Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Crucible CPM Rex M4

That's what I think... say it's D2, telling the difference between 60 Rc and 62 Rc in the field would be pretty hard I think. Probably could between the 57-58 Rc some production companies run D2 and the 60+ most custom makers treat to. Gotta get to that certain level and after that it's more a matter of grind, ect. that determines the performance of a blade rather than one or two points on the heat treat scale.

Got the blades heat treated.
Targeted 63-64 Rc.
Put an aged industrial micarta handle on one today. Gotta sharpen it and see how it preforms.

One will be going to Mannlicher. I will get it together next week and then a sheath.
I am sure Sam will put it thru its paces as he always does, and then let us know his conclusions.

Got to get loaded and off the the Badger Show now.
Tim

I love it when a plan comes together. I will be in Miami for two weeks. hoping to be back in Gainesville by the 9th of April.

Keep us updated on your cutting results. As I said, my Dowell M4 is definitely one of my favorite small fixed blades.

I put some aged industrial micarta on one of the blades and sharpened it.
Knife is .160" thick, 4" sharpened, 8 3/4" oal drop point. Rc at 63.5.

After some serious batoning and shaving a chunk of very hard aged beech, still shaving sharp.
I will do a couple more similar sessions, but expect more of the same for edge holding.

Sorry that I am pictorally challenged or I would post some pics.
I have 6 more blades of various patterns to handle plus my nephew has two he hollow ground.
I think they are keepers. My "For Tim" pile keeps growing. I may have to let Vince thin the herd for me.

Tim

Well after a bunch more chopping and shaving hard oak, still able to shave arm hair.
Best edge holding of anything I have done.

PS: and it will still push cut a sheet of newspaper.

the skinner should go all season long without sharpening.

Alright guys, i've been following this thread and need to see some pictures.

Since the upset of Photobucket, I have not been able to post pics here. Tried to figure it out but gave up.
I did post a couple in the gallery Rick set up, but can't seem to move them to this thread.

I do have a pic I could send for someone else to post of the 8 blades, two of which are handled.

Sam---pm me your email addy and I will send pic to you if you want to try to post it here.
The problem is, you will see your knife before you open the package and the surprised will be diminished (maybe).
Tim

PM sent

This is Tim's picture of the knives in M4

Thank you Mannlicher.

Imgur.com is the answer to photobucket. Much more user friendly and no extortion.

Thanks Sam
The knife on the far right is the one I have been using to evaluate edge holding.
Still push cuts paper and still on first sharpening with a couple swipes on a strop.

Gotta figure out what I want to keep and how to handle them from this batch.

Allso gotta get better in pics.
Tim

and the one with the bone handle is mine?

Yes, and it sure feels good in my hand. Hope your specs were right for you.
That is the last of the greenish dyed giraffe bone I have. I think you got all I had.
You will have to make a color/material shift if you need another knife.

The bigger blade in the center is your pattern stretched a bit. A "Buffalo Skinner" I am thinking.

Doug has your knife to make a sheath.
Pouch and no loop as requested.

The far left blade and the two in the center I am definitely keeping. The others??????

Thanks
Tim

My edge retention experience from boning out deer, elk, antelope, bison, and bear in the field all settles on how clean the hide was. Any animals that was loaded with dirt dulled any of my edges where as a clean animal left my edge razor sharp. I've removed an elk hide with a 1095 bladed pocket knife but also have knocked the snot out of both my blades (always carry both a folder and a fixed while hunting) while skinning a small black bear.

I'm happy with an edge that will survive the hunting trip. On longer trips I have replacements in camp. On day hunts I never kill more than one animal and at most clean two, mine and my partners.

I know this has been covered several times on this site but... If you're buying a blade with a hardness greater than 60 you had better be have excellent sharpening tools AND skill.

good points Boise. I always have more than one good knife when hunting. Even around here, just miles from the house, I'll have at least two, more likely three, in the day pack. You just never know, plus I like to try different ones when I get a chance to work with a dead animal.

I deep running in to people who can not sharpen "MY xxxx out of yy steel). They have other knives they can sharpen.
Not sure how much is real and how much is perceived.
Most do not start with coarse enough grit, clean enough stones or the ability to hold a consistent angle.
Also, you have to get a burr first, before going with finer grit.

I sharpened blades for 50 years on bench stones and thought I was pretty good until Rick lent me his Edge Pro.
Got one for myself. Consistent angle, clean stones chase the burr. Scary sharp, if you want that.

I am really curious to see how well this M4 at 63.5 Rc holds up in the field.
Two of the 8 blades in pic above will get field tested by 24 hr knife loonies and 1+ by myself of course.

Tim

Tim, I don't consider myself an expert at sharpening but the Edge Pro does allow me to achieve "scary sharp" edges. Except the one ProTech Brend 2 auto, that I like, which causes me fits. I can get it sharp and I did completely skin a black bear with it but I'm unable to achieve that razor sharp edge we all love.

I even had Rick Menefee place a hollow ground edge on it and it arrived sharp but not nearly as sharp as the fillet knife he made me. Plus, the edge didn't hold up, and I don't have the means to replicate the hollow ground edge.

I know you have a history with these blades. Care to share some advice? I suspect wonky heat treat.

Posted this then realized this is a total hijack of your M4 thread - my apology.

Rick
This thread is about done until I get a couple of the M4 blades finished and they get some field testing by some thread members.

In grinding thousands of ProTech blades, I never had a reason to find any heat treat issues.
We ground all heat treated blades.

I do have a couple of the small Brend blades. They were set up pieces and had some minor blems to needing a hand ground repair.
If you want one that is good enough to install, I will send it to you. It may need a couple passes on a surface grinder, depending on knife construction.
I could also give you one that would need a little grinding to be used.

And no, I do not have any interest in tearing yours apart.

As far sharpening that size and style of blade.............
Using the Edge Pro I found that a shim under the blade was needed to keep the stones from riding on the plastic guard that the spine
rests against. I used a popcicle stick. Also a narrow hollow grind can be hard to hold in a consistent position.
A Lansky might not have that issue.

Let me know if you want to try a replacement blade.

We can start a new M4 thread later when something new to report.

Tim