can this be repaired?

[michiganitis]

hello!

i recently got a ESEE 6 off of ebay from a buy...he said it was brand new without packaging. but when i received the knife, the blade edge was slightly discolored (as if it had just begun the oxidize a bit)...and there is one part of the edge that is the tiniest bit uneven, like it was just chipped but very small, fraction of a millimeter.

i have NEVER sharpened a knife. but i don't want to hassle with returning the thing to the guy and paypal and ebay or whatever.

can this be repaired via sharpening? how would i go about getting good enough at sharpening so that i don't ruin a nice knive? and which sharpening product would you recommend?

thanks!

 

[DylanMW]

I also was not very good at sharpening when I first started with knives. However, you will quickly learn if you enjoy and use your knives a lot getting efficient at sharpening is a MUST. I started out with a Spydeco Sharp Maker which is a great product! It helps to keep your angles right, walks you through the different grit and is pretty cheap. I think I got mine for $60 + $40 for the "Ultra Fine" rods, which I think are a must.

However, as of recently I have went to different water stones. I have a 100, 400, 1000, 4000, 8000 and a 12000 (I use a straight razor so those high grits are for my honing). I also have a water wheel set up in my garage but it is rather dusty...

You might want to practice on some "cheap" knives you can get at walmart and just sharpen then dull the edge until you get good at it!

Best of luck!

 

[Robs92XJ]

I'll second DylanMW about sharpening being a necessary skill.

Factory edges very often have some sort of flaw. When I get a new knife I expect to spend a while evening the edge, establishing the edge on parts the factory missed (usually the heel, sometimes the tip), and bringing the polish up from course belt sander finish to (nearly) mirror polish.

It would be nice to have a picture of the flaw in your edge. It sounds like you are saying there is a small chunk missing from the edge. Depending on how small the chunk is, that could be a pretty major flaw. Even a large missing chunk is correctable by sharpening, but it can be kind of an ordeal, and you'll have to remove a lot of metal. In that case I'd be tempted to return the knife. If its really small, like you can barely see it, it should be no problem. In fact, if the knife is otherwise sharp, you can go ahead and just use it. You won't notice the tiny chip except for cutting paper. Then once the rest of the knife dulls you can sharpen it (or have it sharpened) and take care of the chip at that time.

Of course I would advise you to learn how to sharpen so you can correct these issues as they come up, and always have your knife in top condition. There are lots of ways to do this- and there are several other threads right here on the front page of this forum where people have asked about sharpening techniques and equipment for beginners. Try reading through those first and if you have specific questions go ahead and ask.