factory edge?

sharp_edge

sharp_edge

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I saw in the Exchange more than often items were specifically described as "still with the factory edge." Other than indicating the knife has not been used much, what else is good about a factory edge? I mean, most factory edges, including those of famous brands (benchmade, spyderco) are unevenly ground and not sharp enough (well, in the sense that I can make them much sharper with more even bevels without much effort). Maybe my question is: can sharpening a knife degrade some of the edge properties? I am talking about sharpening with a whetstone or a tool like lansky.
 
I think the idea with some knife collectors is two fold:

1. The average knife owner doesn't do as good of a job sharpening as the factory. So a sharpened edge may be damaged or just dull compared to factory.
2. Any knife that's been used enough to be sharpened is no longer a "safe queen" in pristine shining factory new condition. I personally don't see the point at all on most knives, but collectors are collectors and they want what they want.

Brian.
 
A used knife is a used knife, but on a new knife the factory edge is like the seal on a bottle of soda and once broken it's broken. In the case of a used knife I guess stating that the edge is still factory is of some value, but I don't see it.

Factory edges are basic machine edges, nothing special. You will find many still hold them as the gold standard though.
 
usually a factory edge is far from optimal. for example the angle can be obtuse with a lot of extraneous steel behind the edge--referred to as "shoulders."

this combination actually can prevent the knife from cutting efficiently.

you must decide what you will be using the knife for most often. consider also what the steel type is because some perform better at slightly higher angles while others can use a very thin angle very well. look at the geometry of the blade as well. these should all factor into your sharpening decision.

as far as degradation of the edges properties i would say that in many cases the initial sharpening is beneficial. very rarely do companies or makers finish a factory edge that is perfect for the end user.

lanskys and stones can help to fix that uneven-ness you mention. read some of the stickies at the top of this subforum and give it a go. there are quite a few ways to sharpen besides the lanskys and stones but they will all get you to where you want to be--having a sharp knife that cuts cleanly and efficiently for the tasks you need to accomplish.

i always end up either fully reprofiling or just sharpening every new edge i receive. i feel it exposes fresh strong steel especially if the manufacturer finished the edge on a grinder or belt system--which the vast majority do. also i have not received a perfect edge for my purposes. so i do my best to make it as close to perfect as i can.

give it a go and with practice and patience you can bring any knife to its optimal level of performance. hope that helped.
 
Some can sharpen better then factory, some can't

The factory sharpening is a baseline. It lets the buyer know its free from damage and can cut stuff.

When first getting into knives, how the edge came was very important.

Now, it doesn't matter.

I can always get them sharper unless it has been sharpened by a true master.
 
It means the knife is still unground and 100% of it is remaining. That means a lot. You don't want to buy a knife that had been through countless sharpening cycle with only a fraction of the metal remaining. Imagine buying chef knife that looks like a fillet knife.
 
For a lot of people, a factory edge is way, way better than they're able to do as far as an edge goes. I myself only recently learned to put a better edge on my knives than what comes from most companies from the factory, and I still have a lot to learn and a lot of practice to do. I also like what Jason B. said about it. :thumbup:
 
Thank you folks for your postings. These are all informative, useful, and fun to read. So I can take that blade edges are not specially treated (e.g., hardened, different HT), correct?
 
The average person does more harm than good when they "sharpen" a knife. I myself have mucked up an edge or two before I knew better.

Being sold as factory edge just instills confidence in the buyer that no one has mucked it up. Most all factory edges are pretty rough and/or uneven. It has nothing to do with the factory edge being good, just not messed up by someone with a tungsten carbide pull through sharpener or a dremel.
 
sharp_edge said:
Thank you folks for your postings. These are all informative, useful, and fun to read. So I can take that blade edges are not specially treated (e.g., hardened, different HT), correct?
Click to expand...

Some high-end and/or custom knifemakers use what's called 'differential heat treat' on blades, to build in greater toughness to the spine, tip, ricasso, tang, etc of the blade (a little softer, to reduce breakage) while allowing the edge itself to be harder (for edge-holding performance). Such focused and deliberate heat treatment would be very rare or non-existant in most 'factory' edges, however. Many factory knives ARE softened (annealed) after heat-treat a bit at the tang/ricasso, to allow for bending/tweaking to fit blades in multi-blade folders, and also to allow for easier stamping of the maker's mark on the tang/ricasso.


David
 
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