How Are Most $150-$450 Production Knives Sharpened?

Most custom will work off a 2x72 belt grinder some freehand some with a jig or tool rest setup.
After that a paper wheel or some other "power stropping" such as a leather belt etc.
You can be pretty efficient with a dedicated setup
 
The only custom or production knife I've ever bought that wasn't sharpened on power equipment was an S110V custom from Phil Wilson. It was true hand sharpened. All others, including customs were sharpened on some form of power equipment. Phil used a Norton stone on that full hardness ( rc 63.5) blade and recommended I do the same.
 
Yeah, I knew that most production knives "edges" were ground either by hand on a belt grinder or by a machine setup to knock them out. I didn't think that production or even mid-tech knives in that price range were hand ground on a stone of some sort.

I'm assuming that if a knife isn't going to be an ongoing production piece that its easier for a company to have those knives ground on a belt sander by those employees that are use to using a belt grinder rather than setting up machines to put the final edge on them. I'm simply guessing here so I may very well be wrong.

My youngest son loves that show "How its Made" and I'm always checking to see if they have an episode showing knives being made...I'm sure they have at some point yet I've never seen one.

Thanks guys for the input, I appreciate it.
 
KLJTech said:
My youngest son loves that show "How its Made" and I'm always checking to see if they have an episode showing knives being made...I'm sure they have at some point yet I've never seen one.
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I recall watching one, I think it was for Victorinox?
 
Skimo said:
They also do an episode for Kershaw.
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Thanks!
I didn't know that, I'll have to look it up...I'd love to see some ZT's made, they've kicking out some incredible knives and rather hard to beat for the price in my opinion.
 
I'm of the opinion that if a manufacturer actually hand sharpens their knife, they will proudly state so, since there is this perception that hand sharpening is infinitely better than machine sharpening...I personally don't subscribe to that belief. Anyway, if the manufacturer's site does not say they hand sharpen from start to finish, then it would be safe to assume it's all done by machine.
 
The Mastiff said:
The only custom or production knife I've ever bought that wasn't sharpened on power equipment was an S110V custom from Phil Wilson. It was true hand sharpened. All others, including customs were sharpened on some form of power equipment. Phil used a Norton stone on that full hardness ( rc 63.5) blade and recommended I do the same.
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Wow,He must have a LOT of patience.
 
Wow,He must have a LOT of patience.
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You would think so given the extreme wear resistance it has but he grinds the edge so thin compared to production knives it's not as difficult as it sounds. I've had Bokers with so-so 440C that took a lot more effort and time on the same stones as I was removing much more steel.

Joe
 
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