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I am kind of upset...

Rey HRH said:
My thoughts are: is the knife sharp? If so, he did what you paid him to do.

From the looks of your knife, it looks like it's been a user and looks hasn't really mattered, right?

It's like if I want to get my car wash instead of doing it myself, I can go through the drive through car wash of the gas station or go take my car to a car wash business where some people will towel it dry or have a detailer wash my car. All three types offer differing services at different price points. Whatever service I choose dictates my expectations. I don't go to the gas station car wash and expect the same results as I would have gotten from a detailer. Perhaps you took your car to the gas station car wash.
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Actually,no it hasnt been used much at all. You are in the minority.
 
OHALLUM said:
Not sure what type of license you are referring to here? Last time I checked, knife sharpening was not a regulated type of business, like for instance a plumber, or electrician. The only type of license required in my neck of the woods is a business license from the local government. (in actuality, it is only a tax and not an endorsement as to the ability or lack thereof to sharpen knives, or offer notary services, etc.)

The bottom line in my opinion is that the responsibility lies with the customer to check out the ability of said "craftsman" before leaving any work to be done. If he/she can't show me some example of what kind of a job they can do with knives similar to mine, then they won't get a chance to fark up my knives. There have been other threads on here similar to this one, and in the other cases, the "injured" party failed to check out the ability of the shop to do a proper job.

I am not taking the side of the "butcher" that did your knife, but just pointing out that you have been negligent in your due diligence to ensure the ability of the other person in doing the type of job you desired when you let him work on your knife. I am no lawyer, but I don't think you have a case even in small claims court. Hopefully you have learned something and should just chalk this up to "stupid tax" and go on down the road. I have paid a lot of "stupid tax" in my lifetime, and with some I have learned something, while in other cases, I have paid even more "tax" on the same things. That is life, and sometimes it is just a b***h!

Omar
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I had him sharpen a Henckels Chef Knife first,,he didnt beat up the blade like he did here..I dont know if he did a great job or not,,it was sharp for sure,,the bevel seemed very wide when he was done,,nothing like the factory edge.. Now,the Benchmade..I don`t understand why this would happen.. So Stupid Tax? I don`t like that choice of words.
 
Even if a knife sharpener has a stellar reputation, anyone can have a bad day at work. Conducting research on a person you are considering hiring to do a job certainly won't guarantee a positive outcome, no matter how great their work history is.

I think the sign of a true professional is not so much their ability to do a perfect job every single time, but rather their dedication to customer satisfaction and their willingness to make it right when the customer is unhappy. If they screw up the job, and the customer is unhappy, then they should do what it takes, within reason, to make the customer happy.

Of course the customer has certain responsibilities as well. Like making it very clear up front what they want, and what they expect.

I have always done my own sharpening, but if I were going to pay someone to sharpen my knives I would make it very clear to them exactly what I wanted- how steep a bevel on the edge, remove as little steel as possible, no scratches on any part of the knife (if it's appearance mattered to me), be careful not to round off the tip, etc, etc. I would also want to know exactly what they were going to use to sharpen my knives (stones, belt sander, grinder, electric sharpener). And if I didn't like their attitude regarding how I, as a paying customer, wanted the job done, or if I didn't like their method of sharpening (belt sander, grinder, electric sharpener) I would not give them my business.

As a customer you really have to be specific about what you want and expect. Otherwise the guy doing the job might think you really aren't all that particular, and instead of doing a highly refined job, he might just get it done.

A lot of people, including some professional knife sharpeners, think that sharpening a knife means nothing more than putting a sharp edge on it, with no concern for appearance or how much steel they remove. And if the knife they give back to you is sharp, they might feel they have done their job, especially if all you told them was "I want you to sharpen my knife".

Like I said, you have to make it clear up front exactly what you want. And the clearer you are, the more legitimate your complaints will be when their work doesn't meet the requirements you gave them.
 
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killgar said:
Even if a knife sharpener has a stellar reputation, anyone can have a bad day at work. Conducting research on a person you are considering hiring to do a job certainly won't guarantee a positive outcome, no matter how great their work history is.

I think the sign of a true professional is not so much their ability to do a perfect job every single time, but rather their dedication to customer satisfaction and their willingness to make it right when the customer is unhappy. If they screw up the job, and the customer is unhappy, then they should do what it takes, within reason, to make the customer happy.

Of course the customer has certain responsibilities as well. Like making it very clear up front what they want, and what they expect.

I have always done my own sharpening, but if I were going to pay someone to sharpen my knives I would make it very clear to them exactly what I wanted- how steep a bevel on the edge, remove as little steel as possible, no scratches on any part of the knife (if it's appearance mattered to me), be careful not to round off the tip, etc, etc. I would also want to know exactly what they were going to use to sharpen my knives (stones, belt sander, grinder, electric sharpener). And if I didn't like their attitude regarding how I, as a paying customer, wanted the job done, or if I didn't like their method of sharpening (belt sander, grinder, electric sharpener) I would not give them my business.

