Actually he does use a belt sander unless specifically asked for a complete wicked edge job...he just did my pm2 s110v..It's a user knife not a collector's piece, so I didn't need a mirror finished edge. He reprofiled it on the grinder and micro beveled on the wicked edge...That being said the major difference is he knows what the hell he's doing, I've seen his work and know his reputation do I didn't hesitate in the least when he said he'd reprofile on the belt grinder.
And for everyone saying he should've sent it in to benchmade instead of some guy using a belt grinder...Wtf do you think benchmade is gonna use?...and idk about everyone else's experience, but the factory edges I've gotten on my benchmades don't sound much better than op's description.
A belt sander is more than capable of producing even consistent bevels if the person in front of it knows Wtf they're doing...and take their time...these kinda shops thou do it as a side business to their knife shop and likely not professional sharpeners like Josh.
I made the mistake when I first got into knives and didn't really know how to sharpen of letting a knife shop in a mall somewhere near Huntington beach ca sharpen the Gerber lmf2 i had at the time. Up until then I was using the built in sharpener so was fairly dull...I was in the area for work and found the shop thru Google, well I take the knife in tell em I wanted it sharpened and left...came back a few hours later and was the same way as op...they didn't show me their work rushed me to pay and sent me out bc they were closing soon...Well I get back to the hotel and take it out..needless to say the guy f'ed it up as well, the bevels weren't bad however it was duller than before I dropped it off, the tip was completely gone, it looked just like the belly of the blade, the first ¼" of serrations were ground off and was missing atleast 1/8" off the edge.
