Awesome. I’ve been yet to play with XHP as a toothy finish. Always seemed to ask for a polished edge. I get really good results with it cutting rope, much better than its similarly priced competitors
Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors I think XHP takes a nice edge toothy or polished, but there aren’t many super steels I take to a high polish, so with XHP I usually can’t resist the opportunity. It is a great knife steel. By the way, thanks for the share.
That level of sharpness at the end looks insane. You're an absolute master of your craft. I might get that knife as well now. The geometry really does look nice for edc.
Just wanted to add that I picked up a Chaparral Carbon Fiber/G-10 in CTS-XHP because of this video.... I'm blown away by the quality of the knife and its cutting performance. Thanks for the great info on this model.
Excellent demonstration and discussion! Just like being asked “what steel should I get?” The answer to “polish or not to polish” an edge is “it depends”.
Just got a Chaparral. Really like it. Nervous about sharpening it on my KME which is also new. Really like your videos. Being a sharpening newbie, getting some confidence to sharpen my Spydercos.
Thank you very much for these discussions. I have learned a lot from your videos. I still have a ways to go. Thanks again, this is a great steel and a great test. I will keep watching.
Great video man I always learn something from your vids and every time I talk to Ken my knowledge increases I'm still a novice and sharpening But Ken is my mentor and you are videos are ever knowledgeable and I opening
I know I'm late to comment but XHP is extremely underrated imo. It definitely performs better with a highly polished edge. Strops back nicely as well. Love that thin stock on the chaparral
My XHP finish lately = 1200 Atoma few passes on Spyderco UF and strop 1micron 👏 fast n easy for work knife, super bitey edge that push cuts phone book paper like a dream.
Awesome man. Im actually about to start my channel, and the whole focus is egde finishes in relation to performance. Awesome test. And Ken is the man... His product's are second to none
Very nicely done Michael. An Illuminating test to be sure. You should definitely get another Chaparral and do another side-by-side test cut alternating cuts in the same piece of cardboard to eliminate random abrasive variables. Also do you have plans to do a push versus draw cut test? I think this would further highlight the difference between toothy and polished edges. Totally agree on full steel backspacers!
Joshua Briggs thank you. I may pick up another Chaparral, but only because I want to really put this one through a lot of use, kind of like I did with my ZDP Endura. As for draw cut tests, I’m not real big on spreading out the wear across an entire blade. I may end up doing something like that eventually, but it would take me some time and practice to get comfortable with another testing method.
Thank you for the quick reply Michael. Obviously establishing and maintaining equal draw cuts requires incredible dexterity and skill of which I'm quite sure you're capable given your nearly cyborg like Proficiency in free hand sharpening. LOL you are the bomb! On a serious note, I'm just alluding to the commonly held opinion that a toothy carbide rich edge provides more advantage on draw cuts vs the advantages of a polished edge for push cuts. Obviously there are human limitations in trying to scientifically evaluate this phenomenon. Once again thank you for your efforts in your videos; they are really enjoyable and among the best on RUclips on the subject of knives and sharpening. :)
I'm so tired of hearing people say "You should only use a coarse stone, you get the best retention on everything!" And then being shown evidence and still saying sharpening on a brick is the way to go.
Thanx for the good review on this knife. I never was really into spydercos cuz of the hump thing round spydie hole. But I do like chaparral and native 5 and just got chaparral w grey from and really like the knife. Thinking of getting raffir noble one next.
Hi Michael, from the UK. I really enjoy watching you carrying out your various sharpening tasks. I only wish that I were able to do the same. I guess that like most other repetitive things of a skilled task it requires practice and of course time. I must admit to being quite transfixed watching the way in which you are able to move the blades back and forth without more support than just hands and knees or an arm on the table. I have recently bought a couple of Spyderco knives, all using good steel. I'm hoping to sharpen them up a little in the near future. However, I shall be practicing on a couple of sacrificial blades first. But before all of that I need to buy some sharpening surfaces. I will probably buy a couple of ceramic surfaces first and then, depending on how it goes, as it were. I may then invest in a a Shapton glass or two. I do though have a question. You mention diamond plates etc. What grade of surfaces do you employ? Anyway, that's enough pestering for now. Keep up the good work.
Stephen Carter for diamond sprays and pastes, I typically use leather or basswood. I don’t buy a particular brand of leather. Instead I look for the surface I want which varies based on the abrasive I’m using and how I plan to use it.
