I may have gone too far as well...

So, a little time has gone by...have you had an opportunity to use your BK21? What are your thoughts on it, so far?
 
Well, haven't got a chance to test these knives, I'm "glued" to Chicago, right in the city, for now :). The grivory feels much better than expected. Only when swinging the BK21 at max speed I wish I had just a little more traction, but it's still manageable. These won't give you blisters. I don't intend to change these due to functionality.

First of all, the shipping (USPS Priority 2 days) took a week from Tomar's to Chicago :| (I was hoping 4 days would be tops). It's not their fault. Second, a scale on the BK9 was slapped on in a hurry, needs readjustment, as the tang "cuts" my hand.

However, what I did not expect, was to see that whomever did the grinds on both did such a poor job, that my traditional kukris looked like stars compared to factory-made knives. Really, they are all over the place (I mean the secondary bevels; not symmetrical on the BK21, maybe 4 sharpenings will take care of that; the BK9 - same bevel goes, height-wise, from full size to about 2/3rds and then back to full size along the knife :|). The bowie must be the dullest knife I ever bought. The kukri is not that far behind.

All in all, I was expecting better, not as much grinding as I'll need to do. I wonder if Tomar's sells them cheaper because they are not "100%"?

I am pretty sure that after some extra-work they will be excellent, though. They'd better be! :)
 
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I don't think of Tomar's as a discount shop that sells seconds or lower quality versions of knives.
I'm pretty sure that the sharpening is done by people (not automated) - and sometimes people screw up. That's not much consolation when one has paid for a poorly ground knife, though. I've never paid much attention to the bevels on my Becker knives - most of them were bought to be users (some to be modified/tweaked). Of the Beckers I have used; only the BK21 has been a poor performer out of the box. My first look/touch said it seemed about as sharp as other BKs; however, putting it to use told a different story. It broke small branches, rather than cutting them; and was more likely to bounce off a 3" branch than to cut into it. I've seen several postings about the lack of bite; so I won't shrug it off as an isolated problem.
After my initial experience, I planned to fix it. Then I thought that it might be better to simply sell it, untouched (with disclosure), as I really don't have a "need" for it. So far, I have done neither. I'll probably sharpen it; as I've got some land cleanup/clearing to do...and, tbh, I'd like to give the much heralded RBK a chance to redeem itself.
 
I've had to re-profile all my BK's. I figured it just came with the territory. Different uses so they just went with a happy medium. The 4 was the worst, however, because of all the recurves.
 
hhmoore said:
I don't think of Tomar's as a discount shop that sells seconds or lower quality versions of knives.
I'm pretty sure that the sharpening is done by people (not automated) - and sometimes people screw up. That's not much consolation when one has paid for a poorly ground knife, though. I've never paid much attention to the bevels on my Becker knives - most of them were bought to be users (some to be modified/tweaked). Of the Beckers I have used; only the BK21 has been a poor performer out of the box. My first look/touch said it seemed about as sharp as other BKs; however, putting it to use told a different story. It broke small branches, rather than cutting them; and was more likely to bounce off a 3" branch than to cut into it. I've seen several postings about the lack of bite; so I won't shrug it off as an isolated problem.
After my initial experience, I planned to fix it. Then I thought that it might be better to simply sell it, untouched (with disclosure), as I really don't have a "need" for it. So far, I have done neither. I'll probably sharpen it; as I've got some land cleanup/clearing to do...and, tbh, I'd like to give the much heralded RBK a chance to redeem itself.
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Thanks for your insights.

I saw a review on Youtube - as it was the case there (knife bouncing and everything you mentioned), the lack of bite I think can always be explained due to the knife being less than ideally sharp. It was night-and-day after it received a proper edge. I intend to sharpen it well and then strop the edge nicely. At that point, with so much mass behind it, there's no reason I can think of for the snap cuts to bite any other way than deep.
 
