GEC Edges OOTT

Yes, I do. All of my GECs are users.
Actually, I sharpen all of my new knives. I've only had one or two of any of my new knives that came in very sharp, and didn't need anything. Most need some edge establishment and refining. Even GECs....

My bunny knife is sharp-sharp... now.
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
OOTWP out of the wax paper, or OOTBW out of the bubble wrap.

The users I'll strop and use until they need touched up. They aren't super sharp from the factory but usually serviceable.
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Yea, that's how I would describe them. They are servisable, but often times need to be touched up right from the factory.
 
osoverride said:
Do you sharpen your GEC edges out of the box (OOTB)? I find that most GECs OOTB are not very sharp.
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Yep. The ones I plan to use, anyway. The Bunny Knife was not terrible. Probably usable for most purposes. But I still wanted it sharper, and now it is.
 
I hate to say it, but I’ve very rarely received a traditional knife (from any manufacturer) that has had what I would consider a keen edge.

It doesn’t bother me though as I like to put my own edges on knives anyways, not to mention the steel used on traditional knives is usually a breeze to touch up.
 
Yes. Yes, I do.
I always sharpen a new knife, thinning and resetting the edge(s) as needed, regardless of the brand. (those with a Scandi grind are the one exception. However, depending on if it has a 🤬🤬🤬 "Micro Bevel" I may thin the edge over time until the "micro bevel" has been eliminated. Why companies "think" taking the edges to say 10 to 12 degrees per side, then dull the edge with a 15 to 30 degree (or blunter) per side "micro bevel", makes less than zero sense to me.
If they want a dull 30 to 60 degree inclusive edge bevel, why not just grind it to that to begin with and be done with it?!? 🙄
A "micro bevel" does NOT "put more steel behind the edge."
 
Honestly, I use all of them until they need sharpening and I do really enjoy sharpening my knives. I just rotate what knife I'm using so frequently or my cutting tasks have become less frequent combined with the rotating now that I haven't needed to sharpen a knife in a while. I've never sharpened anything brad new before though.
 
I think GEC's edges have got better over the last 5 years or so, they used to be terrible at one time, and when you saw how they were sharpened, it was easy to see why. In the past, I've had to sharpen them OOTT, otherwise they wouldn't have cut butter. I think the last really blunt, and uneven, edge I had was on the 2014 forum knife, but there might have been others. I generally find them serviceable now, and more even. I often strop them when they're new, but will usually carry them a while before I sharpen them. I'm pretty lazy these days! :D
 
Yes, i do. I grind the bevels somewhere between 20 and 25 degrees inclusive.
I remember a time, long ago, knives came unsharpened, we had to learn to (freehand) sharpen.
That said, the GEC edges, out of the tube, aren't that bad but they do need some work.

Dan.
 
The only time I did was because the pen blade lacked a point, so technically it wasn't a full sharpening, just near the tip.

celticrogues said:
I don’t - I prefer to use a knife with a factory edge for awhile, and then sharpen when it needs it.
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Ditto!

Jack Black said:
I generally find them serviceable now, and more even.
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That's because nowadays they utilize a CNC sharpening. That was the info from someone trustworthy, if I recall correctly, and I think I remember that Randy Bell confirmed it. It explains the incredibly narrow bevels on the later models, which is very unlikely to be done by hand.

I have asked if it is the only use of CNC by GEC in their manufacturing process and people say yes.
 
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Eads1999 said:
Me too. Blade rap has been the main reason for me needing to sharpen out of the tube. I usually end up having to put a small piece of leather down inside of the well where the blade is hitting the back spring.
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yup, i didnt even take the 65 out to open because I heard the issues. Some blades and spring geometry may cause it i guess, or just over eager closing of the blade into the blade well it seems. the biggest issue was on the recent 92 and the 85 crown lifters. Had to sharpen it out multiple times.
 
Definitely sharpen them if they are going to be carried.
15 degrees per side and maintain with regular stropping.
 
I almost always sharpen them before I carry them. As Jack said, GEC’s factory edges have definitely improved, and some recent ones haven’t really needed sharpening at all, but I like to put my own edge on it anyways (which also makes touching up later much easier).

One thing I've always appreciated about GEC’s factory edges — even those that weren’t sharp — is that they don’t overdo it, and leave the angle a little obtuse. I find their edges easy to adjust to my liking when sharpening. (The same cannot be said for some other brands.)
 
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