I just don't have any luck with EKI's

L

longbow

Joined
Jan 9, 1999
Messages
4,350
Well last week took in trade a really nice CQC7 that just appears to be a bit bigger than the standard A model. This has a dropped spear type of point. Probably the best EKI outside of mini Comm I have owned. Nice fit and finish. Liners nice and polished etc. etc. Lock up good.....

Yesterday was pool closing time. Cut up some rope that unbeknownst to me had a wire middle section. Promply rolled the edge of the CQC. I mean almost so it was touching the back of the blade. So I am pissed at myself right. Right. Today I am waiting for good light on the deck to fix it. Went to the EKI site and printed out the sharpening instructions and I am bound and determined to do it right. Came pretty close too. Just couldn't get that final edge no matter how hard I tried. Could feel the burr and it just wouldn't strop off or even kiss off with a ultra fine pink Lansky stone.

I live near and in I guess you could say of a fairly large city so I figure that has to be someone in the Yellow pages that can do this finish part. Lo and behold not more than 5 minutes away. Call the fella up and he says bring it down. So I do. I am talking with the likable old guy who I guess is near 80 anyways. I am explaining exactly what I need done and exactly what I don't want done. He says sonny I have been grinding for almost 50 years one edge or another. IT'll cost you 5 bucks though. Not a problem. 10minutes later he walks in and hands me my CQC. I looked at it and almost started to cry. He ended up putting as near as I can figure right around 10 deg plus or minus a couple of deg, chisel bevel on it. Took some of the hard chrome finish off above and back near the serrations and edge. It is perfectly done though! Has a very high polish to the edge too and cuts better than about any knife I currently own and will almost cut a free standing arm hair. That is the good thing.

Didn't loose it with him or anything cause you know I figure he is just doing what he thinks is right. He then explained to me that he just couldn't seem to finish the edge on it till he took it down that shallow. Oh well I says to myself. Live and learn. Its all like karma, you know doing ****** things when I was younger and now this is just a pay back for one of the many ****** things I have done. IT is the only way I can bare it. ha ha. Now to call the nice folks at EKI. Wonder what they will say. Keep'em sharp
 
Aww damn! Sounds like one helluva tough break! Unfortunately it's not an uncommon tale with the sharpening though. There's one other guy in the state that touches my knives, and he is very well trusted (and appreciated!) If he were to become unavailable I would send my knives straight to the factory for edge repairs.

Well...on the bright side, at least ya' got a spare CQC underway with an unmodified edge, eh?
 
That sucks about the knife.
Just curious as to where you took it. Was it the little knife shop in Scottsville ?
 
longbow, I don't think EKI can do anything to that blade, unfortunately. If they regrind, they will have to take too much metal from the edge, and your the blade dimension of your CQC7 will be altered and it won't look the same. The blade will look too slim on the beefy handles.

I had a CQC7 which I sharpened to under 25 degrees included - had to take the BT coating off higher than normal (about 4 mm from the edge), stropped it to a mirror finish. It looked "different", but it could cut better than the factory edge. popped hairs like nobody's business.

I can emphatise.
 
Beware the man with a motorized grinder who is not a knifemaker. But I guess you learned that already. If you are lucky, he didn't heat it up so high you've got a softened up blade now. Soft blades can be razor sharp.

If ya want it done right, ya gotta learn to sharpen yourself.

Learn to cut the burr off with the stone. Or strop it off. Hard to explain how to do it. I envision trying to "trap" the burr by stroking into the blade to cut it off. Demo = 1000 words thing.

Hard chrome finish? MadDog is the only guy I know that does a hard chrome finish... :confused:
 
Longbow,

Practice up on your freehand. After awhile you will be able to feel the burr and adjust the angle accordingly. I fact I can listen to the sound of the stroke on the stone and tell if I'm at the right angle.

Tough luck, most of the old guys sharpen kitchen knives.


Steve
 
The shop is on Stutson street. Has an archery shop above it. He didn't heat the balde up he just took some of the hard chrome finish off it so it is mirrored. Least I think it is hard chrome anyways. You knkow it would have looked a helluva lot better if I didn't have that mirror thing working.

As for learning to sharpen my own well I do know how it just seems that EKI's are a bit different for me. Had the burr etc etc. Just couldn't bring it to that final edge. Always had a slight drag to it or just was't sharp enough. Figured he'd put it on a buffer or something of the sort. Live and learn. Oh well as stated have another coming and a Raven too. Keep'em sharp
 
If it really bothers you that much, call the Emerson shop and ask for Derek. Ask about a replacement blade. Probably cost a few bucks.
IMO, if you're gonna use it daily, what's the difference what it looks like as long as it cuts. Just consider it a battle scar, or character.
 
i may call EKI. I will say this though the damn thing is sharp and it isn't softened or the temper taken out of it either. Just whittled on a piece of old silver maple and it did quite well actually. Really took fine curly cuts off the branch. Hascked into too and didn't find any edge deformation and the edge bit hard too. Still pops hair effortlessly. Come to think of it I had my first Comm. I did the same thing to almost. Not quite down to a 10 deg bevel but 20 anyways and it seemed to work well for the knife. Not as sharp as this if I recall but not bad either. So maybe this will be a user for everything. Who knows, the thought to call EKI is still in the back of my mind. Keep'em sharp
 
Not to be beating a dead horse but this sharpening thing may just have been a very serindipitous adventure. I have used this knife hard the past couple of days enough so to dull it. Sharpened very easily to bring back the hair poppin edge. Not only that but I literally shaved beard hair with it. Never have done that with any of my other knives. Shaving cream the whole bit. It was like using a razor too. So the knife is a user for sure but asthetics aside the thing is a cutting machine. Now I just have to find some one to polish the plunge just above the edge. Keep'em sharp
 
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