Wait, did 10V cut less in your other test? I'm probably just missing some distinction between the testing method. Much thicker cardboard, maybe? Could be anything. Just caught my attention.
I wouldn't want all their back spacers to go ss for the sake of aesthetics. Agree as far as models geared more towards collection, but good also to have more pure examples of form following function. For some applications, or even personal aesthetic preferences, weight is a factor that "outweighs" aesthetics. Gram counter weenies unite!
EDnaut Lol. You really worried about the small weight increase of a stainless back spacer? The Chaparral is an extremely light knife, even with the SS back spacer.
Michael Christy yeah. So far I feel I've done quite well for the money spent. DMT XC, C, F, and EF bench stones (plates one day), as well as cheap oil based diamond compounds on basswood and leather. The stones are $37 apiece, strops were $15 (i have 3), and compounds are about $12. I also have several diamond powders ($8 on ebay) that I use to increase the concentration of diamonds in cheap compounds. Stropping on dry powder alone cuts very aggressively as well. Everything I have is diamond except for a tube of 3 micron Tormek honing compound ($14 for a large tube), that I additionally load with 3 micron diamond powder when necessary. I always treat sharpening as practice and experimentation, and I keep trying different recipes for the edge I want. I've found that I can achieve a hair whittling edge skipping from 1 micron all the way to 0.1, even on s110v. It doesn't take long at all, so I don't find myself using 0.5 or 0.25 much anymore. I'm wondering how far I can skip down to if I want to load my 3rd strop with extremely fine compound or spray. Maybe I can get away with 0.025 after 0.1. What do you think? I have been freehand sharpening for over 20 years but it is solely because of you that I have started stropping, and although I try to minimize stropping and never let it be a crutch for achieving high sharpness, it has allowed me to take my edges to the next level. I have a spyderco UF stone on my radar.
The Ace I recently decided to get into knives and freehand sharpening. I also went with a set of 4 DMT diamond plates (8”x3” XC, C, F, XF). Also got a dual-sided leather paddle strop along with a block of green honing compound and 4 bottles of diamond spray (Richmond brand - 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125). Looking forward to that stuff getting here so I can get out some cheap knives and start practicing! Any tips or suggestions?
@@johnmpifer on your first strop, try stropping on wood when you're going for a fine edge. It will remove the 1200 grit scratch pattern (left by the DMT XF) more quickly and will keep your bevels flat. Leather can convex your bevels and even round off your apex if you are applying too much pressure or not maintaining the proper angle. Sharpening is about keeping your angle and forming an apex. Your knife should be extremely sharp after the very first stone you use before moving on.
Really enjoyed the video as always you take a edge to the limit. I know in one video you said you used 4 micron JENDE spray. Do you still get good results and what microns do you use of this brand also where did you pick the edge guide thank you and have a blessed day.
Im sorry i didnt notised tahat you have thet video And i agree vith you on thet s30v I have one more ansver on you i tested corodion on 3V i leave IT for one Day in vater And nathink hapend then i look at how much IT have Cr And C when i saw IT i think About vhen you hawe less carbon you also need less Cr to prevent the steel from corosion what are you think About thet?
Michael, something off this topic im looking at a para 3 coming out soon in Cpm rex 45 steel im a big fan of Cpm m4 steel can you tell me how rex 45 would compare to m4 thank you for any insight.
In your 10V vs S110V video, S110V cut 1240" of heavy cardboard. Here, XHP cut 1475" of medium carboard with a coarse finish. I know there are a lot of variables and it's difficult to say for sure without further testing eliminating variables, but given the results of this test, do you feel that XHP is not too far behind S110V with edge retention?
corismsyn XHP is a great steel, but it’s no where close to S110V. Moving from one kind of cardboard to another can cause a huge difference in edge retention and in the numbers. When looking at my testing, don’t try to compare one test’s cut numbers to another, because I use different mediums and the result won’t be accurate.
Michael Christy Yes I understand and that's what I meant when I said there were different variables. Sorry my comment wasn't clear. I have a Recon 1 in XHP and it seems to lose hair popping shaving sharpness really quickly after going through cardboard. Sharpening was on DMT coarse to EEF, no strops. I wonder if it's the steel or my sharpening. Conversely my factory edge PM2 S110V still cuts magazine paper fairly effortlessly after 2 - 3 weeks of EDC and cutting some cardboard. Doesn't shave hair though.
