Factory Edge

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3D Anvil

3D Anvil

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Let me preface this by saying that it doesn't really matter that much to me, as I always put my own edge on a new knife, and usually before I even put it in my pocket. That said...

I don't understand why every knife doesn't come from the factory with a shaving-sharp edge. Presumably manufacturers have a person or persons whose job it is to sharpen their knives before they go out the door. These folks likely have thousands of knives under their belts. They should be *really* good at sharpening, and it doesn't take long to put a hair-splitting edge on a knife using a belt grinder. But I can count on one hand the number of factory-fresh knives I've received that satisfy my (admittedly high) standards for sharpness.

What set me off here was a Hoback Sumo that I received yesterday. Fantastic knife. The quality of the machining is second to none. Fit and finish is perfect. Centering is dead nutz. Lock up is bank vault. Finishes are superb. Grind is beautiful. But the edge was ... disappointing! Cut paper, sure, but not beautifully. Shaves hair? Nope. BESS score? Around 260, average of three readings. That's what I consider in need of resharpening. And this is a $550 knife!

What are y'all's experiences?

 
The sharpest edge I ever had from the factory in the years before "the internet" (say 1995 or thereabout)- was the blade on a Leatherman.

Once the internet got underway and more and more people started to complain in a very public arena about the lack of a sharpened blade, things began to improve - - -a lot.

Even the crummy $3 Chinese pieces of folding scrap met I bought have nearly scary sharp edges

Having said that - you are correct. There is no reason anything should come from a factory that isn't as sharp as humanly possible to get it.
 
Well, every village needs a Grinch, right? 😀

I'll admit that what I and my sharpness OCD consider sharp and what most people consider sharp are two different things. To be fair, the second-to-last knife I bought was a Giant Mouse Riv (Reate), and it was legitimately shaving sharp out of the box. Definitely the exception to the rule in my experience.
 
There are different levels of sharpness and most people probably need a working edge more than they need a scary sharp edge. I suspect people will perceive a working edge lasting longer than a scary sharp edge that loses the keen edge pretty quickly. I've owned all kinds of productions and customs, and I agree with you it's pretty disheartening to buy a sweet custom knife, or one from a small batch maker, and find the edge very unsatisfactory! Fortunately this helped encourage me to learn how to sharpen my own blades, so when a blade is dull by my standards I can make it right.
 
I've never spent more then $150 on a knife so I don't expect a lot. Most of the knives I have bought in my lifetime have been *reasonably* sharp out of the box and that is good enough for me.

Now if I spent $550 on a knife, I'd expect it to be sharp. Price goes up, expectations go up.

Like mikey said above, it is one reason I learned to sharpen freehand years ago. No matter what condition I get a blade in, I tend to touch it up myself.
 
The worst out of box edge I’ve had was my SG Spydermonkey. In every other regard, it was/is a fantastic knife.
You could draw the knife across skin without cutting.
They have a reputation for being very sharp, so I honestly think it somehow managed to completely miss the final sharpening step while in production.

I had little sharpening experience when I purchased the knife. I went painstakingly slow putting an edge on it. It came out great and I learned a lot in the process.

It’s a great knife.

CRK has a not so stellar reputation for new edge sharpness. All of mine have been good to excellent though.
 
3D Anvil said:
Well, every village needs a Grinch, right? 😀

I'll admit that what I and my sharpness OCD consider sharp and what most people consider sharp are two different things. To be fair, the second-to-last knife I bought was a Giant Mouse Riv (Reate), and it was legitimately shaving sharp out of the box. Definitely the exception to the rule in my experience.
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Ironically, in my experience most of my Reates have not felt all that sharp to me, decent but not as good as a typical Kizer or WE. WE has also had more 'meh' edges than Kizer in my experience, which is funny considering the perceived quality hierarchy of those three. Spyderco and Benchmade always show up in pretty good shape, though I don't think either of them have produced a 'sharpest factory edge' for me in years, back when my then-new Chaparral had little serious competition. These days they're still great but don't stand out like they used to.
 
I've been rather surprised to find just as many mid-tech/small batch knives arrive with an inadequate edge (to my standards) as mass production or budget knives. It's a mixed bag in all price ranges.

