Corkum First Strike

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Kevan Taylor-Perry

Joined
Sep 3, 2000
Messages
1,055
I had seen one at my local shop a couple weeks back and really liked the way it felt in the hand, the sheath options for carry, and the wrapped handle. That one was pretty dull, but I had attributed that to it being a display. So I had them order me a new-in-box one and picked it up today.

Well, this one was very dull right out of the box. Very disappointing. Especially so since I really like this knife aside from that! The wrapped handle is very nice, the sheath offers lots of carry options and that is a real plus. And it feels great in the hand. But that beyond dull blade is unacceptable. I tried the Sharpmaker, a DMT diamond stone (the coarse black one) and an Arkansas stone and NONE would sharpen this knife within the hour I tried to apply an edge to a knife that, as far as I can tell, never even had one! Well, I have written an email to CRKT to ask for a warranty exchange for a SHARP Corkum. If I can get a SHARP one with an edge that can be sharpened, I will sing paeans of praise about this knife. But if the "edge" it comes with is normal, this knife is simply nothing more than a fancy-looking stabber of the OSS "delta dart" variety, except a lot heavier and with more mass. We shall have to see what CRKT does for me, and I truly hope they can give me a SHARP Corkum because that is what I want. My advice is, don't buy one sight-unseen until CRKT figures out there is a problem with this knife getting sharp. If the blade profile forbids it, they need to say so in their promotional for this knife. Or they need to re-think the blade design. As it is now, it is not sharp enough to cut paper no matter how you try. CRKT, if you're out there, you need to really do some work on the Corkum and get it so it takes an edge. This knife is not of proper size to be a "chopper" or be effective in such a role. It needs to cut. If its sole role is to stab, there are much better suited instruments for that. The knife is beautiful and handles nice. But that dull edge just disappoints utterly.
 
Jst to make sure I wasn't crazy, I just went back and looked at the CRKT website. They do advertise this knife as having a "razor-edge". I can testify that, out of the box, this knife will not shave hair period. It will not cut paper, period. As far as I could tell, it never had an edge to begin with. I truly hope CRKT gets this knife straightened out, because it's a darn shame a knife this nice is so dull. It's like putting together a wonderful, brilliant orchestra, spectacular in every way except all the violinists are ham-handed. No matter what all the other members do, those violins are still going to sound like dreck.
 
I've seen benchmade n emersons n even customs suffering from the same fate as well....funny - why can't knifemakers/companies put a razor sharp edge on ALL their blades?
 
Bought one for my some to carry on ROTC weekends and he didn't like it. He wound up taking my Ontario TAK. The First Strike that I got had the same problem with a very dull edge. I took a DMT diamond stone to it and finally put a workable edge on the knife. It appears the convex edge is too thick at the edge to give good service. It will make a good stabber but you also want a slicer for both protection use and general use.
 
You're absolutely right, John. I feel kind of foolish because I thought, well, I can always sharpen it up if the one I ordered wasn't sharp like the display I saw. But I let my eyes overpower my brain. I WANTED this knife and didn't listen to that little voice that says, hey, that thick edge is fine on an axe but not a knife. My voice was telling me to pull my head out and my eyes were saying, no, proceed and just tape a flashlight to your forehead. But, I haven't totally given up hope yet. I'm going to see what CRKT says. I tend to think that if they're going to salvage the Corkums as a whole, they're going to have to take some meat off that blade so it can have a real edge. If not, perhaps they'll exchange for something else, like perhaps a Crawford or a Ryan.
 
My First Strike came the same way,dull as sh#t.I sharpened and stropped it and was able to shave my arm with it afterwards.I carry mine IWB canted towards my groin area(I tried carrying it behind my hip but the pommel kept poking my overhang = fat).It is comfortable even when I'm driving.After the sharpening I played with it,drawing it out of the sheath a few dozen times.When I was finished I noticed it was dull again,it wouldn't shave,cut paper or even slice thru a cig butt( my normal way of testing sharpness,cig butts are pretty tough).So I sharpened/stropped it the same way as before and the edge was back:).The only thing I could come up with is when I put it back in the sheath it was dulling the the edge.I never seen any particles on the the knife from the sheath.So when I put it back in the sheath I make sure the the spine is as forward as it will go( edge in towards me).I haven't had any more probs with the edge.
 