Thanks for the great vid. Do you think that a 14 dps bevel would work on the Techno (also CTS-XHP)? Because it’s such a thick blade I think it would cut more easy with a smaller angle.
It's pretty cool right? A bro gave me a hint to use less pressure with my strops and I was whittling hair in a jiffy. I could always do ok but the lighter pressure in finishing really helped me out a lot.
Michael Christy LoL thanks for the response, this was the first video I watched, I then watched another dozen video of yours and bought a satin PM-2 CPM-10V 😂
The 2mm thick blade is very compelling, do you think blade thickness has anything to do with it's ability to take such a refined edge? Or is it the XHP can be taken to a thinner grind?
Joshua Burkhead I have a lot of leather these days. I go back and forth. Also, I’ve been using very expensive compounds lately, which I prefer on leather.
Michael Christy that makes sense. When you use wood is it like a one and done kind of thing? Like you throw the wood away every time after you use it? I've never used wood so I have no clue what it's all about.
Great. I love your work. One question I always had to you was if you have experience with arkansas stones and why you don't use them? Especially black surgical for finishing? I find it equal, if not better than spyderco ultra fine. What do you think? Thanks for your opinion in advance :)
Luka Mosashvili I used to use Arkansas stones years ago. I don’t think that Arkansas stones are as hard to Spyderco’s ceramic stones, but I still may pick up a black Arkansas just to try it out.
Michael Christy wow thanks :)) I've asked this question about 5 times now and finally got the reply :)) I'd like to say thanks for your videos. I've learned sharpening from them and I have watched all of them several times. You have very good way of explaining things. I'd love to see if you can sharpen rockstead. I'm wondering whether there is any practicality in those knives, or you have to keep sending them back to factory for shaping the whole life. Thanks!
Matthew Forrest I think that they’re similar, but I think that ZDP come out on top in edge retention. XHP just doesn’t have the composition to compete with ZDP.
Michael Christy yeah probably, carpenter says xhp and 204p have similar wear resistance. But when you were talking about how to describe xhp I’d say it is like a more user friendly zdp.
Thoughts on nitro v vs m390, and if I can get the same knife in nitro v for $125 vs in m390 for $200 which should I get for an edc? Sorry for this not going along with the video topic, but you seem to know a lot about steel.
You feather sticked a hair! Now you gotta build a campfire with toothpicks! Just bought a Chaparral. Using the factory edge, I stropped it with Bark River green compound. Now it glides through printer paper, but I don't have any hair long enough to feather stick...sigh.
spyderco adds an extra $200 to the price of this knife to get it with titanium handles!............ they really take advantage of their name, they really dont deserve all the attention they get (sales and adulation)......... If you can get a product with comparable materials and workmanship from china (and you can) for a third of the price...... GET IT INSTEAD!!...... Spyderco is RIPPING us OFF!!...... there is NO DOUBT!!
I suppose I need to put it another way to prevent others from splitting hairs (ha ha) .... yes Spyderco prices are always too high for what it is they have... yes their products and workmanship are typically good BUT so are many others at a MUCH lower price. The best thing spyderco provides is consistency in workmanship and good warranty but not at those inflated prices, their knives don't even have much originality or "style"..... they all start looking very much the same after a while... apart from the different steels used, if you have owned one Spyderco you have owned them all.... So, Don't buy these F'ing Knives you are RIPPING YOURSELF OFF if you do............ imho
You should try getting your point across with fewer words. Also, with so many overheated edges, it's normal to see edge-retention improve between first few sharpenings. How do you control for newly exposed steel having better heat treat between sharpenings in your test? At least get two identical knives and let one go from coarse to polished while the other would go from polished to coarse. Saying your hand-sharpening is consistent because it looks shiny and reflective and therefore isn't a variable between test runs is, well, a fallacy -- to put it lightly.
Far I know my sharpening is consistent because I check the angles in an angle guide. If you don’t like my delivery (and want fewer words), that’s understandable. The simple answer is, don’t watch the videos.
Awesome. I’ve been yet to play with XHP as a toothy finish. Always seemed to ask for a polished edge. I get really good results with it cutting rope, much better than its similarly priced competitors
Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors I think XHP takes a nice edge toothy or polished, but there aren’t many super steels I take to a high polish, so with XHP I usually can’t resist the opportunity. It is a great knife steel.
By the way, thanks for the share.
