Kershaw, you're letting me down

[Tripton]

Geez, who the hell cares if a knife comes razor sharp. I prefer a less steep edge angle, so that I can cut it down to whatever I want depending on how the knife will be used.

Learn how to sharpen a knife properly, or you probably shouldnt be carrying one in the first place.

To just expect a plain edge knife to arrive sharp, stay sharp without any touchups is ludicrous, regardless of the steel.

Oh, and you are going to be hard pressed to find a knife, ANY production knife that has perfect edge geometry all the time, every time. It just doesnt happen.

 

[C Ben Susrool]

[QUOTE

Personally I've never gotten a dull, misaligned, or otherwise out of spec Kershaw. I must be very fortunate indeed. [/QUOTE]

I have never got a less than perfect Kershaw either:thumbup:


Geeeez, no wonder Tom has to take a break.

 

[J_Curd]

so i will sharpen it.

but there are 3 out of 4 owners here that says this blade is dull, new, unlike any other Kershaw knife, you would think it was a problem with the entire batch. in my business, it is a pretty big recall. imagine you buy a car that doesn't drive, or a gun that doesn't shoot. and if you were the business owner, wouldn't you hold that man responsible?

Don't put words in my mouth sir. I said it wasnt very sharp. Not once did I use the word dull.

 

[CL01]

so i will sharpen it.

but there are 3 out of 4 owners here that says this blade is dull, new, unlike any other Kershaw knife, you would think it was a problem with the entire batch. in my business, it is a pretty big recall. imagine you buy a car that doesn't drive, or a gun that doesn't shoot. and if you were the business owner, wouldn't you hold that man responsible?

That's not exactly a "scientifically" sound method of coming up with a % of dull or "not sharp" knives. Especially when you're referring to one of the largest production knife companies around, don't you think?

While I'm by no means a big collector (I wouldn't even consider myself a medium size collector), I've had my share of knives (Most being run of the mill production ones) & I can honestly say that I've gotten knives that are the same model, but will differ in blade sharpness. It's just the way it is. But in reading the OP's initial post & subsequent ones, I can't help but wonder if he got his knives from 2nd hand sources, &/or are they "XXX' models? Also, if they're new from "brick & mortar" stores, have they been handled quite a bit?

As has been said, with some practice (May I recommend 1 of your most used knives?), you can probably get your blades sharper than ANY factory will/can make it. Since you mentioned you have a Sharpmaker (I don't have one myself, but they are one of the best sharpeners on the market), that shouldn't be a problem with some practice.

While you haven't been a BF member here very long, I'm assuming you like & collect knives. If so, learning how to sharpen can be both gratifying & calming.

One final thing (& I believe this has been mentioned), you are complaining about a knife company that has one of the best (If not, the best) customer service department (& reputation) in the business. Maybe an email or phone call 1st, would've had us reading about how good they were to you.

One final thing. I would say that Kershaw's (& ZT's, for that matter) QC is probably better than it was 10 or 5 yrs ago, due to improved machinery, techniques, & methods. Of course, this is just my personal observation & not a scientifically based one.

Good luck & I truly hope you get it sorted out so that you, once again, will get Kershaws with confidence...

 

[svrider3]

then i read up on the different types of steel and supposedly D2 should be much sharper than the base model 440 that i constantly rave about.

No, it shouldn't be sharper, it should hold an edge better.
Maybe you should read up on your steels a little more.

okay... i just got my G10, S30V Leek in the mail. I liked how the G10 makes the Leek a bit thicker, much better feel in the hands if it was going to be a user knife (rather than just a carry knife). tho, before i even used it, i didnt like the S30V (because of the Native SS i had), but hey it's supposed to be a better steel than the 440 so it can't be bad. THIS BLADE SUCKS.

Contact Kershaw instead of showing your ass here. You'll get much
better results. I have around 40 Kershaws. 1 (one) would not shave from
the factory. I sharpened it, problem solved. If I couldn't sharpen it, I would
have returned it to Kershaw and had it sharpened, not come into a Kershaw
Sub and bitch and rant...........Which will not get you very much help in the
future (if you chose to do so) with these great guys.

so i'm cursing and yelling and bitching about S30V and was about to sell it to some poor sob when i noticed the bevel on the blade looks like crap. uneven all the way around, uneven on both sides. and i remember Thomas telling me the knives are sharpened by hand. which explains why they're not as consistant in quality as i first thought they were. well this knife here says Aug08, i want this guy fired!

I don't. There's a good chance he has sharpened one of my fine hair
popping Kershaws. No one is perfect. If your this anal about sharpness,
learn how to sharpen a knife. It's a good skill to learn if you're going to
carry a knife. :thumbup:

i run my BRAND NEW G10 quickly through the sharpmaker, yeah, confirms the edge was garbage.

