Does a safe queen knife for collection purposes only need to be sharpened?

Gaston444 said:
I'm sorry but dull knives are contemptible, and I would be embarrassed to sell one in such a condition.

Most knives are horribly dull as is, so the issue should be how cleanly the sharpening was done, not if it was done...

I can't understand how there can be any satisfaction in owning something dull that would be a dangerous liability if you used it, even if you a firmly committed to not use it.

Gaston
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You clearly are not informed of the concept of collecting for collecting's sake.

marcinek said:
That condition being "Mint"?
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Yes. Once you alter the knife from the factory the value will go drastically down. I don't have knives to collect but not use so this is not an issue for me but the concept in collecting for collecting is to keep it mint from the factory.
 
If it's brand new honestly there is no need to sharpen it. Unless you are going to put a better edge on it like a mirror finish.
Also if anything you would only like need to keep it oiled if it's going to sit in a box all its life ha
 
craytab said:
You clearly are not informed of the concept of collecting for collecting's sake.
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Seems like a lot of this kinda thing going around lately.

"I don't do it or like it, so it must be stupid."

Weird.

I don't like olives or cantaloupes. If you do, I'm not saying you're stupid. Ok, I am. :D
 
If you have a pristine, high dollar, ultra rare, unused safe queen, then you shouldn't alter it in any way. If the knife is relatively common and shows signs of use and needs a sharpening, sharpen away.
 
If it's new then no, keep the factory edge intact.

If it's a used model, a careful sharpening/honing & stropping to give it a good edge before storing won't hurt provided you put a nice clean edge on it...

After that, no use, no need to sharpen... Just store appropriately and wipe once in a while to prevent rust.
 
marcinek said:
That condition being "Mint"?
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I'd rather throw dull mint in the trash than sell it. I have knives I like so much I know I probably never will use them, but none have their edges "mint". The only way a knife's edge could remain "mint" with me is if I immediately thought the knife was completely worthless (which would mean a trip to the trash), or if it already was at maximum sharpness from the box, like a fully serrated Spyderco folder for instance.

For fixed blades I own, mint is synonymous with "worthless" for me... Mint fixed blade manufacturer edges are almost always an utter embarrassment, an accident waiting to happen, even those from Randall, Al Mar etc... I would literally sue makers for their "mint" edges if I could... Bark River, Blackjack and maybe a handful of individual models do seem to have acceptable OOB fixed blade edges, maybe, so there might be a few exceptions among fixed blades... Sadly, customs do no do any better edges than factory makers, and I would even say that they are typically worse...

I hardly ever sell knives because if I don't like the knife, it being worthless to the point of leaving it dull , then why would I want to foist it on someone? And if I like it why sell it?: Selling for me almost never happens unless I think the knife is good, and yet I get the sense someone else would enjoy it more than I do. That combination rarely happens.

Gaston
 
Leave it alone because any modification will decrease the collector value. There's no reason to sharpen and in fact it will hurt the value. You don't scratch collector coins or lick valuable stamps. Leave it factory fresh.
 
I can see this question being asked i two ways. The first way it would seem someone is asking "does a collectors knife ever need to be sharpened again if its not used" and the answer to that is no. It may actually lose some sharpness as time goes by but retaining the factory edge is always preferred in a knife never to see use. It also should not be put in ones pocket utilizing the clip. Technically a knife is used the second it is purchased. It condition is then dependent solely on exposure to use and modification. Just be weary of what kind of factory edge a knife is supposed to have. Some guys have tried using a work sharp to make it look as if a factory edge is still there.

The second way the question could be interpreted is if a knife is never going to be used or carried does it even need to have an edge put on the blade in the first place. And to me yes. A knife that was never sharpened in the first place is not a knife by definition. A cutting edge is required to be considered such a tool. And the quality of that edge is one of many defining factor in the perceived quality of that knife. The only time I have ever sharpened a collectors knife was because the maker did such a poor job that I actually dont think anyone would have believed it was the factory edge to begin with.
 
Frankly, if you are careful sharpening a knife, most people would never know that the edge is not "factory". The question becomes... does it matter? For some, yes. For others, no.
 
naddysaad said:
Just wondering if a knife that is only for collection purposes and never used needs to ever be sharpened?
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Why would the sharpness of a knife you never intend to use matter?

22-rimfire said:
Frankly, if you are careful sharpening a knife, most people would never know that the edge is not "factory". The question becomes... does it matter? For some, yes. For others, no.
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Not true at all, unless you have some seriously fine tuned sharpening skills and equipment.
 
RevDevil said:
Why would the sharpness of a knife you never intend to use matter?



Not true at all, unless you have some seriously fine tuned sharpening skills and equipment.
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The only reason I find the sharpness to matter on a knife that is never going to be used is I find sharpness to be the defining characteristic that makes it a knife. I have seen custom makers make such beautiful works of art and then do a sloppy or poorly sharpened blade and it makes me sorta lose respect for their work as the edge is what makes a knife a knife.

But on the subject of someone not being able to tell a factory knife was sharpened? Im totally with you. I think the only people who wouldnt be able to tell are the inexperienced. The only thing I find hard to spot are knives that have only been stropped.
 
How do you think they sharpen a knife at most factories? (Grinding belt and buffer more than likely.) It is not magic. Not so hard to replicate if you try. Stropping is an option. For me however, I just wouldn't sharpen a knife that I planned on keeping "factory new" and if I sold the knife, I would tell the buyer that it has or has not been sharpened by me.
 
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