How much does sharpening take away from the value of a knife?

FlaMtnBkr

FlaMtnBkr

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Oct 20, 2004
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I was wondering how much sharpening a knife and maybe using it to cut some paper affects the value of a knife?

I doubt it will be highly collectible and will be more sought as a user. But will sharpening greatly reduce what you can sell it for?

I have a S90V Manix2 and I'm not sure I'm sold on how large it is. However, I would really like to polish the edge and see how it will do on light cutting such as paper. Would something like this take away from what it can be sold for?

I'm the type that would rather keep something and eventually use it, then buy something and then decide I don't love it and sell it for a loss. If I'm going to lose money I would rather keep it.

Thoughts?
 
Once you've bought it, it's like a car-just taking it off the lot reduces the value a bit. Light polishing or stropping isn't going to reduce it much more, but you are not likely to get what you paid a dealer for it in any event.
 
As long as you fully disclose the sharpening and provide pics if desired and everyone is knows what the deal is clearly....it can still be dealt honestly.

But it does devalue it some compared to new usually. One mans sharpening attempt is another mans hack job sometimes.

I just got an RC-4 and it had edge work done. It came from the previous owner convexed and stropped and is probably the sharpest knife I own now so it can be a GOOD thing.

Just make sure both parties are on the same page.:thumbup:
 
Most would never recognize that a bald has been sharpened if it is done carefully. Sharpening does not require that you scratch up the side of a blade due to too sharp of a polishing angle. So, my answer is IT DEPENDS. But in general, you sharpen your everyday knife and it is worth less until time takes its effect on the value.
 
A few of the knives I've purchased online were bought specifically because the seller did an excellent job of photographing the knife and I was able to see, in their pics, the quality of the edge bevel on the blade. I tend to believe that if a knife is known to have an excellent edge on it, even if it's not the original edge, it could be worth more to a savvy knife buyer who knows what he wants in an edge. There are a lot of buyers looking for safe queens in the 'as new' condition but, I'm like you in that I'd rather buy a knife that I think I'll enjoy USING.

(BTW, I also have one of the new Spyderco Manix 2 S90V knives, and I'm actually thinking of polishing the edge on the blade, just to see how much sharper it'll get. It's TEMPTING me...)
 
Lots of "it depends" answers here, and I agree with that also.

A truly collectible knife (Randall, Loveless, some Ruandas, and there are others) will still hold most of their value even after sharpening, but there's definitely a noticeable decline.

Most of the more run-of-the-mill things will depreciate the minute you buy it, and you're probably never going to see that money again. Sharpening and using these knives will devalue them even further. But who cares? They're users.

If you want a safe queen, then go buy a safe queen. I have lots of them. But there's nothing wrong with having a good, honest, reliable user. That's what it's there for, after all.

My advice? Don't worry about it.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Guess I won't touch it.

I would put a mirror polish on the small bevel and it is pretty obvious it is not factory. It looks really good and even if you couldn't tell I would still let the buyer know.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I was wondering how much sharpening a knife and maybe using it to cut some paper affects the value of a knife?

I doubt it will be highly collectible and will be more sought as a user. But will sharpening greatly reduce what you can sell it for?

I have a S90V Manix2 and I'm not sure I'm sold on how large it is. However, I would really like to polish the edge and see how it will do on light cutting such as paper. Would something like this take away from what it can be sold for?

I'm the type that would rather keep something and eventually use it, then buy something and then decide I don't love it and sell it for a loss. If I'm going to lose money I would rather keep it.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

In this particular instance, the S90V M2 was a sprint run of 600. They are already probably sold out. People will be willing to pay a premium for them even if you scuff it up a bit, especially in a year or two when it starts to become an 'older vintage' model. Spydercos are particularly good at holding their value like that.

In general, if it's a model that's readily available, that makes it used. A used model has to cost less or people will just buy the new one.
 
Actually it was a run of 400 of the Manix 2 CF/S90V, but that justakes your point even better, elkins45. The day after I got mine I cut the crap out of some cardboard then polished the edge to .05 microns at just barely less than the factory angle 10 degrees per side). It has nice mirrored bevels now and is way sharper than factory. It is getting 2 tiny round dents put in it tomorrow when it gets Rockwell tested. Basically I bought the knife to use it and didn't worry about the resale value, if I was worried about the resale I would have put it in my safe and never sharpened the knife and definately never sent it off for Rockwell testing, but I like to use my knives not collect them. Back to the original question, like others said a polished, good looking, hair whittling edge is likely to not drop the value nearly as much as a scratched up blade. You can always send the knife back to Spyderco to put a factory bevel on it so it looks NIB, but you must disclose that it was sharpened and lightly used if you are an ethical seller. To me it makes no difference about the prior sharpening as far as value to me, but collectors are a different story than a knife user like me.

Mike
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I was wondering how much sharpening a knife and maybe using it to cut some paper affects the value of a knife?

I doubt it will be highly collectible and will be more sought as a user. But will sharpening greatly reduce what you can sell it for?

I have a S90V Manix2 and I'm not sure I'm sold on how large it is. However, I would really like to polish the edge and see how it will do on light cutting such as paper. Would something like this take away from what it can be sold for?

I'm the type that would rather keep something and eventually use it, then buy something and then decide I don't love it and sell it for a loss. If I'm going to lose money I would rather keep it.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

How do you know whether you like it or not if you don't use it?
 
I bought a couple Queen D2 slipjoints that were noted as exc. condition, sharpened and stropped by a fellow forumite. Knowing Queens reputation of their D2's lack of sharpness out of the box I considered these better than new:D
 
mmarkh said:
How do you know whether you like it or not if you don't use it?
Click to expand...

That's a good point and why I am questioning whether to give it a 'test run'

I have plenty of users. More knives than any person ever needs and I tend to gravitate towards my favorites and the others sit unused. It takes a pretty kick butt knife anymore to get pocket time so if I'm not going to use it I would like to be able to sell it at some point down the road.

The knife is nice but I don't think it is any better than what I have so I don't know it would get that much use. The only thing that is drawing me in is the chance to try out the 'super steel.'

I will probably sharpen it up and do some light testing and if it doesn't float my boat try to trade for something else. There is a slight burr on the knife from the factory that can be seen in bright light so I would probably be doing someone a favor to polish up the edge and take the burr off.
 
What if the sharpening is done professionally by a reputed shop, like Josh at REK? Also, I once sent a new LUDT to Microtech for authenticity check and they sharpened it as a routine maintenance, although it was never used and had a factory edge. I don't think this would remove some value from the knife...
 
ljubimov said:
What if the sharpening is done professionally by a reputed shop, like Josh at REK? Also, I once sent a new LUDT to Microtech for authenticity check and they sharpened it as a routine maintenance, although it was never used and had a factory edge. I don't think this would remove some value from the knife...
Click to expand...
I got to hand it to ya man, they way you brought back that thread from the dead like some valiant magician pulling the sword out of the stone, 14 years later, fuckin awesome
 
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