Yes, for some reason, this knife rakes it's entire edge against the sheath when I draw it. But I couldn't get this one to sharpen up at all. I'm serious, it would take a belt sander to put an edge on this knife.
 
They have some really exciting designs, but their biggest problem is that they don't use quality steel. They aren't the only company that needs to realize that Aus8a and 440 are yesterday's news. After recently buying a KaBar D2 Thorn, I would consider ATS-34 the bottom end of steels I would want.
 
Kevan, I'm not an expert on sharpening knives but you may be using the wrong technique to sharpen the convex edge. I thought I read that the convex edge can be sharpened by using a "stropping" motion (sandpaper on a mousepad) and not the usual downward pulling motion that you use with the Sharpmaker. (Which is not to say that you couldn't reprofile the edge using the Sharpmaker or a DMT sharpener). I may be wrong, so you can try a search for more information about the convex edge or maybe someone else can help further.
 
I just received mine last week and noticed that mine too has an edge (if you call it that) which is dull as #@^%! here too, it is very disappointing to received a brand new knife with an edge that would not go through soft butter. I am not an expert on sharpening so I guess I am going to have to find someone to put an edge on it for me. Wish I had read this over a week ago as I would not have ordered one...
 
Well, I'm a bit more disappointed today. I heard on Usual Suspect Network that the guy to talk to over at CRKT was a Patrick Gottsch. So, I called this morning and asked to speak to him but the receptionist would not let me talk to him. All she could say was I had to send the knife in for warranty "repair". Hold the !@#@$%^$%$# phone for a minute here! I get a crappy knife out of the box and they're going to "repair" it and I can't even talk to someone who might know whether or not I'm wasting my time sending it in?!? I mean, I understand they have to see the knife, but, hell, everyone I've read so far has had the same dull POS right out of the box. Well, I get home today and, surprise, no email from CRKT (I emailed them on Saturday about this problem.) I asked on the phone about a UPS call tag. No, I have to pay shipping. Let me get this straight. I get a POS out of the box and I cannot even get a warranty exchange for a sharp one? They're going to "repair" this one? I said, well, given that, I don't want this damn thing anymore and I regret buying it. So, it looks like I'll have to send this damn thing back on my dime to get the $%^&** product I paid for. I'm going to ask for something else in exchange and then I'll be selling ALL my CRKT knives. I don't like customer service where I have to pay shipping on their factory's absolutely BS quality control on these POS. I could see paying shipping if I had this knife for a few months and the wrapping came off or whatever. But this is new out of box!!! This is the LAST Crappy Rinkydink Knives and Twits knife I'll ever buy and I'll be selling the ones I have. I don't like customer service that doesn't care that you got a spatula instead of a knife, won't let you speak to the person you asked to speak to, and doesn't answer emails. Can you tell I'm pissed!!!??? :o I will be buying ONLY Benchmade, Spyderco, and Buck from now on. Those come SHARP. GRRRRRR!!!!!! CRKT, if you're listening, you just lost a customer with your don't-give-a-**** customer service and your who-gives-a-**** QC.
 
I have not used that knife, nor a lot of CRKT, however even the high end production blades can be dull from time to time, I have seen $100+ knives which were no where near close to shaving hair sharp, and had edges so obtuse that using a Sharpmaker would be a *very* long process. Charging you for a flawed NIB piece is however pretty substandard.

-Cliff
 
Dull knives from time to time just go with knife collecting. However it seems that maybe this particular model has a problem by reading this thread. This one seems like CRKT really oughta take a close look at this design and fix it fast.

I know at one time they used to have good cs but in your case they blew it. I dont know if it would do any good or not, but maybe if you called back and mentioned that this situation is on Bladeforums, maybe they wold realize that it is bad publicity for them.

I have a couple of CRKT knives on order. After these arrive I was considering one of these Corkums as well. After reading this thread and the way that they have handled it, I will definately not be getting one.
 
