Praise for Krein, and a question

L

Lucky Bob

Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
956
I just got my TI/ZDP leek back from Tom Krein, and WOW is that thin and sharp!

First thing I did with the knife was test it pushcutting newspaper, and it did about 1/4", as opposed to the touching-my-finger that has been my record so far. I then stropped it on my block-mounted leather charged with CrO, which didn't help any, which leads me to my question: how in hell do people get a knife any sharper than that?

it's less than a hundredth of an inch thick behind the edge, and probably pretty thin angle (although I haven't had a chance to take it to the sharpmaker, so I don't know for sure), and I just can't imagine what I could do, short of inhuman levels of precision to get it ANY sharper! And yet there are people on this board who say they can pushcut newspaper at four-plus inches! I'm just dumbfounded.
 
ZDP-189 is a high carbide steel, I would suggest a harder compound, diamond pastes or to go back to stones and then finish with CrO. CrO will only slightly refine a high carbide steel like that, it isn't useful to truely bring out optimal sharpness if you are a long ways away from it.

-Cliff
 
I think technique for push cutting newspaper is just as important as sharpness.

I've noticed if I pinch the newspaper just right, the paper become more rigid and is easier to push cut.

If you hold the blade at anything other than 90 degrees to the paper, the paper becomes stiffer as well.

Is the above cheating? I've always wanted to see a push cut video to make sure I was doing it correctly. My other option is research the thread and scale option, but newspaper sure is handy.
 
It isn't cheating, you just have to specifiy exactly what you mean. If you are not cutting at 90 then it is much easier because you start a cut on effectively a thinner piece of paper with the same rigidity. SImilar if you put the paper under tension it is much easier to cut.

-Cliff
 
Glad you like it, Krein is really good at thin and sharp! He's done almost all my EDC's, and I'm *very* happy with them! My Sebenza is next.

PS - Shoot me an email with your address, I'll send you one of my Kreins and the paper that I used at 3 or 4 inches, and you can verify it for yourself!
 
I love my Kreinage. They are so thin that the cutting ability is vastly superior to any other knives I've used, and he puts on really sharp edges that both pushcut great (as in tree trimming arm hairs) and have tremendous slicing aggression. If I recall the edge he put on it was able to push cut newsprint well over 4" from the point of hold (San Francisco Chronicle), but I didn't really pay much attention to that, just it's great cutting ability and the great work Tom did on the blade. I hold the paper between two fingers, let it hang freely, and cut into it at 90 degrees. I've found that a more consistent and repeatable test of push cutting sharpness is the yellow pages. You rip out a full page and hold it like the newsprint, the only downside is that it takes a higher level of sharpness to pushcut it than newsprint.

During my move last week I had to cut some carpet, and I became frustrated with the utility razor I was using as it was having a terrible time cutting through the carpet. Out came my Krein Caly Jr. and it just went through the carpet with ease, with no visible edge damage. After the little bit of carpet and a decent amount of opening packages and breaking down boxes it was still easily shaving smoothly. It is my personal favorite EDC right now, and I think it has earned a permanent spot going clipless in my right pocket. I highly recommend the Krein treatment to anyone interested in cutting ability.

Sodak, let us know how your Sebbie turns out, and thanks for fronting me the Caly Jr. and letting me borrow your other fixed blades. Just beat me over the head when you want them back, they are beautiful blades and I plan on trying the Dozier on a piggy in the next month, if I can shoot straight. If anyone wants to borrow a Krein Native send me a PM and I'll ship it off. It is thicker than most of my Krein's due to being S30V, but the edge thickness is still only .008", so it still cuts like hell. Plus, Tom took out all of the uglyness I did to the blade when I sharpened it flat to the stone, and made it look like new.

Mike

Mike
 
Once you get a blade back from Mr. Krein is it easier for the end user to keep it that sharp or if need be get it back to that level of sharpness?

If it's not impolite to ask what is the charge for this service? If it is impolite just tell me.

Thanks, John
 
It's much easier to sharpen, because there's so little metal that you need to remove. If you are really ham fisted (like me) it might take 5 min or 10 max, because I'm never satisfied with my sharpening job. You can completely re-set the bevel in a minute or two on a dmt blue hone.

Gunmike1, no problem. Glad you like them, I'm going to be doing a little piggy in August (domestic, not wild), so we'll have to compare notes! Here, piggy piggy!!! :D

I would email him for the cost, I'm sure it varies depending on the knife involved and what you want. It's very reasonable, though.
 
Tom did a sharpen on my sebenza, not any kind of regrind just a sharpen. It's amazing feels twice as sharp as a factory seb. (I have no testing to back up this claim).
 
Tom is one very sharp fellow. ;) And a real nice guy, I might add. :thumbup:

-Ford
 
It will be much easier to sharpen, it will cut far better initially and also for much longer. I would suggest that anyone interested to actually see how a high level cutting blade should act should get one so ground. It also doesn't need to be some new fad steel either. You will see the exact same level of cutting ability in AUS-4 at the same geometry.

-Cliff
 
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