That level of sharpness at the end looks insane. You're an absolute master of your craft. I might get that knife as well now. The geometry really does look nice for edc.
Woodward IV I’m still a little surprised how much I like this knife. The build quality is very nice.
Just wanted to add that I picked up a Chaparral Carbon Fiber/G-10 in CTS-XHP because of this video.... I'm blown away by the quality of the knife and its cutting performance. Thanks for the great info on this model.
Excellent demonstration and discussion! Just like being asked “what steel should I get?” The answer to “polish or not to polish” an edge is “it depends”.
Aubrey Hummer correct.
Just got a Chaparral. Really like it. Nervous about sharpening it on my KME which is also new. Really like your videos. Being a sharpening newbie, getting some confidence to sharpen my Spydercos.
J Lee kme should work just fine
Thank you very much for these discussions. I have learned a lot from your videos. I still have a ways to go. Thanks again, this is a great steel and a great test. I will keep watching.
Great video man I always learn something from your vids and every time I talk to Ken my knowledge increases I'm still a novice and sharpening But Ken is my mentor and you are videos are ever knowledgeable and I opening
AK album reviews thank you.
Totally agree on the FRN-the new pattern is awesome
Another quality dissertation and application of skill set. Thanks again and please keep the videos coming!
Very well done. I like your style of presentation- earnest, to the point, and expert.
Yeah, the comparison to 440C and D2 didn't make much sense to me either.
Well done Sir! Your skill never ceases to amaze me.....I also have that Spydie and it is certainly a pleasure to use when sharpened properly.
I know I'm late to comment but
XHP is extremely underrated imo. It definitely performs better with a highly polished edge. Strops back nicely as well. Love that thin stock on the chaparral
Great video, man. Love your attention to detail. I appreciate the quality you put into your testing.
Devin Durnell thanks.
Beautiful work on the edges. Interesting, useful and pretty impressive results from the test.
Another helpful video. Remember that.
Yoda speaks
We listen 😂
Love watching you sharpen those blades.. It's like those meditation apps
From my experience CTS-XHP takes a mirror polish quite well, a lot better than something s30v... although s30v will take a mirror polish too.
My XHP finish lately = 1200 Atoma few passes on Spyderco UF and strop 1micron 👏 fast n easy for work knife, super bitey edge that push cuts phone book paper like a dream.
I just bought the carbon fiber version of this knife. Thanks for the video, very informative 🙏🏻
Awesome man.
Im actually about to start my channel, and the whole focus is egde finishes in relation to performance.
Awesome test.
And Ken is the man... His product's are second to none
SuperSteel Steve thanks. Give me a shout when you get the channel going so I can check it out.
Michael Christy yea man you got it.
Great video it convinced me to get one it takes a great edge . I like it so much I’m gonna order a carbon fiber version.
Very nicely done Michael. An Illuminating test to be sure. You should definitely get another Chaparral and do another side-by-side test cut alternating cuts in the same piece of cardboard to eliminate random abrasive variables. Also do you have plans to do a push versus draw cut test? I think this would further highlight the difference between toothy and polished edges.
Totally agree on full steel backspacers!
Joshua Briggs thank you. I may pick up another Chaparral, but only because I want to really put this one through a lot of use, kind of like I did with my ZDP Endura.
As for draw cut tests, I’m not real big on spreading out the wear across an entire blade. I may end up doing something like that eventually, but it would take me some time and practice to get comfortable with another testing method.
Thank you for the quick reply Michael. Obviously establishing and maintaining equal draw cuts requires incredible dexterity and skill of which I'm quite sure you're capable given your nearly cyborg like Proficiency in free hand sharpening. LOL you are the bomb!
On a serious note, I'm just alluding to the commonly held opinion that a toothy carbide rich edge provides more advantage on draw cuts vs the advantages of a polished edge for push cuts. Obviously there are human limitations in trying to scientifically evaluate this phenomenon. Once again thank you for your efforts in your videos; they are really enjoyable and among the best on RUclips on the subject of knives and sharpening. :)
I'm so tired of hearing people say "You should only use a coarse stone, you get the best retention on everything!" And then being shown evidence and still saying sharpening on a brick is the way to go.
Herb Toker yup.
Cold steel does a good job with that steel . Great learning video .
little woody I agree, I think Cold Steel did great with it.
Thanx for the good review on this knife. I never was really into spydercos cuz of the hump thing round spydie hole. But I do like chaparral and native 5 and just got chaparral w grey from and really like the knife. Thinking of getting raffir noble one next.
