Edge Chipping?

G

Guerrilla Sauce

Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
97
I must confess, my RC-4 has had it easy; only ever used to cut plastic pallet wrapping, banding/strapping and the like.

So this morning I decided to take it out into the garden and introduce it to some wood. Now I've got 3 small and another 6 smaller still chips in the edge. Is this expected from 1095, or has it had a bad heat-treat or similar?

I'm not really worried about the chips that are there at the moment (like I say they're small, don't effect the performance much and will come out [eventually] with sharpening); I'm just looking for some reassurance that when I christen it properly over the summer I'm not going to go out with a plain edge and come home with a serrated one.

EDIT: are there any tests that I can do that would highlight a bad heat-treat without being 'abuse' (ie. would chip any blade)?
 
Hmmmmmm.......

Hard to say without seeing the chips or without knowing what you were cutting.

I would say that, under normal circumstances, what you say your experiencing isn't normal. The edges of most of my blades have seen some chipping, but I use them fairly hard.

I would try giving it a healthy sharpening, try to get the chips out and give it another shot at the same wood. If you notice any more chipping, contact RAT.
 
I agree with Shotgunner. If possible, please post some photographs of the damage. I've never experienced chipping on my RATs, even when batoning. Perhaps you hit some grit in the process somehow? :confused:

At any rate, follow the advice in the above post and keep us posted! :)
 
shotgunner11 said:
Hmmmmmm.......

Hard to say without seeing the chips or without knowing what you were cutting.
Click to expand...

I can't get a good picture of all the chips, the best I can do is showing a few of them via the reflecting sunlight:


DSC_0517.jpg




I was cutting off the (mostly dead) branches of a bush that was going to be dug up. A good single chop was all that was needed for most of the branches that didn't just snap in the hand, but a few of the thicker parts nearer the base where quite stubborn. I suppose it's possible that I hit some stones nearer the base (although I don't think I did); that's why I was wondering about something that might highlight a bad blade to see if it was me or the blade that's to blame.
 
To be perfectly honest with you, those look less like chips and more like dings to me.

Chips would indicate a problem with the heat treat, i.e. blade is too hard.

Dings would say that the blade is too soft if you didn't hit anything too hard like a rock or a nail.

Dings are less of a problem than chips.

My advice stands, try sharpening the dings out and give it another shot. I'm thinking too much heat was applied to the edge during sharpening causing the thin material at the edge to lose its heat treat. Once you get sharpened past that material, you'll be good as gold. It's a pretty common problem, though I've never seen it with a RAT. But they are hand sharpened so human error can factor in.

Don't take my advice as gospel, it's purely my opinion.
 
Yes definitely look like dings. You should be able to steel those out (straighten the metal back into line). The only time my rc-4 ever got to looking like that was when I accidentally hit some glass, and it was easily repaired. I think that you must have hit something hard (glass, rocks etc.). No worries though, the knife should be fine after a little bit of repair work.
 
Dings are the advantage of 1095. If the steel used was inclined to chip at heavy use ( at designed heat treat and RCH ) then the same abuse that would ding/bent a 1095 blade might shatter a stainless VG10 blade for example.
The two knives I have broken in the last 10yrs ( I am very obsessed with using the right tool for the job) were both VG10 and I was definetly using them outside there design parameters.
That is also why Fallkniven uses a laminate of VG10 with 420j either side. But you will pay $$$$$ for that advantage.
Carl
 
I had 1 ding similer to that after hitting a rock while carving one time. the lesson to be leared there= dont carve on a riverside rock eriosen barrior:D PS: it comes right out with a kitchen steel or some sharpening
 
Dude, you need to send us that RC-4 back and let us fix it.
 
Guerilla Sauce,
Email me and let me give you the addy to send it to. We will either fix it or send you a new one. Mainly I want our maker to be able to have a look and see what is going on.
mike@ratcutlery.com
 
I wouldn't worry about taking it back just yet; I've got the edge back in good nick and am going to wait and see if the problem re-occurs when I can be 100% sure I've not hit something I shouldn't.

Excellent customer service though, as usual :)
 
I think they just wanted to see if they had a bad batch of steel, from what I got out of that. Great customer service
 
A+ Service as always! :thumbup: :thumbup: to Mike and Jeff!

And kudos to you too Guerrilla for wanting to be sure it wasn't your error before taking advantage of the warranty.., if everyone was so honest the world would be a much better place!!
 
fatheadhill said:
A+ Service as always! :thumbup: :thumbup: to Mike and Jeff!

And kudos to you too Guerrilla for wanting to be sure it wasn't your error before taking advantage of the warranty.., if everyone was so honest the world would be a much better place!!
Click to expand...

We can only wish.:thumbup:
 
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