Blade Repair

Best methods for repairing damaged blades? IE a knick in the cutting edge or a broken tip using it how it wasn't meant to be used? Different methods for different steels? IE 440, D2 Tool Steel, S30V, VG-10 etc?

Just file, polish and sharpen? If so, will a dremel type tool, or grinder heat the steel enough to affect the steel?

a nick in the edge can be fixed, how much effort depends on the damage and blade steel:

Easy to Hard (my experience on stone, lansky, belt grinder)
440,8cr14Mov, Aus 8
VG-10
S30v
CPM154
D2

Heat can and will damage the blade, but if you grind in small amounts and move it around in some water afterwards you should be okay....if the metal starts to turn a brown color then you are getting it too hot, take your time.

A word of advise on the broken tip, take a sharpie and mark the blade in the closed position so you don't grind the tip too high and expose the tip.

LMK if I can help you or even make some suggestions....Pics are helpful

Brian

With hard use my HEST has acquired a few small nicks in the cutting edge. Alot of the coating has worn off along the edges, the pry bar has worn down to a rounded edge, that I think I like better than when it was sharp. But those nicks bug me. Its 1095 steel, so supposed to be simpler to form, just wasn't sure if I would mess it up or not. Nothing major, but more than a quick hit with the sharper can do. It stays in my truck, but ill try to get a pic up from my phone when I get back to it tomorrow.

Nicks are easy. I use a 1X30 belt sander (new technique for me, I was always a stones guy). Just last night I took an old beaten to hell hatchet and went from 80 microns (about 240 grit) up to approx 1000 grit in about 10 minutes. Took nicks out of the edge the size of a grain of rice (sounds small...but that's a hell of a nick!) and can now easily shave arm hair with it. THe belt sander does produce a convxe edge, though, so if you don't want that, this isn't the technique for you.

I just filed the HEST and resharpened. Its a work knife, not real particular about its looks. My wife however is a bit different. This is her Etched Spin, and the end of the blade has some pretty good nicks in it. The worst is about a 1/3 of the sharpened edge. So need to be more careful with hers.

And thanks for the suggestions. It did take longer to file it manually, more than I thought it would anyway, but got the job done.