Cliff,
The Strider guys designed this knife for rough use. The tip of the tantos is even beefier. This portion is hard to get very sharp and that was on purpose. It is very thick so that it wont chip out if used for digging. If i remember corectly, the knife is edged with a 100 grit belt, then sharpened on a hard leather wheel. The edge looks rougher because the mini serrations from the abrasive are left on for better cutting.
Hope this helps,
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Joe Houser
Director of Consumer relations
Buck Collectors club Administrator and member #123