Confirm in what way? Did it get sharper?

i'm sure Kershaw would want me to give them a chance at fixing all of this, but before i send it in, i would like to know if i take a risk getting the knives back the same way, if not worse. and these knives are MINT, meaning if i sell it i can potentially get my money's back, if not more. i am anal and i take pride in keeping my stuff mint like that. i want a perfect edge on a perfect bevel. but can i request my D2 come back with a sharper angle?

Yes, Kershaw will take care of you. But as for help from the guys in the
forum, again, from showing your ass, don't look to much for that.

i dont want a Skyline anymore...

To bad, It's a great knife.

You have yourself a fine day.

SV

 

[qqfob]

i made the first post because i wanted to let you guys know what i experienced. i have plenty other Kershaw knives that i have no complaints about, in fact i rave about them all the time. just trying to track down the reasoning why this particular knife did not come to me the same way all the rest of them did. maybe i have interest in the company to get back to roots, where there were not even a hint of flaw on every single one of their product. i like kershaw knives because up until now i have seen no flaws. i buy kershaw knives because of their factory edge.

i wish i never got a knife that was any less than perfect, but this time i did. yes i know about the warranty, yes i know i can always sharpen it, i dont need each and every single one of you telling me that.

do i want to send it back for warranty or should have sharpen/have it sharpened was my next question. some of you tell me it can be sharpened better than Kershaw can, i would have never guessed. if that's the case, why would i have kershaw do it when i can spend the shipping amount on labor instead? or maybe Kershaw can get it even better than anyone else can, BETTER than the other 99% of their knives new, BETTER that what money can buy? let me know

geez, stop arguing with me every step of the way, whats done is done, i got a brand new knife thats not sharp, help me find someone that make it better, because i cant.

 

[SladeGT40]

well maybe i can help.

i can admit (as much as i may get crap from others here) that when i first bought knives (a loooooong time ago) i bought them, used them until they got dull and i threw them out. granted that was when i was a kid, but a couple of years ago i started a job in receiving and i ended up using my knife so much that it got dull in a few weeks, my first time on bladeforums was actually to search sharpening products and it seemed like the sharpmaker was the clear winner. i purchased one and proceeded to watch the entire dvd before trying anything out.

you indicated that you have a sharpmaker (do you have the dvd, if so there is a lot of great stuff there) if not, or you don't feel like watching i can say that most kershaw factory edges can be made hair popping sharp using the white rods on the flat sides at 40 degrees. holding the knife with the thumb on top of the blade pull downwards and towards you alternating each rod with light pressure about 20 times a side. that enough should get things quite sharp.

if you notice uneven bevels you can start with the grey rods, keep in mind taking a (mostly) dull knife back to form start with the greys on the corners then the flats, then the whites the same way, always around 20 strokes a side each step.

does that help? if not please let me know.

kershaw will use a belt grinder to remake the factory edge. when they deal in volume its much faster. spending 40 minutes start to finish on a sharpmaker will always get things better than the factory, hell i even managed to sharpen a razor blade just for fun once.

anyway, hope this helps,

Matt

 

[kevtan]

Noticed that you got the spyderco sharpmaker. To be really effective in sharpening you have to see if the edge is abraded by the triangles. A trick you can use is to use a sharpie (permanent marker) to mark the both edge bevels and try the 30deg angle of the sharpmaker. If the shoulder of the bevel ( part between the cutting edge and main grind) is being abraded then you need to do 1 of 2 things, adjust your angle of hold from straight to slanted just a bit, or, you can take the time to grind the shoulder to conform to the 30deg ( might take an hour, use the edge of the grey triangle and rotate to a fresh side when it becomes shiny with metal filing from your blade). Use a pen rubber eraser loaded with grits to rub out the metal filings from the triangles when all three sides has been used up.

If someone here could search the 204 sharpening faq would be a great help.

 

[SPXTrader]

I offered...

But let's address a few things. What's done is done. Correct. Do you think you came off a little harsh? Could you have handled it better? Should you apologize to Thomas, Kershaw and the rest of us for your rant? Yes, to all questions.

As for sharpening, buy some convenience store cheapies and practice on them first. Watch the Sharpmaker DVD again. Learn the Sharpie trick. In short, sharpening is a skill you acquire with practice. And learn some patience. Sharpening takes time, and I don't hit the sweet spot first time, every time. And I've been doing it for over 35 years. It's trial and error, so make the errors on $ 2.00 knives. I take a few hours to get the edge I want on my knives. And these edges are predicated by the steel used in the blade. Learn the properties of the steel you have. Know what is required to maintain an edge once you get it where YOU want it. Kershaw ships knives with a utilitarian edge. If you want a straight razor edge, learn to do it yourself or pay someone else to do it. Realize that using the knife will cause it to become less sharp over time. Cardboard is a lot tougher on a blade edge than you would believe. Once you have the knife sharpened to where you feel it should be, maintain the edge with regular touch-ups. Never let it go completely dull.

