Best/Worst Factory Edge

[CrazyCaucasian]

We'll I don't own many knives as many of you guys do but from the few brands of knives I do own, my "Buck 679 Bucklite Max Large Fixed Blade" had an awful edge but was still sharp. Hard to explain. One side was steep and tall and the other was longer and slanted. I'm not an edge junkie so I can't explain with correct terminology. It was just very uneven of an angle. As you look at the edge facing up you'd see it zig zag. Still was sharp as hell somehow. Still cut and I was able to resharpen it easily no problem. The best edge I ever received? Endura 4 so far.

 

[K.O.D.]

Best factory? ZT 0095 BLK
Worst? Hmm. Tie for Spyderco Nilakka and Benchmade 162 Bushcrafter.

 

[F22shift]

Worst: couple of ZTs, dull and grinds could be a little more consistent
Best: spyderco , crk
Average: cold steel very sharp but inconsistent grinds

 

[psquared]

It occurred to me while going through this thread and thinking of my own experience in the last 15 or so years that it isn't just about the brand but also where they are made.

Long story short, my Japanese manufactured knives have been the most consistently sharp out of the box and generally with better grinds than elsewhere. This has been true for Spyderco, Al Mar, Cold Steel, SOG, the older Kershaws, Mcusta, Falkniven, Seki Cut .... pretty much all of them. Admittedly, this is a huge generalization and some are better than others.

The US made knives are a lot less consistent in terms of sharpness out of the box. Some are better than others, some have produced lasers as well as butter knives.

Taiwan is pushing out (depending on the factory) some pretty amazing fit and finish but, in my experience, inconsistant bevels and sharpness out the box. In the last couple of years my Taiwan purchases have all been Spyderco so it is a limited sample.

In the last few years I have yet to get an acceptably sharp knife from Europe be it Italian (Lion Steel and Spyderco), French (traditionals) or German - Boker is particularly at fault and have without a doubt produced the dullest blades I have ever bought. It's reached a point that I won't buy a European manufactured knife again unless it is truly exceptional and then with the realization that I will need to reprofile and sharpen straight out of the box. The exception is Victorinox but their blades are so thin and easy to sharpen it hardly matters.

I have no idea what the Chinese manufactured knives are like these days as I haven't bought one in years.

 

[as08da09d14kljad089]

My sharpest was a Enzo Trapper. It was a polished edge. But the grind was uneven.

 

[ThePeacent]

It occurred to me while going through this thread and thinking of my own experience in the last 15 or so years that it isn't just about the brand but also where they are made.

Long story short, my Japanese manufactured knives have been the most consistently sharp out of the box and generally with better grinds than elsewhere. This has been true for Spyderco, Al Mar, Cold Steel, SOG, the older Kershaws, Mcusta, Falkniven, Seki Cut .... pretty much all of them. Admittedly, this is a huge generalization and some are better than others.

The US made knives are a lot less consistent in terms of sharpness out of the box. Some are better than others, some have produced lasers as well as butter knives.

Taiwan is pushing out (depending on the factory) some pretty amazing fit and finish but, in my experience, inconsistant bevels and sharpness out the box. In the last couple of years my Taiwan purchases have all been Spyderco so it is a limited sample.

In the last few years I have yet to get an acceptably sharp knife from Europe be it Italian (Lion Steel and Spyderco), French (traditionals) or German - Boker is particularly at fault and have without a doubt produced the dullest blades I have ever bought. It's reached a point that I won't buy a European manufactured knife again unless it is truly exceptional and then with the realization that I will need to reprofile and sharpen straight out of the box. The exception is Victorinox but their blades are so thin and easy to sharpen it hardly matters.

I have no idea what the Chinese manufactured knives are like these days as I haven't bought one in years.

That's exactly what gaston444 and I agree on, and are fascinated by. It's a fact (based on our lifetime experience, at least) that the Japanese folders (from classic SOG designs, to the famous old Cold Steels, and the Salts from Spyderco) are the best in cutting geometry, grinds and slicing ability.

The old Voyagers I have are unmatched in cutting performance for such big and long blades, the Salts could cut you just by looking at them

and my sharpest of all knives are probably the Tasman Salt and Spyderhawk Salt, both classic Japanese Spydercos, and in the fixed blade category the Aqua Salt (Japan, Spyderco) and Desperado (Japan, Cold Steel) are the scariest, most hair-popping sharp blades I've received from any company

Japan, legendary blades, legendary sharpness!

