I'm not a knife guy.

I just bought a SOG Field Pup I and have been trying to sharpen the darn thing. I've been using a Japanese wetstone with 1000 and 6000 grit sides and have given up on the process. The angle on the edge as coming from the factory seems to be very acute.

The knives I've had with 8Cr14MoV have worked out great with a good balance of hardness, ease of sharpening and holding an edge.

The steel is 7Cr13MoV and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong or is the steel a POS???

I dunno what or how you're doing it and I don't own one of those knives, but 1000 grit is really designed for the beginning of final sharpening. If you're trying to reshape the edge profile or angle with 1000 grit it will likely take a long time AND you will not actually be sharpening the edge until you have removed all the metal above it.

I'd do two things. First I'd take a magic marker and blacken both sides of the edge area. Then sharpen as you have been for a bit. Then stop and inspect the edges, I'm fairly sure you will find a dark gap between where the stone is contacting the steel and the edge. That means what I said above, you are removing metal slowly and are not actually sharpening the edge. If so, I'd go to a larger grit carborundum stone and remove the metal down to the edge, at the angle you prefer. Be aware that using a heavy grit carborundum stone will likely leave some scratches above the blade area unless you are EXTREMELY careful. If that propect bothers you, go to a higher (finer) grit to remove the metal. I usually am not that concerned but some people expect their knives to look like they just came out of the box all the time.

If, in fact, you are sharpening the very edge of the blade and it is not sharpening up, it is possible, but not very likely, that you have a bad piece of metal. I'd contact SOG.

For $12 (cost of shipping) they will sharpen your knife. If you still think the steel is defective, after trying the above, I'd contact them, send them the knife with $12 and ask them to check it out and, if it meets specs, to sharpen it for you. Site here.

quote:

just bought a SOG Field Pup I and have been trying to sharpen the darn thing. I've been using a Japanese wetstone with 1000 and 6000 grit sides

Those are really polishing grits not sharpening.

I don't think I ever used any thing that fine

200 to 600 grits would be more like it. heck with nicks in a blade I have used files first.

Gatogordo

Thanks for the answering post and for the insight. That's a great idea about using the magic market and will try it out tomorrow and also thanks to P dog shooter on using a heavier grit stone, will do that also.

I got into the straight razor shaving trend recently and have that wetstone and thought that it would finish off the edge that came with the knife. The edge on the knife that it came with was anything but sharp and trying to finish it off has been frustrating to say the most.

Thanks lads.

As a follow up to my posts, I did go down to 280 grit to start the process and then to 400, 600, 1,000 and then finished it off at the 6,000 stone.

The actual angle of the edge was right at 30 degrees which was a surprise to me that it would be that acute. It took a lot of grinding with the 280 to just get the material removed to get to an edge.

I understand better now the comment about using a file first.

Thanks again for the direction.

The knife is styled as a more or less "tactical/survival" blade and the heavy edge angle is to maintain usability under such tough use. I don't agree with that concept, since only a minute percentage of the blades will actually be carried or used for such circumstances but I am not SOG. I know that the costs of manufacturing/distribution would probably prohibit offering 2 edge angles but I think it would be a good idea.

I have change the angle of the edge on many a kife to suit my own use with them.

Unless one is buying them to collect it is a tool.

Like screw drivers I file grind them to suit.