I sharpen by hand with 11" flat bench stones. Don't seem to have a problem with 52100, A2, 440C, 154CM or any of the old high carbon knives I have laying around.

I do not think the blade I was working on is of good quality.

I have 8 blades I cut out of a damascus billet I'm in the process of grinding now and I think they are of reasonable quality -- at least I hope so. I will have to sharpen one before I put on handles----don't want to waste high end slabs.

Thanks for the input.
Tim

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
Albert Einstein

At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".