What are the pros/ cons on dullness/sharpness?

G

Glock26

Joined
Nov 3, 2009
Messages
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Hi all, i'm that kind of person that looks at things for reasons being. For instance, when i get a factory knife i say "hmm," it's factory sharp for a reason, or the difference, "hmm" it's not that sharp for a reason. And so, what i am going at is, maybe my dads motto like many of yours "if it ain't broke don't fix it." (if i listened to that, most of the time, ha).

For this reason, i recently bought a buck omni folder knife, i got to say it's the sharpest factory knife i have bought!!!! And it is darn light! After all, my question is, there a reason why some knives come super sharp and super not so- sharp. I'm thinking knives like the Glock field knives, which i'm getting for christmas is 'not' that sharp, maybe because it will last longer? won't chip? overall longer lasting cutting edge? And knives like my buck are super sharp for one- two time hunting skinning, etc? Then expect it to be sharpen? lastly, regular sharp vs. super razor sharp, what's the reason, dull faster? over all last longer? Fill me in, oh yah how's $2 for 1 inch of sharpening at my local cutlery shop? Rip off, or not? Thanks for listening. :thumbup:
 
most knives come from the factory with whatever edge they put on their knives--for me to make a knife my own i always touch up the edge no matter if it was sharp already--makes it feel like it is mine--learn to sharpen yourself--i never let anyone sharpen my knives--have seen may to many hack jobs done on blades--and have fixed many knives over the years for friends that were sharpened badly--and i feel all knives should be sharp--nothing worse than a dull knife--:D
 
Pros & cons of sharpness - I'll give it a go.


Shaving sharp or better:

Pros
Can cut stuff easily (even tomatoes)

Cons
none


Dull knives:

Pros
none

Cons
Can't cut very well.
Useless



Generally if I can't shave the hair off my arm then I will sharpen the knife. The only exception that I can think of are the butter knives in the kitchen draw.
 
I like sharp knives. When my knives get dull, the only "pro" is that I get to enjoy sharpening them.

ETA: from a manufacturer's perspective, I suppose that the advantage of shipping mediocre factory edges is reduced labor cost. The con of this is reduced out-of-box performance of your products.
 
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The factory sharpens them so you don't have to make that first bevel. How well the kn9fe has been sharpened will all depend on the person doing the work. You must remember that the person doing the sharpening only needs to worry about passing QC and does not take into account what the knife may be used for, the type of steel, the geometry of the blade, or the angle that would work best.

I apply my own edge because i an customize it for the knife and no factory edge could ever compare to its sharpness.

$2 a inch is not bad if the process is done by hand and ends up being the sharpest knife you have ever handled but if their just putting it to a grinder and its only coming out at around a factory sharpness then IMO its not worth it.
 
Thanks all, i'll keep the sharpness deal in mind. Also with the $2 an inch for sharpening, i will ask if it is by hand or not.
 
If it's not shaving sharp from the factory, someone dropped the ball.

I wouldn't allow anyone to sharpen my knives. Most people who offer these services (unless they are true professionals and "knife guys") will ruin your knives. You're better off buying a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a bench stone. $2.00 an inch sounds high anyway.
 
Some manufacturers do a better job than others. Buck and Spyderco both have reputations of being very sharp out of the box. If the knife has the proper edge angle on it when you get it then it is easier to maintain.

I've never paid anyone to sharpen my knives so I don't know what it should cost. I'd recommend what others here have posted in other threads: get yourself a cheap knife and learn to sharpen yourself. There is a lot of information in the Maintenance sub-forum on the subject.
 
Glock26 said:
Hi all, i'm that kind of person that looks at things for reasons being. For instance, when i get a factory knife i say "hmm," it's factory sharp for a reason, or the difference, "hmm" it's not that sharp for a reason. And so, what i am going at is, maybe my dads motto like many of yours "if it ain't broke don't fix it." (if i listened to that, most of the time, ha).

For this reason, i recently bought a buck omni folder knife, i got to say it's the sharpest factory knife i have bought!!!! And it is darn light! After all, my question is, there a reason why some knives come super sharp and super not so- sharp. I'm thinking knives like the Glock field knives, which i'm getting for christmas is 'not' that sharp, maybe because it will last longer? won't chip? overall longer lasting cutting edge? And knives like my buck are super sharp for one- two time hunting skinning, etc? Then expect it to be sharpen? lastly, regular sharp vs. super razor sharp, what's the reason, dull faster? over all last longer? Fill me in, oh yah how's $2 for 1 inch of sharpening at my local cutlery shop? Rip off, or not? Thanks for listening. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Some of the variation in sharpness is dependent on the company. A lot of companies pride themselves on delivering a sharp knife Out Of the Box . Others are less fussy about it. There is also some variation depending on which employee did the final sharpening.

