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Abrasives and belt grinding in a working knife shop

Abrasives

Grinding and Sharpening CPM 154: Belt Recommendations & Technique

Belt recommendations, grit progression, and sharpening tips for grinding CPM 154 on a 2x72 belt grinder. Free guide from Torus CNC's ForgeBrain.

1 min readWritten by Rich LinvilleFree to read

CPM 154 grinds and finishes easily, inheriting the same forgiving character as its conventionally-melted twin, 154CM, while the powder-metallurgy process gives it a slightly finer, more consistent grain. It is one of the more approachable premium stainless steels in this database.

Satin-finished utility knife blank with a three-hole tang resting flat on a dark stitched leather bench pad.

Belt Selection

Standard ceramic or good-quality zirconia belts handle CPM 154 well. It does not demand the premium structured abrasives that harder, carbide-heavy steels benefit from.

Two flat cloth-backed abrasive strips, one red-brown and one blue-gray, on a worn steel bench, one corner turned up.

Grit Progression

StageGrit
Profiling / heavy stock removal50
Bevel refinement80
Pre-finish120
Finish grinding220

Technique

Standard technique applies well: moderate belt speed, light controlled passes, and a coolant mister to protect the temper. CPM 154’s forgiving nature means less babysitting of belt condition compared to harder CPM steels.

Jointed coolant nozzle with orange tip aimed at a vertical abrasive belt, with a gray knife blank on the steel work rest.

Sharpening

CPM 154 sharpens easily and responds well to standard sharpening stones. It does not require diamond or CBN abrasives, one of the reasons this chemistry, in both its CPM and conventional forms, remained a favorite for production knives for so long.

Hands drawing a wood-handled knife across a wet gray bench stone held in a black nonslip holder, water bowl behind.

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