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neffarious said:
I've had to re-profile all my BK's. I figured it just came with the territory. Different uses so they just went with a happy medium. The 4 was the worst, however, because of all the recurves.
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Gotcha. Well, as long as the steel is good, I'll still be happy with them afterwards :). Not such a biggie. (I left the traditional kukris because it seemed getting one properly hardened and with no warpage was rather luck than something you could count on. These were all functional complaints, fit and finish was the last and least of my concerns. I tried all the recommended manufacturers and "legendary" models - one in four was acceptable; I just couldn't keep shipping knives back from Europe to US. Sucks, as I really liked the ringed handles and all the little quirks that others complain about.)
 
P.S. Today I received a new Mora Robust HighQ. Must be my "luck" with knives; seems scary sharp all around, except one and half centimeter from the the tip, where it reflects so much light, the edge is almost rolled. So yeah...can only imagine how that feels in a more expensive knife :|. That I stay away from :).
 
neffarious said:
No one ever gets the tip right lol
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Haha !Hey, makes me feel better about all my recent knife deals!

Not that it would hurt to perfect my sharpening skills...I NEED to sharpen a lot, else I'll get in deep trouble with my wife...just bought an EdgePal system and let's just say they aren't cheap...I need to demonstrate some commitment! :)
 
Moonw said:
Haha !Hey, makes me feel better about all my recent knife deals!

Not that it would hurt to perfect my sharpening skills...I NEED to sharpen a lot, else I'll get in deep trouble with my wife...just bought an EdgePal system and let's just say they aren't cheap...I need to demonstrate some commitment! :)
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Commitment? You married her didn't ya?! Lol
 
Haha, oh man, not that kind of commitment but, gotta admit, you got me! I already more than like it here!
 
Moonw said:
Thanks for your insights.

I saw a review on Youtube - as it was the case there (knife bouncing and everything you mentioned), the lack of bite I think can always be explained due to the knife being less than ideally sharp. It was night-and-day after it received a proper edge. I intend to sharpen it well and then strop the edge nicely. At that point, with so much mass behind it, there's no reason I can think of for the snap cuts to bite any other way than deep.
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Moon & HH,

I felt the same way about my bk21 factory edge as well. Just average.

I convexed and belt stropped mine on my 1"x30" harbour freight belt sander and it made all the difference. I used it to chop down a lot of dead pine branches and the difference in performance was huge. The RBK is one fine tool with the right edge.
 
"Factory edge" is just that....I've received some knives - more expensive than BK&T - with less than even grinds; some were dull-ish! Ka-Bar certainly doesn't have the consistency due to actual hand sharpening, and the edges are usually a tad toothier than I prefer....but that's my preference. I have to sharpen kitchen knives all the time (due to....er, spousal abuse?) and I don't really think that putting the edge you want on a factory knife is an undue burden - but that's me. The factory edge on my RBK is just fine, though:

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The thing about knives is, if you have them, you'd better learn to sharpen them....because even if the factory edge is perfect, it won't last. And if the factory edge is less than perfect, well.....that's where your sharpening chops come in. I know it's disappointing to get something new that doesn't meet your expectations, but that doesn't negate what a great value BK&T knives are nor does it invalidate what a BEAST the RBK is. I hope you enjoy them just the same.
 
granitestateofmind said:
"Factory edge" is just that....I've received some knives - more expensive than BK&T - with less than even grinds; some were dull-ish! Ka-Bar certainly doesn't have the consistency due to actual hand sharpening, and the edges are usually a tad toothier than I prefer....but that's my preference. I have to sharpen kitchen knives all the time (due to....er, spousal abuse?) and I don't really think that putting the edge you want on a factory knife is an undue burden - but that's me.
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I just ordered myself 3 Torijo kitchen knives. A huge step up from the Henkels that are there. The kick is, my wife likes the Santoku, so I left them as Henkels. They are pretty soft and she has a habit of not using cutting boards, on the granite. I asked her to not use these and if she does don't use them on the granite. So i found my paring knife on the counter covered in god knows what. I can never own carbon steel kitchen knives. They would be ruined in a week. At any rate, I don't see a cutting board anywhere.