The rule of thumb is the sharper a knife is, the longer it will stay sharp in use.

Can't give you a cost estimate for sharpening. I sharpen my own. The 420HC that Buck uses on the Omni is easy to sharpen. If it were I, I would invest in a stone and learn how.
 
Oh yes actually i have a stone to sharpen my knives with. I'm a novice, i wanted to ask is there any different to sharpening the Glock field knives? I mean i never sharpened something with a big blade, i'm sure there's no difference right?
 
Knives, Axes, Tomahawks, Machetes and other cutting tools need to be sharpened properly. In my experience no production line knives are sharpened properly. Most production knives have an even beveled edge and need to be sharpened.

So many knife enthusiasts and collectors have ton of knives and never learn to sharpen them properly and with internet access there is no excuse for ignorance of knife sharpening.

Power Tools are useful if the edge is rough, uneven or damaged. The goal is an even smooth as glass razor sharp edge. Typical thick bladed hunting knives are not designed to cut tomatoes, get a thin bladed kitchen knife set if thats your need. A Mora of Sweden is a great knife to learn to sharpen with and it'll do most any small knife task.

Belt Sander - Buffer/Grinder with Paper Wheels
Do not use power tools unless you are sure its necessary.

Progressive sharpening stones course to fine are useful but require more effort and time.

Ceramic
I like ceramic for fine sharpening and control the angle by hand.

I can make any knife or axe razor sharp enogh to shave easily with the tools above.

Read, comprehend, understand and use common sense!
 
the main con to dullness is that you can get snagged in the stuff you are cutting and cut yourself. for that reason, if I get caught on something more than once I just go find another knife to finish up. no sense in using an inadequately maintained tool for a job.
 
I just spent sometime, sharpening my knives and really worked on it. And dam, first time i shaved the hair off my arm with some of my knives. I thought it was a myth! I'm more than happy of my sharpening, i'm glad i didn't take it to get sharpened. Got to learn to do it myself no joke! Credit to youtube peeps not to mention.
 
Glock26 said:
I just spent sometime, sharpening my knives and really worked on it. And dam, first time i shaved the hair off my arm with some of my knives. I thought it was a myth! I'm more than happy of my sharpening, i'm glad i didn't take it to get sharpened. Got to learn to do it myself no joke! Credit to youtube peeps not to mention.
Click to expand...

I have an inexpensive camo folder that couldn't cut beans and would not sharpen razor sharp by hand with a stone, ceramic or diamond sharpener.

I thinned the edge just a bit on the belt sander, then polished it with the Paper Wheel, then sharpened it with ceramic.

I'll put that knife up against "any" like design two inch blade folding knife in cutting ability and edge retension.

I believe the steel is 440A and probably hardened to the max but with a proper bevel and sharpening its now functional. I believe all the super steel hype is hogwash for a daily common use knfe.

The blade wobbled also. I actually tossed in the trash once and picked out again. Then I disassembled it and found an off center washer pinched against the frame pivot area, so I assembled it properly again and now its a useful razor sharp knife.
 
I can understand a knife coming from the factory with a "not so sharp" edge (sharp, but not shaving sharp). But why in blazes would a brand sell a dull blade???
 
I'll add that all quality blades should be "sharp" for their particular edge type/blade style. Most quality folding knives should shave rather easily. If they can't do that, the knife either slipped by QC or the knife company has low standards. Of course, many larges fixed blades and axes don't need to have the same sharpnes level as the thinner, smaller folding knives. Those blades are meant for high impact chopping and stuff like that, so I wouldn't be angry if the large chopping blade that I just bought isn't as sharp as a Spyderco Military from the factory.

Again if we're talking about EDC folders or even small and thin fixed blades, those should be pretty sharp from the factory and the reason why those would be dull is because someone dropped the ball or the knife company makes a crap product.
 
But is it worth it, factoring in the bad rep that a dull blade will generate for the brand :rolleyes:?
 
i don't need shaving sharp; i just need sharp...i usually just use the med stones on the sharpmaker...most kitchen knifes i will take down to very sharp, but for folders and fixed (non-kitchen) blades, "shaving sharp" is a huge waste of time (for me)...

if you actually use the knife, "shaving sharp" gets down to "regular sharp" real fast; and knife sharpening is not a hobby of mine...
 
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