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Abrasives and belt grinding in a working knife shop

Abrasives

Grinding and Sharpening Nitro-V: Belt Recommendations & Technique

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

1 min readWritten by Rich LinvilleFree to read

Nitro-V inherits most of AEB-L’s easy-grinding character, since it shares the same base chemistry with only a nitrogen and vanadium addition layered on top. It is noticeably more forgiving to work than high-carbide steels like CPM 20CV or CPM S30V, closer in difficulty to AEB-L than to the harder premium stainless steels in this database.

Profiled knife blank with three pin holes and an unground edge, lying flat on gray felt in a steel tray beside an oil can.

Belt Selection

Standard ceramic or zirconia belts handle Nitro-V well, similar to AEB-L. Its small vanadium addition makes it slightly more belt-hungry than pure AEB-L, but the difference is modest.

Red and blue-gray abrasive belt strips on a dark bench, the red one arched over a steel block, cloth backing visible.

Grit Progression

StageGrit
Profiling / heavy stock removal50
Bevel refinement60
Pre-finish80
Finish grinding120

Technique

Standard technique applies well: moderate to high belt speed, light controlled passes, and a coolant mister to protect the temper, particularly important since Nitro-V benefits from a cryogenic treatment after quenching and holding that hardness through the grinding process matters.

Narrow unhandled knife blank lying flat on a dark tray, its ground face beaded with fine coolant drops, rag beside it.

Sharpening

Nitro-V sharpens easily and responds well to standard sharpening stones, much like AEB-L. It does not require diamond or CBN abrasives, making it a good choice for makers who want solid performance without needing specialized sharpening equipment.

Two waterstones in clamp holders beside a bowl of water and a black-handled knife on a folded towel.

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