Me: "Sweetie what did you cut with my knife?"
Edge killer:"Some vegetables, Why?"
Me: "Did you use the cutting board with my new knife?"
Edge Killer:"You told me not to use them on the counter so I cute the vegetables on a plate. Is that ok?"
Me Face palming behind the cabinets: "You mean the porcelain Villeroy and Bach Plates? Yea, those are as hard as the counter, please use a cutting board in the future."
Edge Killer:"OK, I thought that was still better than the counter"
Me trying not to explode"Please just use a cutting board"
Knife Assassin:"I didn't want to dirty any extra dishes"
Me:"Please... use... a... cutting... Board... Please."
Wife:"OK"
Good thing it didn't chip. I would have cried .
 
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neffarious said:
I just ordered myself 3 Torijo kitchen knives. A huge step up from the Henkels that are there. The kick is, mu wife likes the Santoku, so I left them as Henkels. They are pretty soft and she has a habit of not using cutting boards, on the granite. I asked her to not use these and if she does don't use them on the granite. So i found my paring knife on the counter covered in god knows what. I can never own carbon steel kitchen knives. They would be ruined in a week. At any rate, I don't see a curring board anywhere.

Me: "Sweetie what did you cut with my knife?"
Edge killer:"Some vegatables, Why?"
Me: "Did you use the cutting board with my new knife?"
Edge Killer:"You told me not to use them on the counter so I cute the vegetables on a plate. Is that ok?"
Me Face palming behind the cabinets: "You mean the porcelain Villeroy and Bach Plates? Yea, those are as hard as the counter, please use a cutting board in the future."
Edge Killer:"OK, I thought that was still better than the counter"
Me trying not to explode"Please just use a cutting board"
Knife Assassin:"I didn't want to dirty any extra dishes"
Me:"Please... use... a... cutting... Board... Please."
Wife:"OK"
good thing it didn't chip. I would have cried .
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This is making me laugh 'til I cry. And now I can't stop crying. I can't even broach this subject with Edge Killer....she just gets her back up, and things go downhill from there. Tho I did explain that the rock salt "cutting board" is not really for cutting, as it's ROCK. So that doesn't happen any more.....but still, I will have to just wince and sharpen, and not buy anything more expensive than the Wusthof's until I lose the wife. Which may be sooner rather than later, for reasons having nothing to do with her lack of understanding which knife is for which task. OK, there's a rant inside me (with specific, egregious examples) that I will not put into words at this time. I trust you all know.


On topic: Ka-BAr makes knives that cut well for a decent price. If the edge isn't perfect, then fix it and move on. Hell, the steel alone in an RBK is worth the price of admission, IMO. I just won't let Edge Killer use it - not that she would want to. She'd cut a watermelon with a paring knife....because she's comfortable not cutting herself with the paring knife. Looking on the bright side, I get to keep my sharpening/edge maintenance skills in top form.
 
Funny, my wife will use the smallest knife she sees first for kitchen cutting no matter what the object. I used to say something when I'd see her go after carrots or onion with a paring knife but the conversations never seem to end well so now I just look the other way or volunteer to do it myself. Hmmm...maybe there is a method to her madness.
 
mbay1455 said:
Funny, my wife will use the smallest knife she sees first for kitchen cutting no matter what the object. I used to say something when I'd see her go after carrots or onion with a paring knife but the conversations never seem to end well so now I just look the other way or volunteer to do it myself. Hmmm...maybe there is a method to her madness.
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No. There is just madness. Cutting watermelon with a 6" sandwich knife (or a paring knife) is not a "method". Especially when there is a 10" chef's knife in the block. It defies logic. Then again, I find little logical thinking in other areas; should I be so surprised?
 
These last few posts sound like something off Judge Judy!

In voice-over style:

"Beckerhead is suing his current/former wife for $1200 to replace some high-end kitchen knives he claims she destroyed. Mrs Ex-Beckerhead claims they were fake Chinese imports with poor edges. The case continues!"
 
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