Would You Sharpen This Knife or Leave It As Is?

[QTCut5]

Q - you know what I'm going to say ... I'd Lanksy it up & put a nice edge on it - a knife like that deserves it

Yes, John, I'm not at all surprised by your opinion. If I only knew someone who had the equipment, expertise and experience to tackle a project like this. Preferably someone who had put an edge on a D2 steel blade from scratch before

[Modern Slip Joints]

[...] Preferably someone who had put an edge on a D2 steel blade from scratch before

What leads you to believe its blade alloy is D2? Is it so marked? I can not read its tang stamps in your pictures. While it is rumored that a long time ago Queen Steel was 440C, post 1990 being stamped Queen Steel is meaningless. Post 1990 most Schatt & Morgan knives had Queen's standard stainless steel, 420HC. Those stamped fire and wire tested had ATS-34 which is what the Japanese named the same alloy that is named 154CM in the U.S. While your prized Queens with amber cut bone stag usually had D2 blades that is not the case with Schatt & Morgans. Queen made Robinsons very often had D2 blades. The boxes Queen made Colonel Coons were shipped in were printed 440A. Many Queen made Mountain Man lockback tangs were stamped 1095 and their blades were etched carbon steel. Perhaps an incomplete knife would have gotten something etched on its blade if it had been finished.

Enough said until you write how its tang is stamped.

[QTCut5]

No clue

[Modern Slip Joints]

No clue

1095 & other carbon steels can be easily distinguished from stainless steels with a tiny drop of inexpensive gun cold blue. First thouroughly clean off any oil with acetone. The flat that should be the edge would be the ideal spot. A tiny slop over onto the sides would be removed creating the edge bevel. Depending on who's definition of stainless you like and who's D2 alloy you are comparing D2 has only 1%-2% less chromium than the minimum to be stainless. Cold blue easily distinguishes 1095 from 440 alloys. D2 The question is how hard is your blade. The 420HC in Queen and Schatt & Morgan blades is not hard to sand or file. Filing is how blades are reprofiled into Wharncliffes. As far as I know D2 Queen blades that are not stamped PH-D2 do not exist. Be bold. take a few swipes on a stone and learn how easily steel is ground off. If you turn the job over to a pro they will use a belt sander with a backer plate. Nothing else is fast enough to make their work profitable.

I have not even plugged it in yet but I bought an electric kitchen knife sharpener with diamond wheels dirt cheap in a thrift store. I assume it could remove the bulk of the material faster. There are two problems with electric sharpeners: removing too much steel and not being able to sharpen all the way to the choil. If you bought a similar contraption you could be careful to not remove all the steel that you want gone then finish with flat stones. Alternatively, if its blade is 1095 or 420HC you could remove the bulk of the steel with a fine file. I'd start with the Wal-Mart super coarse stone I described it a previous reply.

Jobs often appear harder before you start.

[bighomer]

It looks like on the pile it sez F&W I can't see the mark side.

[QTCut5]

It looks like on the pile it sez F&W I can't see the mark side.

I’m curious how knowing what the tang stamps show affects your opinion on the sharpening question, bigh

[bighomer]

Q I was commenting on modernslipjoint post he wanted to know what was stamped on tang, if it were mine I'd put a edge on it, but as I stated early on if it gonna be put in your safe it don't really matter all that much to me. You need to ask yourself WWI-MD.

[QTCut5]

You need to ask yourself WWI-MD.

Hmmmm, interesting.....never occurred to me to ask myself that but I think I know WI-MWD

[bighomer]

I think you're right and he'd probably slip it in his pocket now and then.

[QTCut5]

Yep....and not to spread butter on an English muffin either (sorry, Tom )

[QTCut5]

As a proud member of the sharper 25% club, I present my freshly sharpened S&M just back from Lansky1’s professional grinding service and knife spa. Feast your eyes on the scary sharp hair shaving edge, but be warned…..it’s so sharp it will slice your eyeballs if you stare at it for too long John (Lansky1) has sharpening down to a perfect science; I honestly think this blade could split molecules if not atoms!!!

Mahalo to all for your input and opinions. I admit that I was a bit surprised by the results; thought for sure more knife fanatics would have voted for sharpening over leaving it dull. Funnily, I wasn’t planning to ever use this knife, but now that it has a wicked patented Lansky1 edge on it, I can’t wait to cut something…..pretty much anything will do, just gotta experience the joy and pleasure of slicing something with a super sharp blade

[Modern Slip Joints]

After this thread was inactive for awhile it slipped off my radar screen. During the time period roughly 1990 - Queen's bankruptcy nearly all S&Ms stamped F&W or File & Wire Tested had ATS-34 stainless blades which for hardness fall in between Queen's standard 420HC and D2. Manufacturers like ATS-34 because it is soft enough to economically polish bright.

I'm glad to see your knife good and sharp! I have come to the opinion that the smartest thing to do with our most valuble knives is to carry them in such a way that they will not get scratched and use them. After some get stolen reminiscings about never using them while you had them are not happy thoughts.

[Lansky1]

Hey Q - always happy to offer the knife spa service . Glad you like it

[doglegg]

As a proud member of the sharper 25% club, I present my freshly sharpened S&M just back from Lansky1’s professional grinding service and knife spa. Feast your eyes on the scary sharp hair shaving edge, but be warned…..it’s so sharp it will slice your eyeballs if you stare at it for too long John (Lansky1) has sharpening down to a perfect science; I honestly think this blade could split molecules if not atoms!!!

Mahalo to all for your input and opinions. I admit that I was a bit surprised by the results; thought for sure more knife fanatics would have voted for sharpening over leaving it dull. Funnily, I wasn’t planning to ever use this knife, but now that it has a wicked patented Lansky1 edge on it, I can’t wait to cut something…..pretty much anything will do, just gotta experience the joy and pleasure of slicing something with a super sharp blade

Wise decision Q.
Great work John.

[Lansky1]

As a proud member of the sharper 25% club, I present my freshly sharpened S&M just back from Lansky1’s professional grinding service and knife spa. Feast your eyes on the scary sharp hair shaving edge, but be warned…..it’s so sharp it will slice your eyeballs if you stare at it for too long John (Lansky1) has sharpening down to a perfect science; I honestly think this blade could split molecules if not atoms!!!

Mahalo to all for your input and opinions. I admit that I was a bit surprised by the results; thought for sure more knife fanatics would have voted for sharpening over leaving it dull. Funnily, I wasn’t planning to ever use this knife, but now that it has a wicked patented Lansky1 edge on it, I can’t wait to cut something…..pretty much anything will do, just gotta experience the joy and pleasure of slicing something with a super sharp blade

Wise decision Q.
Great work John.

Thanks Floyd !

[bighomer]

Now that's a knife, congrats Q that's fime job John.