As a customer you really have to be specific about what you want and expect. Otherwise the guy doing the job might think you really aren't all that particular, and instead of doing a highly refined job, he might just get it done.

A lot of people, including some professional knife sharpeners, think that sharpening a knife means nothing more than putting a sharp edge on it, with no concern for appearance or how much steel they remove. And if the knife they give back to you is sharp, they might feel they have done their job, especially if all you told them was "I want you to sharpen my knife".

Like I said, you have to make it clear up front exactly what you want. And the clearer you are, the more legitimate your complaints will be when their work doesn't meet the requirements you gave them.
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I suppose you may have some valid points,but to scratch up the blade and act as if its ok? or to be expected cause of the jig blah blah..nonsense.. Just a shame.
 
Rey HRH said:
My thoughts are: is the knife sharp? If so, he did what you paid him to do.

From the looks of your knife, it looks like it's been a user and looks hasn't really mattered, right?

It's like if I want to get my car wash instead of doing it myself, I can go through the drive through car wash of the gas station or go take my car to a car wash business where some people will towel it dry or have a detailer wash my car. All three types offer differing services at different price points. Whatever service I choose dictates my expectations. I don't go to the gas station car wash and expect the same results as I would have gotten from a detailer. Perhaps you took your car to the gas station car wash.
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Knife sharpening van guy, is that you?
 
A knife enthusiast should know better. I would not consider taking a knife to anyone but a recognized expert. Actually it is so easy to properly sharpen yourself that everyone should do it. It does cost a little bit up front to buy the equipment, but you won't risk damaging an expensive knife.
 
Scattergun2570 said:
to scratch up the blade and act as if its ok? or to be expected cause of the jig blah blah..nonsense.. Just a shame.
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I agree. Once you expressed your unhappiness with his work he should have offered to buff/polish the blade in an effort to lessen the appearance of the scratches. He should also have given you a discount, or no charge at all.

A simple principal of being successful in business is that a happy customer is worth far more than the profit from a single job. A happy customer is more likely to come back and recommend the business to others, or at the very least not tell people to stay away from that business. If the guy who sharpened your knife were a TRUE professional like I described in my earlier post, he would have done whatever it took to make it right and make you happy (within reason of course).

Personally, I am far more inclined to forgive mistakes and simple human error if the person shows me that they truly care about my happiness by doing whatever it takes to make it right.
 
Scattergun2570 said:
I had him sharpen a Henckels Chef Knife first,,he didnt beat up the blade like he did here..I dont know if he did a great job or not,,it was sharp for sure,,the bevel seemed very wide when he was done,,nothing like the factory edge.. Now,the Benchmade..I don`t understand why this would happen.. So Stupid Tax? I don`t like that choice of words.
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I am sorry that you do not like the term "Stupid Tax". I was not implying that you were stupid. That term was taken from Dave Ramsey, a noted debt councilor, and radio personality. He uses that term when we/I/you spend money and wind up with nothing useable in return. It is usually something we can not get refunded for. As I said in my post, I have paid a lot of Stupid Tax in my time, and in some instances, have gone back and spent money on the same thing with the same results. If I offended you, I apologize for it.

However, when you post something on a forum and expect opinions from other people, don't expect everyone to respond in a positive manner in your favor. Be willing to take the good with the bad, and hopefully learn something from others, and look at your situation from different perspectives.

So, as Forrest Gump would say, "that's all I have to say about that!"

Omar
 
OHALLUM said:
I am sorry that you do not like the term "Stupid Tax". I was not implying that you were stupid. That term was taken from Dave Ramsey, a noted debt councilor, and radio personality. He uses that term when we/I/you spend money and wind up with nothing useable in return. It is usually something we can not get refunded for. As I said in my post, I have paid a lot of Stupid Tax in my time, and in some instances, have gone back and spent money on the same thing with the same results. If I offended you, I apologize for it.

However, when you post something on a forum and expect opinions from other people, don't expect everyone to respond in a positive manner in your favor. Be willing to take the good with the bad, and hopefully learn something from others, and look at your situation from different perspectives.

So, as Forrest Gump would say, "that's all I have to say about that!"

Omar
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ok Forrest.
 
This is exactly why everyone should learn to sharpen their own knives. I assume you wouldn't buy a rifle or handgun and allow someone else to always sight it in for you. Mousepad sharpening with wet/dry aluminum oxide sandpaper is so easy even a caveman can do it. There are plenty of Youtube videos on it.