I got rid of mine simply because it did not feel right in my hand. The First Strike is a VERY nose heavy blade and is thick as all get out, this geometry makes for a blade that is hard to get a good edge on because of the extremely obtuse angle. As far as feel in the hand it felt like it was always nosing out of my grip and my pinky could not wrap and get a solid purchase (and I have small hands). This all amounted to not having enough handle for the blade, but then again that may be just me cause I like a handle heavy balance.

I wonder if an original from Steve Corkum would be razor sharp though?
 
Well, I took Richard's advice today and called Patrick Gottsch and insisted on speaking to him directly. Basically, he says my complaint is the first he's ever heard of problems with the Corkum. Which is odd because later he said that he had to pay $15 to have his own Corkum professionally sharpened. I said I wanted to exchange this for something else. He said he'd contact me tomorrow once he reviews the whole thing. He was kind of ambivalent about the whole thing really. He mentioned that he had answered my email this morning. I called this afternoon. I wish I could post that email here, but this web tv won't let me cut and paste. But I cordially invite anyone here who wishes to see it to email me and I will forward it to them. It's very enlightening, to say the least. In the email, he says the Corkum is basically a stabber and not made for cutting. Well, why then the mention of "razor-sharp" edge on their website? And I bet you didn't know that SHARPENING the Corkum basically screws you out of a warranty exchange, did you? Email me and see for yourself. I was told that they would NOT exchange the Corkum because I had tried to sharpen it. He did "thoughtfully" offer to have it sharpened for me---FOR $15 DOLLARS!!!!!!! :eek: How do you like that?! I get a dull knife out of the box and he offers to charge me to sharpen it. He also basically said it wasn't made to be sharp and was very difficult to sharpen in the first place. Wouldn't it be nice if CRKT had said so in the first place on their website??? This is what I call misleading and I still have a very bad taste in my mouth. Had I not called and still have a slight hope that they will make this right, my anger would be through the roof right now. But, I still await Mr. Gottsch's call tomorrow to see if CRKT is going to do the right thing or not. He said he needed to look over the email he sent before deciding.

Fellow forum members, I will let you decide for yourselves if this sounds like fair and honest marketing. Had I not called and insisted on speaking to the man directly, CRKT's response would be that of the email: Tough luck, you're screwed. I will forward the email to anyone who wishes to see it. You may wish to do this just for your own sake and protection in making future purchases of the Corkum. I still say, whatever you do, do not purchase this knife. Evidently, once you get this knife, you are stuck with what you get and what you get is a dull stabber by their own admission. I feel it is my duty to report this to fellow forum members no matter what the outcome so that people are made aware of these things for their own protection.

If you own a Corkum and it is dull, please email CRKT and tell them. They seem to "not know" this.
 
When I got my First Strike i loved the handle. But the blade was very dull. I sharpened it and it shaved my hair. I too found it dulling from the sheath. I put it on my belt grinder and put a very nice edge on it. I am now thinking of putting it in a leather sheath rather then the kydex. mabe that is something CRKT can think about. Maybe a open topped leather boot type sheath with a steel clip across the top for securing it. Something like the old western boot knives had. Just a sugestion.
 
Kevan Taylor-Perry :

He also basically said it wasn't made to be sharp and was very difficult to sharpen in the first place.
Click to expand...

I would agree that those kinds of statements should be on the website as they are in contradiction to normal perspective and as well directly contradict the "razor edge" marketing as noted in the above.

-Cliff
 
Kevan,
If you will forward me the email, I can cut and paste it into here for you.
 
Guys...have you all tried to bring this matter to the designer of the knife himself, Mr.Corkum? I know it's not his fault but what i am suggesting is maybe the custom made version is sharp and that would mean CRKT made a booboo on the production version in terms of edge angle. If the production version sucked, then Mr.Corkum: the man who designed the knife should know about this problem because it will shed a bad light on him too. Also, i'm sure he would get through to Patrick Gottsch better and faster too...

BTW, i think so far 100% of the owners here had a dull knife out of the box...what don't you guys do a pettition run and submit it to CRKT? To let them know, "Shape up or ship out!".

I had my fair share of dull knives from production makers and custom makers in the past so i feel your predicament.

Eric.
 
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