I could use some advice on this fine Sunday afternoon. I recently picked up a Benchmade 750, the plain edge black blade version. I plan to carry it when a full size knife is acceptable and there may be full size cutting tasks - mostly hiking, camping, and on jobsites. It has already been called on to strip Romex sheaths, make minor adjustments to rough openings, prep food, open packages, and so on. I expect that generally rough and broad use to continue. I'm a user, not a collector.
It's a nice knife. I know the BM750 has gotten mixed reviews here, but this one seems to be built well. It was enough of a budget stretch, so I'll have to be happy with the poor man's Sebenza. It's by far the most expensive knife I own, and I don't want to screw it up, so here are my questions:
-- What angle and finishing method should I use for sharpening it? So far I've been sharpening with tools I use for my woodworking edges. The recurve is done with a fine grit DMT conical file, and the rest of the blade is shaped on an extra fine flat diamond plate. I finish up with a strop and green compound. I work the blade freehand, but would guess that the total angle is 30 or 40 degrees (15 or 20 degrees per side). Is the stropping a waste of time? What angle should I be using?
-- How should I clean the knife when it gets gunked up with debris? I note that Benchmade strongly discourages users from disassembling their knives. Do I just flush it with water, allow it to dry, and lube the pivot with a few drops of light oil?
One more question: I've read lots of people describe their knives as "razor sharp" right out of the box - even mass-produced blades. I've never seen a blade that I would call "razor sharp" right from the manufacturer, but then I'm used to sharpening hand plane blades so they'll lift translucent shavings from hardwoods. What's standard practice for knives?
Thanks for any help!
Dave
It's a nice knife. I know the BM750 has gotten mixed reviews here, but this one seems to be built well. It was enough of a budget stretch, so I'll have to be happy with the poor man's Sebenza. It's by far the most expensive knife I own, and I don't want to screw it up, so here are my questions:
-- What angle and finishing method should I use for sharpening it? So far I've been sharpening with tools I use for my woodworking edges. The recurve is done with a fine grit DMT conical file, and the rest of the blade is shaped on an extra fine flat diamond plate. I finish up with a strop and green compound. I work the blade freehand, but would guess that the total angle is 30 or 40 degrees (15 or 20 degrees per side). Is the stropping a waste of time? What angle should I be using?
-- How should I clean the knife when it gets gunked up with debris? I note that Benchmade strongly discourages users from disassembling their knives. Do I just flush it with water, allow it to dry, and lube the pivot with a few drops of light oil?
One more question: I've read lots of people describe their knives as "razor sharp" right out of the box - even mass-produced blades. I've never seen a blade that I would call "razor sharp" right from the manufacturer, but then I'm used to sharpening hand plane blades so they'll lift translucent shavings from hardwoods. What's standard practice for knives?
Thanks for any help!
Dave
