Do you sell sharp knives?

D

Dago Red

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
987
i guess this is sort of rhetorical, I won’t do a poll. As a knife maker, someone with at least more equipment than some sad sack buyer, do you take pride in at least selling knives that are sharp enough to work as is?

I’m a normal buyer, no collector, no special fancy guy. (Although I do have on my bucket list winning Bowie of the year one year I’m waiting for my go to guy to say he’s ready). I own a few stones and a worksharp that is a lifesaver. I’m only saying that because I can resharpen a knife, I can do a bit of work on removing enough steel if it’s minor, but if something hasn’t been given enough of the proper geometry/thinning it’s frustrating with what I have. Maybe I should invest in the blade grinding attachment for my WS, or I’m spoiled by off the shelf kershaws. Any feedback? Other than “I’ll never sell someone like you a knife”

Red
 
Yeah, a custom knife should definitely be sharp.
And hopefully it will never see a worksharp or any other power sharpener.

I put edges on my knives by hand with diamond stones. That's from NO edge at all, unless I'm doing something really beefy, in which case I'll start it with the 2x72.
 
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With almost ALL the knives I get the first thing I do is work on the edge, at the very least with a polished steel....I’ve bought so many customs with what I consider a dull edge, I’ve even gotten knives the Maker forgot to sharpen before sending!!!
 
It must cut paper without snagging.
It must be able to pass the fingernail test.
It must be able to shave.

I go for a "toothy" edge that has a fine finish.
 
you can make a fat edge sharp enough to do all the sharp edge tests, but for most applications, it won't cut for crap. Conversely, a very thin edge on a large knife used hard will almost always lead to rippling at the least.

I look for edge geometry. Sharpness is an easily controlled variable, while edge geometry is built in and not easy to remedy.

funny you should bring up Kershaw. I have a ZT 0600 that I'm going to try and regrind. It's a sick knife, but utterly useless as one as is.
 
Heck yeah! Real deal users that are used:

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Why wouldn't ya?

Even to crazy women:

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OK, I'm married to her she ain't that crazy. Alright she's handy in the shop helping to make the knives too:

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Course sometimes she just rides on in so ya never know.

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Horsewright you are a lucky bastard!!! I don’t know which is your wife, so please don’t take this wrong, but I’d be happy if you’d tell the one with the brace in stripes while castrating that she’s a dream and a keeper. I’m not in the market but few things are sexier than a woman that uses a knife and carries a gun. (My wife doesn’t do either but I know she’d be sexier if she did)

It seems there’s a spectrum (hard to say from such a few replies) between both buyer and maker expectations. I guess if I were a collector I’d think different, but I plan to win bladeforum Bowie of the year one time (as the buyer) and I damn well better get a super sharp Bowie! (With blue mammoth ivory I’m thinking).

Say what you want about a worksharp, but I’ve got the ken onion one and it does good work. I don’t have patience or enough time to keep the skills with stones any more. I’ll be lucky if I get my 2x72 belt grinder out of my uncles estate I heard his drug addict grandson has already emptied the shop. And I only used it for machetes and axes. Fact is, a knife should come sharp and shouldn’t take a miracle to keep that way or resharpen. After starting this thread I got another kershaw (link I think, memory issues) and it’s clean the hair off my hand. Don’t get me wrong, I used real straight razors exclusively for years so “shaving sharp” I don’t expect, but push cut paper is a no brained. And if you can grind a knife right so it sharpens easily frickin throw it in a drawer or gift it. Don’t sell it.

Red
PS always feel free to share customers pics
 
I would be aghast to get a custom knives that was not hair shaving sharp.

If I can do it, I expect a custom maker to do it.

Heck, I'm disappointed if a non custom knofe won't shave hair when I get it.
 
Dago Red said:
Horsewright you are a lucky bastard!!! I don’t know which is your wife, so please don’t take this wrong, but I’d be happy if you’d tell the one with the brace in stripes while castrating that she’s a dream and a keeper. I’m not in the market but few things are sexier than a woman that uses a knife and carries a gun. (My wife doesn’t do either but I know she’d be sexier if she did)

It seems there’s a spectrum (hard to say from such a few replies) between both buyer and maker expectations. I guess if I were a collector I’d think different, but I plan to win bladeforum Bowie of the year one time (as the buyer) and I damn well better get a super sharp Bowie! (With blue mammoth ivory I’m thinking).

Say what you want about a worksharp, but I’ve got the ken onion one and it does good work. I don’t have patience or enough time to keep the skills with stones any more. I’ll be lucky if I get my 2x72 belt grinder out of my uncles estate I heard his drug addict grandson has already emptied the shop. And I only used it for machetes and axes. Fact is, a knife should come sharp and shouldn’t take a miracle to keep that way or resharpen. After starting this thread I got another kershaw (link I think, memory issues) and it’s clean the hair off my hand. Don’t get me wrong, I used real straight razors exclusively for years so “shaving sharp” I don’t expect, but push cut paper is a no brained. And if you can grind a knife right so it sharpens easily frickin throw it in a drawer or gift it. Don’t sell it.

Red
PS always feel free to share customers pics
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This one:

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She fly fishes too:

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And shoots squirrels from the patio:

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A full and talented partner not only in the ranch but in Horsewright as well:

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She made her sheath, belt and holster here where she's fixing fence.

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Last batch I just finished, working on the sheaths now:

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The kitchen knives and the edc types all must shave paper very well. The leather cutting roundknives must cut leather and then they will cut out their own sheath.

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This one goes to a saddle maker in Australia.
 
The geometry must be right, and it must be at least arm hair shaving sharp.

If it's not both of those things then shame on my family.
 
As a customer. I appreciate it. Truth be told, I'll never be able to get it as sharp, so it's nice to start out that way.
 
Dawkind said:
With almost ALL the knives I get the first thing I do is work on the edge, at the very least with a polished steel....I’ve bought so many customs with what I consider a dull edge, I’ve even gotten knives the Maker forgot to sharpen before sending!!!
Click to expand...
I don t know if this will violate some rule of this forum ......let the moderators delete if it is not according to the rules here .
Let's change that ,this time without paying :) Seriously, would you accept one knife made by me as a gift from me ? I currently have a guest from the USA and he is coming back in USA in ten days . So it will cost me almost nothing to ship knife to you .Nothing special , just one small but sharp knife ready to use :thumbsup:
 
AVigil said:
It must cut paper without snagging.
It must be able to pass the fingernail test.
It must be able to shave.

I go for a "toothy" edge that has a fine finish.
Click to expand...
And while doing all that ...edge must not chip ,roll or get dull after short time .Seems not easy task :)
 
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