Sharpening titanium dive knives

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formernuke

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I just don't log dives
I'm not great at knife sharpening to began with. But I'm not happy with the edges on my titanium knives so a sharpening they need.

Any tips on stones and techniques for these guys?
 
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See YouTube Video: How to Sharpen a Cheap Camillus Titanium Knife

'Don't know if this works or not...
 
Never needed to sharpen mine, cheap one I’ve had for years, it cuts fishing line etc just fine and cuts the tip off on the catheter cleanly, don’t want a razor sharp knife when I dive.
 
Angle is crucial for getting anything really sharp. If you're not great at sharpening, try a ceramic or diamond sharpening rod. They're cheap on Amazon and get a decently sharp edge without much fuss.

Avoid the super cheap pull sharpeners. The angle is rarely correct for any blade and it requires removing a great deal of material just to get so-so results.

If you've got a straight blade edge, like a tanto, I find them easier to maintain angle than other blade designs. You might also try some high-grit wet sandpaper on a flat surface. Pushing the blade into the sharpener, rather than pulling, avoids burrs. This happens when the blade is so thin that it rolls over on itself. It is easily removed by sliding the knife through a piece of scrap wood or by pulling the blade
 
The problem with titanium for knives is that there are a lot of alloys out there. Some hold an edge better than others. Some are just plain pains in the butt to get an edge on, and others won't hold it.
I started cutting meat at the age of 8 in my family's grocery store and learned to sharpen knives at the same time. Over the last 50 years I can say that nothing comes close to a good carbon steel blade for edge retention and ease of sharpening. That said, they aren't great for diving unless you religiously care for them.
So we have alternates. Stainless, titanium, and ceramics.
Out of those my preference would be for stainless, followed by a good ceramic, and titanium at the bottom.
After you get a functional edge on a blade, you have to decide what you want to do with it.
For some stuff you don't need a razor edge that tends to get nicked or rolled easily.
I've always preferred a single bevel on the knives I have that get most of the use. It's strong, easier to maintain, and it's what traditional katanas are set up with.
Double bevels have the disadvantage of introducing more errors in sharpening.
I have on titanium blade that is very good at holding an edge and taking one. War Galley XII Titanium Marine — USGladius
This one is also balanced and throws nice. But it's 380 bucks and they only made 600 of them. I got mine at a Beneath the Sea Show at price I could not pass up because he wanted to sell out and not take any back with him.
The rest of my knives (save 3) are all carbon steel of some type and the 3 are dive knives. One of which I carry on a regular basis. The others are ones I've picked up as part of a lot of gear because they are pretty much useless. The one that's not is a Dalton Safety knife that Deep Sea Supply sold. It's basically a wood handle steak knife with the tip broke off.
As for sharpening any blade a good stone is a must. A 3 way multi-stone is what we always used in the butcher shops and one that I liked the most had medium, fine, and extra fine stones.
Coarse stones are more for setting up an edge. Once you have one, it should not need to see a coarse stone again unless it gets badly nicked.
For my katana, wakizashi, sgian dubh, and custom Scottish dirk I also have 600 and 1000 grit Japanese dressing stones.
Always sharpen with some kind of lubrication. Water works best overall.
When sharpening I always get the best edges with a combination of pulling and pushing but that's with nearly 50 years of experience holding the right angle and applying the right pressure.
On my kitchen knives I also keep a good steel handing for dealing with edges.
While titanium is good for corrosion and rust resistance, unless you paid a couple hundred bucks for that knife, the Ti alloy used is likely the cheapest they could find and use of the Ti is more a marketing gimmick than for actual function.
You could also look for a pro sharpening service and have them put an edge on it. Then treat it with care.
For underwater stuff a pair of shears or line cutter is usually much more functional and likely to be used. Knives are cute. But not as much use as those two items.
 
Dive knives are best sharped on land while giving your buddy a cold, long and hard intent stare… always an effect multiplier…
 
@Jim Lapenta that War Galley blade is pretty damn cool. Thanks for sharing that. Nice to see others on this board that like blades too.
And thanks for the tips. @drrich2 I think is a blade guy too. I cant seem to put an edge on any of my blades for the life of me even my straight edge for shaving... when I shave. I have a lady that lives a town over that is a master at it and bring any I need to here or my brother in law who is a butcher by trade.
 
net/titanium-multi-tool,1533,enhttps://www.halcyon.net/titanium-multi-tool,1533,en

And


I tried several stainless varieties in the past and despite heavy rinses and drying prior to storage have had rust issues so I'm staying with titanium.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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