Modifications on a BM42

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llXTheOneXll

Joined
Jan 24, 2001
Messages
78
If I wanted to have the swedge sharpened on my 42, could Benchmade do that?

And how much would it cost?
How long would it take?
Would my 42 be considered a custom?

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"I must not fear, fear is the mindkiller. I will let the fear pass through me. After it has passed, only I will remain..." - Mah di'
 
Doubt BM would do it, possible legal problems with double edges.

Any custom knife guy would probably do it for ya.

The sharpmaker(or any other system) and some time will do it for ya for free.

Can't make a 42, or anyother knife for that matter, into a custom. They are born a production knife and therefore must die as a production knife. Somewhere inbetween they can become a "customized" production knife, but in the end, the production status still remains.
 
Exactly.

Actually, sharpening the swedge isn't that difficult. You can do it with the aforementioned Sharpmaker. I think you'll get faster results with a system that has an extra corse stone such as Gatco's Edgemate (which is what I use). A bench grider or even a Dremel tool will speed the process up for you.

If you don't want to take it on yourself, find a local shop that sharpens knives and have them do it for you. It's not rocket science.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Thanks, sorry about the custom thing. I don't know why I asked that.

Anyway, I didn't know about legal problems with a double edge? Is the spearpoint blade double edged or is that a false edge?

And about sharpeners, I saw a sharpener in a martial arts online catalog (i forgot what it was called) but it was called a "butterfly knife sharpener" it has a little slot and it says that a couple slides through and your blade will be razor sharp. It only costs about $3. Do you think the razor sharp thing is true?

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"I must not fear, fear is the mindkiller. I will let the fear pass through me. After it has passed, only I will remain..." - Mah di'
 
Personally, I'd be skeptical of any "miracle" sharpener that promises to make any blade razor-sharp in a few easy passes.

There is a wonderful FAQ on sharpening here at bladeforums.com. Just follow the FAQ link on the very top of the page.

While I'm sure we have some good sharpeners here in the balisong forum, and I don't want to been seen as suggesting that your question is off-topic since it is not, but I will suggest that sharpening is question broader than balisongs and you might get some good advice in the General forum or even in the Shop Talk forum.


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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Ok, thanks for the input guys, and sorry Chuck about the broad question.

BTW I have searched for sharpening and haven't seen an answer to my question. But I have an easier question:

I've heard Benchmade does a lifetime sharpening for your 42. How much and how long would it usually take to have my 42 sharpened?

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"Feel the pain, feel the joy, of a man... who was never a boy." - Earl Simmons
 
Well, the only laws governing double edges are area specific, you'll have to do your homework on that one, unless you live where someone has already looked it up.

Sharpening FAQ

BM lifesharp service can take as much as 3-4 weeks, depending on workload. You have to figure in the time it takes in the mail and the fact that you arent' the only person sending a knife to BM that day. I used to think that this was really a cool thing to have, then I learned how easily you can sharpen a knife and realized I was wrong. If you buy yourself a sharpening system, Spyderco is my recommendation, you will learn that you can sharpen a knife much faster and easier than sending it to BM and paying $5 shipping either way. You'll save a good bit of money in the longrun.

Hope that helps.
 
Around here and in a lot of places a double edge counts as dagger=>weapon=>illegal but you'll still need a new sharpener and I'd recommend getting the sharpmaker or some good benchstones. The Reminton store in Lynnhaven Mall used to sell sharpmakers but there selection of benchstones was kinda slight.

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Mykl
Don't think you are...know you are.
 
Ok, thanks but... I don't know how to sharpen...

All you guys say it's easy but I remember reading an FAQ on sharpening that said you should read a whole book on sharpening (forgot what it was called) before you can understand the 10-page(i dunno the exact # of pgs) FAQ...

That doesn't sound too easy

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"Feel the pain, feel the joy, of a man... who was never a boy." - Earl Simmons
 
My advice is to buy a $5-10 bench stone from Western Auto, or some other hardware store. Get an old knife that nobody cares about, and experiment a little.