Hi Michael, from the UK.
I really enjoy watching you carrying out your various sharpening tasks. I only wish that I were able to do the same. I guess that like most other repetitive things of a skilled task it requires practice and of course time. I must admit to being quite transfixed watching the way in which you are able to move the blades back and forth without more support than just hands and knees or an arm on the table. I have recently bought a couple of Spyderco knives, all using good steel. I'm hoping to sharpen them up a little in the near future. However, I shall be practicing on a couple of sacrificial blades first. But before all of that I need to buy some sharpening surfaces. I will probably buy a couple of ceramic surfaces first and then, depending on how it goes, as it were. I may then invest in a a Shapton glass or two. I do though have a question. You mention diamond plates etc. What grade of surfaces do you employ?
Anyway, that's enough pestering for now. Keep up the good work.
Stephen Carter for diamond sprays and pastes, I typically use leather or basswood.
I don’t buy a particular brand of leather. Instead I look for the surface I want which varies based on the abrasive I’m using and how I plan to use it.
@@michaelchristy4982. Thank you for the reply.
You sound like rob renzetti. Very smart machinist.
Wait, did 10V cut less in your other test? I'm probably just missing some distinction between the testing method. Much thicker cardboard, maybe? Could be anything. Just caught my attention.
XHP is the perfect candidate for highest possible polish.. Rex121 Maxamet etc not so much and even those you mirror polish and me too..
Can you make a video on the principles of whittling hair? That would be very enlightening
How long does it take to get the CBN emulsion from Mr. Schwarz?
I’m thinking of ordering some
Yeah, evidence of angle variation under magnification can be quite the reality check.
Hey Mike,
Is there any reason you left the spyderco UF out of these sharpenings? Does the 10k Suehiro act as a good substitute to the spyderco UF?
ShesSusie because XHP doesn’t have enough vanadium in it to form vanadium carbide, so sticking with alumina waterstones is no problem.
I wouldn't want all their back spacers to go ss for the sake of aesthetics. Agree as far as models geared more towards collection, but good also to have more pure examples of form following function. For some applications, or even personal aesthetic preferences, weight is a factor that "outweighs" aesthetics. Gram counter weenies unite!
EDnaut Lol. You really worried about the small weight increase of a stainless back spacer? The Chaparral is an extremely light knife, even with the SS back spacer.
Michael Christy, take a look around, we are a long way down the rabbit hole!
Really enjoyed your video thanks for sharing. Atb paddy 👍😀☘️
I still haven't gone past 0.1 micron. Time to step up my game lol.
The Ace the tools are out there to go farther.
Michael Christy yeah. So far I feel I've done quite well for the money spent. DMT XC, C, F, and EF bench stones (plates one day), as well as cheap oil based diamond compounds on basswood and leather. The stones are $37 apiece, strops were $15 (i have 3), and compounds are about $12. I also have several diamond powders ($8 on ebay) that I use to increase the concentration of diamonds in cheap compounds. Stropping on dry powder alone cuts very aggressively as well. Everything I have is diamond except for a tube of 3 micron Tormek honing compound ($14 for a large tube), that I additionally load with 3 micron diamond powder when necessary.
I always treat sharpening as practice and experimentation, and I keep trying different recipes for the edge I want. I've found that I can achieve a hair whittling edge skipping from 1 micron all the way to 0.1, even on s110v. It doesn't take long at all, so I don't find myself using 0.5 or 0.25 much anymore. I'm wondering how far I can skip down to if I want to load my 3rd strop with extremely fine compound or spray. Maybe I can get away with 0.025 after 0.1. What do you think?
I have been freehand sharpening for over 20 years but it is solely because of you that I have started stropping, and although I try to minimize stropping and never let it be a crutch for achieving high sharpness, it has allowed me to take my edges to the next level. I have a spyderco UF stone on my radar.
The Ace I recently decided to get into knives and freehand sharpening. I also went with a set of 4 DMT diamond plates (8”x3” XC, C, F, XF). Also got a dual-sided leather paddle strop along with a block of green honing compound and 4 bottles of diamond spray (Richmond brand - 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125).
Looking forward to that stuff getting here so I can get out some cheap knives and start practicing!
Any tips or suggestions?
