Does my BK5 have issues ???

[TwinStick]

Well, after my camping trip, i decided to go over all the knives i used & resharpen them. Upon resharpening my BK5 i observed (can't see real good anymore closeup unless i use my magnifying glasses) what looks like about 5 small hairline cracks in the edge of the blade, directly in line with my batoning scuffs. They seem evenly spaced & are only visible on one side of the edge. I cant tell for sure. I tried all day to take pictures of it, but it just does'nt come out in a pic. I went back to the course diamond & redid the edge until they disappeared, then medium, then fine, then the polishing ceramic stone, & there they were again. If they are not hairline cracks, I certainly do not want to go through the trouble of a return. Can anyone help me out here ?

 

[Bladite]

try flexing the blade and see if they move or open.

or take better pictures

 

[clich]

You should send it to me for further inspection and testing. Hell send all you Becker blades to be sure

No in all seriousness +1 to bladite. That's how you'll tell

 

[Guyon]

+1 on the flex test. Take care though. Wear gloves and safety goggles.
Also, does your camera have a macro setting? Or try holding a magnifying glass over them and taking a pic.
My suspicion is that, if you did all that and they're still there, you might be dealing with a crack, but I'm not sure without seeing it.

 

[Bladite]

please describe this batoning as well...

yes: safety equipment is required.

do NOT chuck the knife in a vice - great way to introduce stress risers. stab a 2x4 or at least, enclose the knife (tip - a few inches) in between two pieces of hardwood if you must use a vice. be gentle. if they ARE cracks, be prepared for a snap.

take pictures.

 

[TwinStick]

I flexed it while TwinStick Jr looked at it with a magnifying glass & they did not open/close or seem to change in any way. I learned how to take better pics, i think.

 

[Flexxx]

Looks like machining marks to me, I bet if you strip the blade they run all the way to the top...Plus they are to damn perfect (STRAIT) to be cracks.

Can you feel them if you run your fingernail across????

 

[Bladite]

they could be deep scratches from batoning through hard stuff, embedded sand, knots...

did you baton through any kind of fir tree?

if they're scratches, they'll polish out eventually

they could also be grind marks or other...

try polishing the edge and/or convex it! if you're going to baton at all, convexing is the way to go...

 

[TwinStick]

Whew, thats a relief. I may try a few more sharpening sessions to see if i can remove them then.

Batoning method: placing knife on said piece of firewood, & using a 2" dia piece of wood, to pound/baton it straight down through the firewood until it splits. Pretty simple. I make it a point to try to make my strikes at a 90 degree to the blade. Yes, it went through a knot or two. But certainly nothing extreme. Just stuff i would & did do around the camp---Magnum Camp.

 

[TwinStick]

Just a final update to this. I spent a good hour resharpening the BK5 today & polished it afterwards. Those marks are gone. I am glad they were not cracks.

 

[whereismyclock]

Sometimes sharpening can leave microscopic "teeth"
run it up and down, about 15 times both sides, on the inside of a leather belt. Polish those away. I find it holds an edge longer too.