% sharp longer than any other knife I've ever owned.

 

[nova512]

i can sharpen it for you, it will be a razor when im done.

 

[rhino]

Tried 25degrees forever just recently switched to 22.5 degrees. I only run the burr on the coarsest belt then alternate strokes on rest of the belts. 6-10 per side per belt. I get really good results on almost every other knife I've sharpened. I'm up over 20 different knives at this point. ( friends and family find out you've got a new sharpener do dad and your gonna be busy. Lol) I really try to watch and be sure I don't apply extra pressure on the blade or differing pressure either. I am upset with this knife! I will say for the s30v while mine has never been really sharp it stays 90% sharp longer than any other knife I've ever owned.

Let's keep in mind that the WorkSharp will convex the edge, so it's fundamentally changing the edge geometry.

What are you doing after you use the finest belt that you use? Unless you're doing anything other than stropping, you may be undoing the work the WorkSharp did for you.

In my experience, assuming the edge is thin enough, CMP S30V will take one of the sharpest edges you can do. A Cabela's Alaskan Guide Series Buck 110 can be a beautiful, slicey machine if you treat it right. Your Kershaw should be able to take a good edge too.

Question: do you want to keep the convex edge? If so, you'll need to keep working on it with your WorkSharp or a belt grinder if you have the skills. If you don't mind a conventional bevel (aka a cantled edge), why not let Dean have a go at it with his Wicked Edge?

If you let someone other than Dean work on it, be careful about your choice. Some people do really good work and some people have a reputation for doing good sharpening work, but the results say otherwise.

 

[grunt soldier]

Make sure you aren't putting to much pressure on the blade once you have the burr or you will just keep rolling it from side to side. I had that issue when I first started using a grinder. It's easy to do and not even notice. I know you said you didn't think you were but that is probably the issue. Also the best way I have found and was suggested to me by the work sharp folks at blade show was to start at a very coarse grit. get your burr good then lightly pass it over on each side again so as to get rid of the burr at coarse grit. Then instead of stepping up through each belt grit go right to a very fine grit and not over polish it. I have had very good success with this method. Granted I use the blade grinding attachment so it's a bit different but the belt info should be the same.

 

[shawnba67]

Hey thanks for the advice guys. If I let Dean sharpen it I only get a days worth of fish and I'd like more fish (and the wife threw a fit about purchasing the work sharp if I pay to have one sharpened she will, well you get the idea.
On the applying blade pressure in the work sharp. Any advice on how to tell if I'm doing it or if it's happening?

 

[Drail]

Once you get the knife reasonably sharp you need to be able to feel the burr and tell which side of the blade it is leaning away from. At that point you must only use very light pressure on that side to grind the burr off - if you don't you'll simply bend it over to the other side and on and on...... Let the stone or abrasive belt do the work. Very light pressure.

 

[45fan]

I have the standard worksharp machine, have yet to find a blade it cannot put a shaving edge on. One thing I have noticed with this over conventional stones is that it will get away from you in a hurry if you are not paying attention to the shape of the edge. Usually it is only a few passes with the coarse belt to set the convex shape of the edge, slightly more passes with the middle belt, then fine tuning with the honing belt. I usually finish by stropping the edge a few times on the belt, but this isnt absolutely necessary to get a shaving edge with this machine on any blade I have sharpened. I have used it on everything from cheep kitchen knives to Ka-bars, even reshaped a cold chisel or two with it, and everything its touched has come out very sharp.

 

[Klbeeks]

I've always had great luck with a smith's diamond stone. I have a few knives with s30v and they're cake to sharpen. Love the way they hold an edge. Just pay attention to blade angle. Make sure you keep it the same.

 

[Grifd21]

I can sharpen it for you and you csn thank me later!! haha Just let me know where you are and I would be happy to give it a try!!