@@johnmpifer on your first strop, try stropping on wood when you're going for a fine edge. It will remove the 1200 grit scratch pattern (left by the DMT XF) more quickly and will keep your bevels flat. Leather can convex your bevels and even round off your apex if you are applying too much pressure or not maintaining the proper angle. Sharpening is about keeping your angle and forming an apex. Your knife should be extremely sharp after the very first stone you use before moving on.
Really enjoyed the video as always you take a edge to the limit. I know in one video you said you used 4 micron JENDE spray. Do you still get good results and what microns do you use of this brand also where did you pick the edge guide thank you and have a blessed day.
Randy Parker the angle guide is an accessory for the Tormek Sharpening system. They’re available on Amazon. Just search “Tormek angle setter”.
And can u use that super compound on white #2 or other super high carbon steels made for super fine edge cutlery!
pleas make video about clasick spiderco military
sebastian faix that’s an interesting request. You don’t think I’ve covered the Military enough?
yes but you dont havy any video about cpm s30v and i love thet steel and i im intereset what you think about thet steel ':)
sebastian faix my video on the Para 3 (my first Para 3 video) talks about S30V.
Im sorry i didnt notised tahat you have thet video And i agree vith you on thet s30v
I have one more ansver on you i tested corodion on 3V i leave IT for one Day in vater And nathink hapend then i look at how much IT have Cr And C when i saw IT i think About vhen you hawe less carbon you also need less Cr to prevent the steel from corosion what are you think About thet?
Michael, something off this topic im looking at a para 3 coming out soon in Cpm rex 45 steel im a big fan of Cpm m4 steel can you tell me how rex 45 would compare to m4 thank you for any insight.
Mike B I think they’ll have some similarities, but I think the result of the final comparison will depend on heat treat, so we’ll have to wait.
In your 10V vs S110V video, S110V cut 1240" of heavy cardboard. Here, XHP cut 1475" of medium carboard with a coarse finish. I know there are a lot of variables and it's difficult to say for sure without further testing eliminating variables, but given the results of this test, do you feel that XHP is not too far behind S110V with edge retention?
corismsyn XHP is a great steel, but it’s no where close to S110V. Moving from one kind of cardboard to another can cause a huge difference in edge retention and in the numbers.
When looking at my testing, don’t try to compare one test’s cut numbers to another, because I use different mediums and the result won’t be accurate.
Michael Christy Yes I understand and that's what I meant when I said there were different variables. Sorry my comment wasn't clear. I have a Recon 1 in XHP and it seems to lose hair popping shaving sharpness really quickly after going through cardboard. Sharpening was on DMT coarse to EEF, no strops. I wonder if it's the steel or my sharpening. Conversely my factory edge PM2 S110V still cuts magazine paper fairly effortlessly after 2 - 3 weeks of EDC and cutting some cardboard. Doesn't shave hair though.
Can u do the same test with Minila rope?
Jovonn Trujillo I don’t really like doing rope cut tests, which is why I don’t.
Thanks for the great vid. Do you think that a 14 dps bevel would work on the Techno (also CTS-XHP)? Because it’s such a thick blade I think it would cut more easy with a smaller angle.
Reinen Ruud it might look funny on the Techno, but that’s subjective. I think XHP would be fine at 14 DPS.
Great video ! What are you favorite sharpening stones ?
Dmontes depends on the steel.
Michael Christy it would be 3v , s30v , s35vn and s110v
And m4
Dmontes for those I would use diamond and ceramic.
Thanks !
Can you show or tell me where I can see your microscope
Oldcoinsandstuff1 I got it off Amazon.
Whittled my first hair a few nights ago. ;D
RMFN congrats.
Michael Christy You were my muse
It's pretty cool right? A bro gave me a hint to use less pressure with my strops and I was whittling hair in a jiffy. I could always do ok but the lighter pressure in finishing really helped me out a lot.
What help u most to get that level skill to make it hair whittling sharp
This compare to Rex 45?
SGANET I think Rex 45 would be ahead in edge retention if that’s what you were asking.
Michael Christy LoL thanks for the response, this was the first video I watched, I then watched another dozen video of yours and bought a satin PM-2 CPM-10V 😂
The 2mm thick blade is very compelling, do you think blade thickness has anything to do with it's ability to take such a refined edge? Or is it the XHP can be taken to a thinner grind?
Love your videos and I absolutely love me some xhp. Are you preferring leather for your strops now a days?
