Dull knife from the factory poll

On a new knife purchase, it arrives dull from the factory. Do you care?

  • I sharpen my knives myself. NO, I do not care if the blade arrives dull.

    Votes: 20 17.4%
  • I sharpen my knives myself. YES, I do care if the blade arrives dull.

    Votes: 95 82.6%

  • Total voters
    115
Joined
Dec 10, 2021
Messages
445
Someone brought this up in another forum...

Oh, it was in the General Knife Discussion forum.... this one lol

I'M NOT TRYING TO PROVE A POINT! I JUST THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A FUN POLL : )
 
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I find it irritating, but not much more than that. On the one hand, putting a proper edge on it should be a pretty minimum expectation on the other, to quote/paraphrase one of the mods here, though I forget who, if it's a user you'll need to sharpen it eventually anyway and if it's not a user it doesn't matter how sharp it isn't.
 
I've never had a knife that had a dull edge from the factory and I have high standard on what I consider sharp.

That being said, I usually only cut a piece of paper or two to see how the factory edge is before I use my Wicked Edge and sharpen it.
 
Someone brought this up in another forum...
I agree to a certain degree with the point you are trying to make but it isn't a great poll. In fact, polls in general are a poor idea for a discussion forum. Just look at the hard use folder one going right now for an example.

I do sharpen my knives myself. I'd rather a knife come to me sharp but I'm not starting a thread whining about it if one doesn't. I use my knives so it will eventually get sharpened anyway. Folks that don't use their knives probably care far more about initial edge sharpness. Most manufacturers and makers send out most of their knives sharp. This isn't a huge issue. In fact, I'd argue the bloke who complained about his SOG pillar not coming sharp is a known rabble rouser and has shown himself to be less than truthful. Let's not feed him.
 
I don't care. Rightly or wrongly, I have just come to expect that no knife will ever arrive as sharp as I am able to get it.

In some ways, I prefer to add the final edge myself - that way I know that even IF the edge was sharp from the factory, it wasn't burnt on the 200 grit belt sander that seems to be the only belt available to some factories. I prefer a 400-600 grit edge anyway, not an edge that looks like Grand Canyon-sized crevices under a loupe.

I do expect a bit more refined edge on custom offerings however.

What DOES bother me FAR more than receiving a dull knife, is receiving one with uneven grinds. That takes a bit more work to correct, and is a sign of poor quality control IMO.
 
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I'm not trying to make a point! I understand how you're thinking that based on the other thread dialog with paratrooper.

I'm just curious! I thought it would be a fun poll.

...and bored... recovering from a workout sitting on the computer... eager to do another workout : )
 
I'm not trying to make a point! I understand how you're thinking that based on the other thread dialog with paratrooper.

I'm just curious! I thought it would be a fun poll.

...and bored... recovering from a workout sitting on the computer... eager to do another workout : )
Hit that reply button under the post you are talking to, my man! It quotes the person and lets them know you've responded! Top tip ;) 😁
 
I am still a novice sharpener, so for me it is much easier to maintain an already sharp edge then to give a new knife a sharp edge or to re-profile it. Also, having an already sharp edge just gives a new knife a nice feeling of quality for me and makes the experience of opening it up that much better.
 
I think it matters. Even if it is a user, for people who aren’t great at sharpening (like myself), the factory edge may be the best one the knife will ever see.
If it’s not a user, a dull edge (or a re-sharpened edge) will mess up the collectible-ness and/or resale value.
I agree tho, that a bad grind is more frustrating. I can’t remember ever buying a knife that didn’t come sharp, except maybe a late night drunken Walmart purchase.
 
Dull knives are a simple maintenance situation that is easily rectified (how simple, based on below).

Geometry and symmetry are much more important in my mind, as they require more time and skill to correct/adjust.
Secondary bevels are many times uneven and take time to adjust based on application, but are typically thinned from OEM anyway.
Primary bevels are many times uneven, and are much more difficult to adjust (many times reason to walk away, as they throw off future sharpening's if not corrected.).

RE blade inspection prior to purchase; "Dull" being easy to correct/adjust, I focus on symmetry of the primary grinds (buy vs. no-buy) then the secondary's as secondary bevels are typically gonna get redone regardless.
 
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Warning for language issued.
Ya, so far, this confirms what I've been rethinking. Most people are not skilled enough to know how to get a better edge than the manufacturer. And now Im remembering a long time ago being in that group of people.

My knife (lol i only have one right now, lost sooo many) is always sharp enough to shave with.
 
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I sharpen my own knives. Usually I hand sharpen but I do own a Lansky guided.

If my knife is shipped dull, I might be disappointed but I don't make a big deal out of it. I've never sent an email or made a phone call to complain about it. I just fix it.

I should also add I've never paid more than $140 or 150 on a knife. So my expectations might be slightly lower then some. If I paid $1000 for a Shiro or semi-custom, I would expect a good edge. Higher prices = higher expectations.
 
Someone used this analogy before, so I’ll just share it here. If you bought a new car from the factory and it arrived with flat tires, would that be acceptable? We’ll “eventually” have to replace the tires again anyway.

I sharpen my knives myself, but I appreciate and consider necessary a good factory edge. If an el cheapo Cold Steel can have a killer edge out of the box, the same should be expected from premium knives.
 
Ya, so far, this confirms what I've been rethinking. Most people are not skilled enough to know how to get a better edge than the manufacturer. And now Im remembering a long time ago being in that group of people.

My knife (lol i only have one right now, fucking lost sooo many) is always sharp enough to shave with.
Not sure how you reached this conclusion based on the poll options you gave.
 
Go easy on the F-bombs.
Agreed, but maybe don't quote said F-bomb.

I've had to sharpen knives right out of the box. A bit frustrating/disappointing, but I'd rather do that than deal with the hassle of a return. And since it's been the exception rather than the rule, doesn't bug me too much.
 
I’ve come to assume that 95% of the knives I buy ( new or used ) will need to be sharpened. The thing that does get to me.. when a knife is listed as “RAZOR SHARP LASER BEAM” ( new or used ) and arrives dull. We’ve all got a different idea of what sharp is I guess. I’ve purchased a few “expensive” knives that came dull, gives me a chance to put my own edge on👍.
 
Not sure how you reached this conclusion based on the poll options you gave.

Reference post #9 and #10.

I can't think of a good reason why a dull blade would be of any concern to someone who is going to put a better edge on it.

Maybe the next poll should be asking people with a high skill level of sharpening (honor system, lol) if they care about the edge that comes from the factory?
 
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