There's a lot you can learn from this, if you choose to do so.

My offer still stands. You have my number, call me.

 

[qqfob]

i have definitely seen the Sharpmaker DVD. i have used the sharpmaker on a few cheapie knives as well as my Blackout with great results.

i spent an hour today trying to straighten out the bevel, it doesn't look possible. i might have to get the diamond rods if i were to do it myself, but i'd rather not. after giving up on the bevel, i spent some time trying to get it sharp. i have gotten it to the point where it slices just about the same as my black leek, but it still falls behind on straight cuts.

got a few scratches now on the stonewash finish. yes i was being very careful. guess this is also the knife that i will learn how to polish metal to a mirror shine

 

[J_Curd]

Two things -

A sharp knife is very rarely a mint condition knife. Trust me, I have some very scratched, banged up, imperfect bevel knives that cut INSANELY well (there isnt a factory knife company in the world that doesn't produce uneven bevels, just get used to it). Any knife that gets used, should be regularly sharpened. Any knife that gets maintained WONT be mint. You cannot have your cake and eat it too (unless you buy SG-2, but dont let it get dull).

Secondly, I find sharpening knives to be a bit hard on the arm and wrist, but really stress relieving, and everyone could use a dose of stress relief. You will improve, so just be patient and revel in the success of a sharp knife. If knives are your hobby, learn how to ENJOY improving your tools and the skills to do so. You will be happier with your knives, yourself, and alot more chill

 

[JNieporte]

E-mail sent about sharpening S30V, and a remedy. For me, sharpening is almost meditative. Oh yeah, if you're going to polish the blade, I can send you a good method on that along with some supplies.

 

[riffraff]

The diamond rods are a must-have. You'll only need them the first time you sharpen a knife; the other rods are fine for touch-up after you've set your edge angle. Be very gentle, let the diamonds do the work. Trying to force it will just knock the diamonds off.

Oh, and throw away that DVD. Sal would have you alternate back and forth, never developing a wire edge. Do one side first, until you develop a burr (wire edge), then do the other side until you develop another burr. Then just hit the the first side a couple time to knock off that wire edge. Repeat for each subsequent grit of rods. Now it's sharp.

If you don't develop a wire edge, you may not have brought the two angles together. You can see this with a bright light shining edge-on to the blade; there shouldn't be any reflection, just a dark line. A 10X triplet or loupe helps here.

And don't forget the Sharpie trick.


ref.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=558812

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=567785

 

[J_Curd]

And on that note, I think Kershaw has served you well now qqfob.

They have a group of people willing to tell you the options to fix your issues and offered you a ton of help. They only got that from selling alot of quality knives to average guys who learned to love them for their quality. You may have been let down, but you havent been LEFT down.

 

[JNieporte]

My offer still stands; I'll sharpen the knife to any degree you want it for free, and I'll pay to have it shipped back to you. I'll even get the finish back to where it looked originally. You only have to pay to get it to me.

 

[RxEnergy]

it slices just about the same as my black leek, but it still falls behind on straight cuts

You're almost at the finish line. Now grab a legal pad and strop the blade on the back side, where the cardboard is. 1-2 minutes tops and you'll a have a razor edge blade. Literally

 

[SPXTrader]

Use very light pressure -- the weight of the blade at most. Alternate sides, edge trailing strokes, with the blade spine elevated just very slightly.

Then let us know!

 

[qqfob]

You're almost at the finish line. Now grab a legal pad and strop the blade on the back side, where the cardboard is. 1-2 minutes tops and you'll a have a razor edge blade. Literally

i lost the edge before you posted... it wasn't very consistant so i started over again. i went back to the 30degree and the next thing i know there is no more cut once again.

then i tried riffraff's advice and threw away the DVD, i did one side at a time but i didn't know for how long. and that turned out real bad.

i started alll over with Sharpmaker instructions, on now a REALLY dull knife, and i was really taking my time. this had taken me an hour to finish the last step, right now, no cut, at all.

so let me get this right, S30V is supposed to hold an edge much better, but is a lot more difficult to get the edge in the first place? eRr...

... Josh, thanks i may take you up on your offer for sharpening

 

[trimcut123]

 

[knivesandguns]

Hey, another horrible sharpener here--I have one of those japanese ceramic hand rods that is usually near the MAC brand knives (don't ask me, my parents got it, and it touches up kitchen stuff fine)

I can get a paper cutting edge on my knives, but that's about it. Maybe I'll save up for a Sharpmaker one of these days..... I always just drive by Kershaw to get them sharpened.

JNieporte, could you email me with instructions? I'd like to see how too!

Thanks