 

[Lapedog]

Best factory? ZT 0095 BLK
Worst? Hmm. Tie for Spyderco Nilakka and Benchmade 162 Bushcrafter.

Which Nilakka did you have. Pre or post microbevel?

I had a premicrobevel one that came ludicrously sharp.

I also have known my Japanese blades to come significantly sharper most of the time. I wonder how much of this is due to the fact most the Japanese made knives I own are not coming with too of the line abrasian resistant carbide loaded steels. I have noticed knives featuring Aus-8 and particularly Sandvik steels come usually very sharp no matter where they were manufactured.

My Lionsteel Sr1a and Lionspy are so dull I can barely get them sharp on my sharpmaker. Well the SR1a I managed to get acceptably sharp. (Though not as much as I like) the Lionspy I will need reground.

 

[JohnnyBlades]

I have 6 TOPS knives, every one came hair shaving sharp...Even after beating on them, my TOPS knives stay sharper than most of my other knives come out of the box...


I have a few Ontario knives that came duller than I would have liked, but nothing that some time with a stone didn't help.

 

[TheEdge01]

That's exactly what gaston444 and I agree on, and are fascinated by. It's a fact (based on our lifetime experience, at least) that the Japanese folders (from classic SOG designs, to the famous old Cold Steels, and the Salts from Spyderco) are the best in cutting geometry, grinds and slicing ability.

The old Voyagers I have are unmatched in cutting performance for such big and long blades, the Salts could cut you just by looking at them

and my sharpest of all knives are probably the Tasman Salt and Spyderhawk Salt, both classic Japanese Spydercos, and in the fixed blade category the Aqua Salt (Japan, Spyderco) and Desperado (Japan, Cold Steel) are the scariest, most hair-popping sharp blades I've received from any company

Japan, legendary blades, legendary sharpness!

Oh that's gotta hurt!!! Did the yellow handled salt on the right nail you, it looks like a blood stain at the tip, of course it could just be a reflection to.

 

[K.O.D.]

Which Nilakka did you have. Pre or post microbevel?

I had a premicrobevel one that came ludicrously sharp.

I also have known my Japanese blades to come significantly sharper most of the time. I wonder how much of this is due to the fact most the Japanese made knives I own are not coming with too of the line abrasian resistant carbide loaded steels. I have noticed knives featuring Aus-8 and particularly Sandvik steels come usually very sharp no matter where they were manufactured.

My Lionsteel Sr1a and Lionspy are so dull I can barely get them sharp on my sharpmaker. Well the SR1a I managed to get acceptably sharp. (Though not as much as I like) the Lionspy I will need reground.

Pre. Chipped horrendously as well.

 

[Lapedog]

Mine was pre microbevel and came very sharp. However I have to be honest I have been fearful to use it for anything but slicing paper. Not very useful.

 

[TheEdge01]

As far as new knives, one of the worst edges I can think of was on a Benchmade Volli that my wife bought for me as a Christmas gift. The angle was uneven to the point that it scraped my leather strop, almost like I was trying to run serrations on it.

 

[FullMetalJackass]

Best: tie between Benchmade/Emerson.

Worst: CRK. As much as I like them, the out of the box edge is a big joke.

 

[ThePeacent]

Oh that's gotta hurt!!! Did the yellow handled salt on the right nail you, it looks like a blood stain at the tip, of course it could just be a reflection to.

Most likely it is,
not only does Spyderco have the record for the "sharpest knives" I've ever received from factory, but is also current champion for the "brand that has bitten me the most"
I'd say 80% of my nicks, cuts and wounds come from Spyderco knives. Here are some

and those are just the ones I got to take pics of...

 

[TheEdge01]

Most likely it is,
not only does Spyderco have the record for the "sharpest knives" I've ever received from factory, but is also current champion for the "brand that has bitten me the most"
I'd say 80% of my nicks, cuts and wounds come from Spyderco knives. Here are some

and those are just the ones I got to take pics of...

Yikes!!!!!!! A pair of kevlar gloves would serve you well. Lol

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

A Cold Steel Code 4 Tanto had the single best factory edge I've ever received. It was actually hair whittling, not just shaving, sharp right out of the box. The other Cold Steels I've had have all had great factory edges as well, but that one was above and beyond.

The worst factory edge I've ever seen belonged to a recent purchase; a Queen Cutlery Large Congress traditional slipjoint. It didn't even really have edges. The blades were more chamfered than sharpened. Wouldn't cut anything.