As far as the scratches I think you could make them go away and levae the knife in better looking shape just using some 220 grit alum oxide sandpaper and blending that scratched area in sanding lengthwise. when the vertical scratches are all blended in just move up in grit to 320 then to 400 and you should be good to go. Stay away from the edge itself and use a flat ice cream stick or flat piece of metal to hold onto the sandpaper so you don't round over the edge bevel. You could do the whole blade after you blend the scratched area in and do both sides so they both match.
Be sure to use wd40 as a lubricant with the sandpaper to make it last 10 times as long , cut better, and keep it from clogging.

I wouldn't even waste my time with small claims court. Even if you win it will cost you even more money to file, waste time, and even winning doesn't guarantee you will ever collect any minor judgment you might be awarded. The damage is cosmetic because the knife is still perfectly usable so you might not even win the case. Cut your losses, start sanding, and learn to sharpen.
 
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There is no excuse for this kind of work; I have know such places and they know nothing about knives. A local one I will take beat up flea market axes to for a clean up but then I had to take it to a buddy who worked in an auto shop to put a true convex edge on them.

We do have a local fellow who sharpens "by hand" (uses an Edge Pro Apex) and the blades I get back from him for $10 are all mirror bevels with no grind marks. This level of quality is one in a million and is usually done only by those who love knives. All the commercial places just grab your blade and head to the grinding wheel without any care for your knives.

PS I have a Gerber Sportsman II I will be taking to my hand sharpener guy.
 
An unfortunate tale all the way around. SOunds like the guy's quality was hit-or miss and passed the first test enough to hose up a treasured knife. I'd have to be very specific taking cutlery to someone. Specify the grind angles are not to change and no work above the existing bevel shoulder beyond what is needed to restore the edge.

I'd also ask if they offer freehand service for a higher price. If they are unable to freehand your edge for any reason other than physical disability, I'd strongly consider going elsewhere. Is still no guarantee and could DQ some accomplished folk, but should weed out a lot of potential hacks very reliably.
 
Even some folks that appreciate a good blade aren't always capable or have time to learn proper sharpening.
Some of the most talented chefs and butchers pay talented sharpeners to tend to their knives and tools so they can focus on their own professions.
I'm sure there is someone that could site in and modify your own firearms to shoot better than what you thought was possible.
alex said:
This is exactly why everyone should learn to sharpen their own knives. I assume you wouldn't buy a rifle or handgun and allow someone else to always sight it in for you. Mousepad sharpening with wet/dry aluminum oxide sandpaper is so easy even a caveman can do it. There are plenty of Youtube videos on it.

As far as the scratches I think you could make them go away and levae the knife in better looking shape just using some 220 grit alum oxide sandpaper and blending that scratched area in sanding lengthwise. when the vertical scratches are all blended in just move up in grit to 320 then to 400 and you should be good to go. Stay away from the edge itself and use a flat ice cream stick or flat piece of metal to hold onto the sandpaper so you don't round over the edge bevel. You could do the whole blade after you blend the scratched area in and do both sides so they both match.
Be sure to use wd40 as a lubricant with the sandpaper to make it last 10 times as long , cut better, and keep it from clogging.

I wouldn't even waste my time with small claims court. Even if you win it will cost you even more money to file, waste time, and even winning doesn't guarantee you will ever collect any minor judgment you might be awarded. The damage is cosmetic because the knife is still perfectly usable so you might not even win the case. Cut your losses, start sanding, and learn to sharpen.
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Scattergun2570 said:
Actually,no it hasnt been used much at all. You are in the minority.
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I'm not sure what me being in the minority has to do with anything. Maybe you're assuming something with my remark incorrectly in the same way you assumed the sharpener would sharpen your knife to your expectations. You said you wanted to hear people's thoughts.

I haven't read anything in your post that contradicts my analogy of different car washes and the results you got fit my analogy. Unless when you got to his store, he had samples of beautiful mirror bevels and such and you paid at a price point that would be more than a gas station drive through car wash.

If you're saying the knife was pristine and didn't have the discoloration on the blade near the hilt and what looks like normal use marks on the handle itself when you gave it to him, then you you have a case to be more than upset. I take it you won't be sending him additional work any time soon?

 
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What little I have to add is you've had an account here for a couple years now, and instead of hiring a sharpener with skill and a community interested in his work, you find a hack that won't charge you postage. You complain about a knife you've had/bought/used it enough to be sharpened and as far as I can tell, everyone has posted in a reasonable manner.

The part of the stupid tax that was very politely not implied was that you chose the wrong sharpener to give YOUR business to.

If you are worried about resale, re-grinding will lower the value, if you are worried about use, I'd recommend not using power tools unless the operator has significant experience. Lastly, if you're just very particular about your blade looking pretty, I'd recommend carrying two knives, one for use and the other for fondling/showing off or choose not to spend the stupid tax again and find a competent individual/company that will cater to your preferences.

Now for the forum appropriate suggestions.
1. Learn to sharpen your own knives

Sorry this list is so short, this is the MT&E forum after all.
 
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