What does the factory use to sharpen?

hagatha

hagatha

Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
77
Greetings,

I've always made my own knives... I still have my pocket knife from Cub Scouts and the "Whittling Chip" card you ware given when you should you could use a knife properly. I'm curios as to what angle and grit the factory sharpens it's retail knives... Are they all the same, and what determines the prescribed angle? The angle of my new 2750 (auto) is too short. The grind line needs pulled back a bit and reduce the angle. The knife is not designed to pry a door open or pierce a car hood... though it would do both. If there are links to some of these details, please post them.

Now if this is some kind of G14 classified data... then I'll just re-profile it to my specs, probably will do it anyway...

Thanks
hagatha
 
I'm 99.9% sure they do them by hand using a belt grinder. That almost certainly being the case, they don't have a specific angle, but I'm sure they have guidelines.

Reprofiling is always necessary for me unless it's a custom.

Good luck. :)
 
There is a video floating around of BM sharpening. I am too lazy to look for said video. If the grind doesn't suit you change it! The wonderful thing about knives is that nobody can force you to do anything you don't want to do.
 
All but the "Gold class" are machine ground. "ie" the blade is clamped into a fixture, you push a button, and moments later, it's done.
If it is not stated otherwise, assume machine ground.
Hand ground blades demand a premium price, simply for the significant time involved, and skill required to do it properly.
 
Benchmade has two videos showing them applied by hand. One is a resharpen (by their "lead" hand sharpener) and one is production. Both videos are relatively old.
 
The Adamas isn't meant to be a delicate slicer by any means. Given the weight, stock thickness, and grind, all indicators that it was designed with prying and stabbing through stuff in mind. The card included (Army Rangers) should be evidence enough of that. I have the standard 275 and it is a tank, and not my first choice for slicing. The issue people have with these knives is the thickness right behind the edge, reprofiling might help, but only to an extent.
My guess is the designer of the knife recommends the grind, and sharpening angle, as they are usually based on existing customs.
 
I can tell you that the 2750 I received was machine sharpened. I would guess the angle was about 30-35 degrees. Actually what I was looking for was, a belt? a stone? diamond? and if they are indeed sharpened by hand... For the price the Gold class had better be... what grits are used and to what grit is "standard".

More on the detail side than where the direction the thread went.

Are there Benchmade employees on the site? or is it all G13 Classified...

hagatha
 
I have watched knives being sharpened by hand at the Buck factory on a belt run over a large contact wheel. They can sharpen a knife quicker than they could have clamped it in a jig. It's all in the wrist.
 
I have no idea which belt they use. Going by the grinds I've seen, I'd say in the neighborhood of 400 grit.

I really don't think they use jigs or anything other than the simple sharpening on a Burr-King belt grinder as shown in the video. There is no magic, just a steady hand. This is the case in every manufacturer that I've seen, including high end kitchen knives. Anything else makes little sense as its a very simple and quick job. I won't go any further on the matter.

Edit- after re-reading your post, hag, I think I see what you're asking. I think machine and hand are getting confused. They "hand" sharpen on a belt grinder (machine). There's no way they do any of it on a stone. I wouldn't be surprised if they had the same process for the GC knives, although more attention to detail is certainly possible. They use two different belts (on two separate grinders as many custom makers do), the first (400 grit or something thereabouts, a guess) and a finer belt to refine. The second belt can be any number of grits, or a strop (doubt it) or other abrasives.
 
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I live very close to Benchmade in Oregon City and take my EDC by when it needs a touch up. Pretty sure they use a belt and buffer . They are advertising for a full time sharpener position. The following is their job description.

The Sharpener position is responsible for setting up and operating belt, wheel, and buff sharpeners to hand-sharpen knives to a razor sharp edge. Will sharpen new knives as well as knives returned for warranty repair. Inspects knife cutting edge visually and through paper cutting tests, using subjective judgment to ensure edge cosmetics and sharpness. Will conduct all routine maintenance to ensure product quality. Opportunity to cross-train in multiple related skills within the department as well as participation in continuous improvement activities and teams.

Glenn
 
hagatha said:
I can tell you that the 2750 I received was machine sharpened. I would guess the angle was about 30-35 degrees. Actually what I was looking for was, a belt? a stone? diamond? and if they are indeed sharpened by hand... For the price the Gold class had better be... what grits are used and to what grit is "standard".

More on the detail side than where the direction the thread went.

Are there Benchmade employees on the site? or is it all G13 Classified...

hagatha
Click to expand...

http://www.benchmade.com/company/contact_us.aspx

Maybe a quick phone call and transfer to warranty/repair would clear things up, there is no GS top secret clearance required. As Omega stated, a human using his hands sharpens the knives on a belt attached to a machine. A company the size of Benchmade would charge a hell of a lot more if they have a dozen people sitting around with waterstones trying to sharpen D2 all day long. It is my understanding that a lof of the "top" manufacturers actually sharpen "by hand... on a belt".
 
It's a belt. I've seen it in action. They actually burnt the tip on my Infidel back in the day (maybe why they are hiring?).

Most of my Benchmades come from the factory at 45º+. Reprofiling takes FOREVER.
 
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