Joshua Burkhead I have a lot of leather these days. I go back and forth. Also, I’ve been using very expensive compounds lately, which I prefer on leather.
Michael Christy that makes sense. When you use wood is it like a one and done kind of thing? Like you throw the wood away every time after you use it? I've never used wood so I have no clue what it's all about.
Great. I love your work. One question I always had to you was if you have experience with arkansas stones and why you don't use them? Especially black surgical for finishing? I find it equal, if not better than spyderco ultra fine. What do you think? Thanks for your opinion in advance :)
Luka Mosashvili I used to use Arkansas stones years ago. I don’t think that Arkansas stones are as hard to Spyderco’s ceramic stones, but I still may pick up a black Arkansas just to try it out.
Michael Christy wow thanks :)) I've asked this question about 5 times now and finally got the reply :))
I'd like to say thanks for your videos. I've learned sharpening from them and I have watched all of them several times. You have very good way of explaining things. I'd love to see if you can sharpen rockstead. I'm wondering whether there is any practicality in those knives, or you have to keep sending them back to factory for shaping the whole life. Thanks!
What do you think of xhp vs zdp. They seem similar to me. Though zdp seems to have a more stubborn burr.
Matthew Forrest I think that they’re similar, but I think that ZDP come out on top in edge retention. XHP just doesn’t have the composition to compete with ZDP.
Michael Christy yeah probably, carpenter says xhp and 204p have similar wear resistance. But when you were talking about how to describe xhp I’d say it is like a more user friendly zdp.
Do you recommend a mirror polish on zdp? I’ve heard some say to leave it alone after the fine stones.
Nick Macaluso zdp does better with a high polish
Would you mind listing which steels you prefer high polished and those toothier?
Thoughts on nitro v vs m390, and if I can get the same knife in nitro v for $125 vs in m390 for $200 which should I get for an edc? Sorry for this not going along with the video topic, but you seem to know a lot about steel.
Well than, you are more skilled than me at sharpening my friend
KnivesAreMyLife I do my best.
You feather sticked a hair! Now you gotta build a campfire with toothpicks!
Just bought a Chaparral. Using the factory edge, I stropped it with Bark River green compound. Now it glides through printer paper, but I don't have any hair long enough to feather stick...sigh.
Jim Parker the Chaparral is a great model.
Hey man.
Wondering if I could send a knife to you for a sharpening like this chaparral!
Daniel Wu there’s a lot that goes into this kind of sharpening. The cost would be pretty high.
Do u have any sharpening kits for sale? I need a good set-up for my cru-wear, 3V, and D2 blades.
Mos Matic no, sorry. I just use the sharpening supplies, I don’t sell them. You could always get in touch with Ken Schwartz.
Michael Christy copy... thanx man.
I’ve never seen someone cut hair like that with a knife... wow
Spitting a hair x 9. Whoa.
spyderco adds an extra $200 to the price of this knife to get it with titanium handles!............ they really take advantage of their name, they really dont deserve all the attention they get (sales and adulation)......... If you can get a product with comparable materials and workmanship from china (and you can) for a third of the price...... GET IT INSTEAD!!...... Spyderco is RIPPING us OFF!!...... there is NO DOUBT!!
Mike Sloan Spyderco isn’t ripping you off... You have to choose to buy the product. If you think the price is too high, buy something else.
I suppose I need to put it another way to prevent others from splitting hairs (ha ha) .... yes Spyderco prices are always too high for what it is they have... yes their products and workmanship are typically good BUT so are many others at a MUCH lower price. The best thing spyderco provides is consistency in workmanship and good warranty but not at those inflated prices, their knives don't even have much originality or "style"..... they all start looking very much the same after a while... apart from the different steels used, if you have owned one Spyderco you have owned them all.... So, Don't buy these F'ing Knives you are RIPPING YOURSELF OFF if you do............ imho
You should try getting your point across with fewer words. Also, with so many overheated edges, it's normal to see edge-retention improve between first few sharpenings. How do you control for newly exposed steel having better heat treat between sharpenings in your test? At least get two identical knives and let one go from coarse to polished while the other would go from polished to coarse. Saying your hand-sharpening is consistent because it looks shiny and reflective and therefore isn't a variable between test runs is, well, a fallacy -- to put it lightly.
Far I know my sharpening is consistent because I check the angles in an angle guide. If you don’t like my delivery (and want fewer words), that’s understandable. The simple answer is, don’t watch the videos.