Sharpening Sandvik 12C27 Steel,Le Trappeur!

[Leo James Mitchell]

Yawn! This steel from Sweden is easy. I decided to put a 16 degree bevel edge per side on this already sharp blade. Raising a burr was a cinch with the 100 grit paddle, took maybe three easy minutes. After that the whole sharpening was a lark! I breezed through the rest of the paddles in another 20 minutes and then stropped up with my big wooden paddle with a fresh coat of Green Compound. Yikes! It was very sharp before, but now it literally sizzled its way through the various tests: printing paper, thin credit card receipt paper, even thinner telephone book paper…all these were push cuts. Paracord nothing, chopping carrots great and peels potatoes easily. I am wondering can it get even better when I put it through all the WEPS strops with the various Pastes et al!
When they say this knife is easy to keep sharp, that is no exaggeration, plus it keeps its edge well. So if you ever buy a knife made with Sandvik 12C27 SS, relax, it is a fine blade steel.

Cheers
Leo

[Marion]

Hmmm, Opinels in SS are made with Sandvik 12C27M. I know mine took a whole lot longer than 3 minutes to raise the initial burr. But then, they are shaped but not sharp when you get them and you have to put an edge on them.

You are right, the steel does hold an edge for a very long time.

[Mark76]

I also really like this steel. It has a great balance of edge retention and ease of sharpening. And it is very tough.

For a long time, I used a Laguiole knife with 12C27 steel as my EDC and even as a camp knife. We now use these knives at the dining table (much better to slice your steak than to tear up the meat with a “steak knife”) and they withstand the daily abrasion of the porcelain very well.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Leo James Mitchell]

Hmmm, Opinels in SS are made with Sandvik 12C27M. I know mine took a whole lot longer than 3 minutes to raise the initial burr. But then, they are shaped but not sharp when you get them and you have to put an edge on them.

You are right, the steel does hold an edge for a very long time.

Hi Marion
I wasn’t really timing it, so 3 minutes is a guesstimate. It may have been as much as 4 minutes. My point really was that it took little time compared to other steels like A2 or D2 tool steels…no time compared to VG10!!
I didn’t realize that Opinels came with no edge, but that is kind of neat…I end up putting my own edges on all my knives after a bit anyway,so Opinels is set up for guys like me.

Cheers
Leo

[Leo James Mitchell]

I also really like this steel. It has a great balance of edge retention and ease of sharpening. And it is very tough.

For a long time, I used a Laguiole knife with 12C27 steel as my EDC and even as a camp knife. We now use these knives at the dining table (much better to slice your steak than to tear up the meat with a “steak knife”) and they withstand the daily abrasion of the porcelain very well.

Hi Mark
You got it, this is a well balanced steel. It is my first experience with it but it certainly won’t be the last as I have two more Chambriard knives on the way here from France. I think sometimes we over here spend a lot of time, effort and money trying out elite steels when steels like this one are more than acceptable. Having said that, I still like to try various steels. Fickle Leo!:blink:

Leo

[Marion]

Yeah the SS 12C27M Opi’s are shaped and the primary grind is put on them but they are only good for opening mail and buttering toast as they are delivered. The carbon Opi’s come with a presharpened edge.

The blades are so thin you would think they can’t take an edge. If the blade does, you think the blade will turn to metal origami during use, but it has handeled over-cooked steak, chops and chicken, bread, veggies as well or better than my cheap old $10 440 pocket knife, which also has a wicked edge on it btw…

I can’t say I own any super steel knives. I wouldn’t mind having one, but now I can sharpen and keep sharp my old cheap steel. That and I am cheap, er… frugal.

I have been eyeing an unused parting tool on my woorkbench that is M2 steel though…

[Leo James Mitchell]

I have a couple of knives with 3G super powder steel blades and you can grow a bit of a beard while raising a burr on those bad boys. :blink: CPM 154 too, but only a 5 o’clock shadow with that burr raising! LOL!

Leo

[Leo James Mitchell]

For those interested here is what Sandvik says about their own product

“Sandvik 12C27 knife steel
The well-rounded knife steel

Sandvik 12C27 is Sandvik’s most well-rounded knife steel with excellent edge performance allowing razor sharpness, high hardness, exceptional toughness and good corrosion resistance.

Sandvik 12C27 is our main knife steel for hand-held knives, high-end ice skate blades and ice drills. Continuous improvement over a period of 45 years has evolved Sandvik 12C27 into the high performing steel grade it is today. The composition is tighter, the purity level is much higher and the fine carbide microstructure of today is far from how Sandvik 12C27 knife steel of the sixties looked.

With a hardness range of 54-61 HRC, high toughness, scary sharpness and good corrosion resistance, Sandvik 12C27 is the recommended grade for hunting knives, pocket knives, camping knives, high-end chef’s knives and tactical knives.

Like most of Sandvik’s knife steels this grade is fineblankable enabling efficient production.
Chemical composition, % (nominal) Carbon
(C) Chromimium
(Cr) Molybdenum
(Mo) Silicon
(Si) Manganese
(Mn)
0.60 13.5 – 0.40 0.40”

12C27M is much the eame with a little better corrosion resistance for knives that are used in situations where corrosion could be a problem. e.g. ice drills, kitchen knives

Quote is courtesy of Sandvik Sweden.

Leo

[Marion]

Thanks for posting the data from Sandvik. It does look like better steel than I thought.

As a side note, I don’t think I have ever had a pocket knife or sheath knife rust or corrode. Even my cheap edc has never had a spot of rust on it, and well, living on the beach and sweating in the garden and yard in the summer time you do get both salty and sweaty. I don’t necessarily remembering giving the knives in my pocket or yard pouch any extra care other than wiping them down and giving a little sharpening love, even when I couldn’t sharpen worth beans…

[Author]

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