I've learned to stop being disappointed when a ~500USD knife comes with an edge that immediately needs remedy. Luckily, like the OP, I too enjoy putting my own edge on a knife.
 
Kizer and Spyderco always seem to have good edges on them. I've been using my Gayle Bradley 2 for almost a month with just stropping and it will still shave. I don't mind putting new edges on knives but it's nice getting to open one up and put it right to work.
 
Out of curiosity, aside from shaving (IMHO, a razor would be better for shaving than any knife) or a surgeon about too make cuts with his scalpel, what tasks require a shaving to scalpel sharp edge? Not needed to cut your steak, peel a critter or taters/turnips, open mail, or breakdown cardboard boxes ... Or even to whittle something.
Also, as mikeymoto mikeymoto said a couple posts above, that super keen edge goes away really quickly. It can take as many as two cuts to go from "shaving sharp" to a working edge ... maybe less. How many cuts through say 3/4 inch polypropylene rope does it take for your super-keen hair whittling sharp edge to isn't? One or two passes of the first cut?

In 62 years, I've never "needed" a "shaving sharp" or sharper edge on the job or when in the field hunting/fishing/camping.

Do I sharpen my knives when I get them? Insofar as thinning behind the edge, making sure the bevel on each side is even and at the same angle, yes. I reprofile all my edges, with the exception of a couple "Scandi" grind fixed blades, to 10 DPS, and no microbevel. (10xx, 440A, 420HC, and other "obsolete" blade steels. Modern steels like CPM154 and S30V, I take down to 12 ~ 12.5 DPS. A dry strop is all that is needed to maintain a working edge.
I've never chipped an edge.
 
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Well I don't work on a lobster boat and don't typically have to lever or saw through inch-thick plastic cabling, but if a knife doesn't feel like it cuts nicely or the edge doesn't feel good after a few cuts, I wouldn't consider that a good example of a factory edge at all. I don't think anyone in this thread would have a different perspective on that, either.
 
I just expect that no knife will meet my expectations of what I consider "sharp", and therefore I am rarely disappointed.

When a new knife arrives that IS sharp, that is just a bonus.

I do agree with afishhunter however - a hair-popping edge does not stay that way for long, regardless of type of steel or what you are cutting. I don't obsess over keeping an edge that sharp any more. A good working edge of 400-600 grit and decent edge geometry, is all I need/want/use.
 
A new knife is a joyful experience, but the ability to cut things out of the box is a bonus. Mostly, I'm grateful for symmetrical edge bevels. I own a wood inlaid large Sebenza 21, which is a flawless specimen of CRK perfection. However, it arrived as dull as a butter knife with wacky uneven bevels. I've seen the same from other makers, so this is not a knock against CRK. I just use factory edges for whatever they are worth then apply my own.
 
ALL of my Benchmades and Spydercos have come out of their boxes in "save-ready" shape.
Can't ask for better than that!
 
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Modernflame said:
A new knife is a joyful experience, but the ability to cut things out of the box is a bonus. Mostly, I'm grateful for symmetrical edge bevels. I own a wood inlaid large Sebenza 21, which is a flawless specimen of CRK perfection. However, it arrived as dull as a butter knife with wacky uneven bevels. I've seen the same from other makers, so this is not a knock against CRK. I just use factory edges for whatever they are worth then apply my own.
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It just doesn't make sense. It's like you bought a new Porsche and they delivered the car with dust all over it and underinflated tires.
 
Is a razor sharp edge always correct? My Buck 119 came with a coarse ground edge that didn’t impress me when I tested it with paper. I imagine that Buck is capable of putting a razor edge on their knives if they wanted to, was the coarse edge on the 119 done on purpose?
 
crn3371 said:
Is a razor sharp edge always correct? My Buck 119 came with a coarse ground edge that didn’t impress me when I tested it with paper. I imagine that Buck is capable of putting a razor edge on their knives if they wanted to, was the coarse edge on the 119 done on purpose?
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they do on purpose seem to put a lower grit edge on their knives. easily refined with higher grits if wanted. all ive gotten work well to put to work out of the box or packaging. I typically refine the edge to higher grit finish cause I prefer it.
 
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