The basics:

Oil the stone first! 3 in 1 oil works well, and its not as expensive as honeing oil. Oiling the stone keeps the metal that comes off the blade from geting into the tiny holes in the stone. If that happens, the blade rubs against the metal, and not the stone.

Lay the blad flat on the stone, and twist like a screwdriver so tha the cuting edge of the blade is still touching the stone, but the back of the blade is not. The angle between the stone and the blade should be about 25- 35 deg. That depends on the blade.

Move the knife in circular motions on the stone. The lesser the angle between the knife blade and stone, the sharper the edge will be, and the faster it will get dull. The greater the angle, the duller the edge, but it will last longer between sharpening. Its all personal prefrence.

This is something that is much easier to show than tell how to do. Ask a friend or realative that would know how. thats the best bet.

What part of VA do you live in, how old are you, and if you are still in school, what math and science classes have you taken. If you have taken Geometry this "How To" will make since, if not, I need to know so I, or some one else can try a different way of explaining.

Does anyone know of a web site that TheOne could go to that has diagrams and better explainations? And If anyone has a better method, i would like to know too. By the way, if money is an issue, you can find cheap stones at "Dollar Stores" for a buck. And Motor oil will do fine for a cheap stone.


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A man who knows not, and knows not that he knows not is a fool, avoid him. A man who knows not, and knows that he knows not is a wise man, teach him.
 
I saw a $6 Diamond Sharpening stone that guarantees razor sharp in a few seconds at Wal-Mart.

Thanks for the help, Harvie. I live in Norfolk. I am in school, I've taken Geometry and Biology and Chemistry.

And BTW... I JUST GOT MY 42 5 MINUTES AGO!!!

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"May your blade chip and shatter..." - Paul Atreides, Frank Herbert's Dune
 
I also recommend the Sharpmaker 204,before I got this system I never was able to sharpen a knife.Anyone with the Sharpmaker would be able to put an edge on a blade in a relatively short time.Whats nice about this system it comes with written instruction booklet and a wonderful training video,so you can see how to do it like someone was giving you personal lessons.I would be very suprised after watching the video if you weren't able to put a razors edge on most of your knives.Learning how to sharpen with a bench stone is a wonderful skill to have,but for people like us it is more a frustrating experience,then a learning one.Plus,I'm not a patient person,I want to sharpen my blades up in a few minutes with even edges on both sides of the blade,not possible with a benchstone,unless you are very skilled with one.I recommend the 204 and save the benchstone for practice in your spare time,the Sharpmaker will get your knife back in use in the mean time.

[This message has been edited by TOMBSTONE (edited 02-05-2001).]
 
Also be careful of who you let grind your swedge should you decide not to send it back to Benchmade or similar skilled craftsman.My father about 15 years ago brought his very old german stag hunter for a sharpening to one of these "I sharpen knives,axes,and chain saw chains" people,had a regular place of business,didn't appear to be a schmuck,but looks sure are deceiving.Well as you could probably guess,I might as well have took a grinding wheel to it myself and saved Dad the money,cause this clown ground the blade down to half the size and an inch shorter than when it was given to him.Plus you don't want some unknowledgable person detempering the blade because they overheated it on a grinding wheel.Just a piece of advice from my father and I,learning the hardway.
 
Thanks,I'll try to find that Sharpmaker. How much would they sell for? And if I do get the false edge sharpened it most probably will be Benchmade. I'm not really concentrating on that right now.

What's really bothering me is this ugly anodization...

And BTW does anyone know if the handles feel the same on a regular non-anodized 42

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"May your blade chip and shatter..." - Paul Atreides, Frank Herbert's Dune
 
TheOne - I highly doubt Benchmade would be willing to sharpen the swedge on your 42 for you. I suggest just finding a custom maker to do it for you, otherwise you could sharpen it yourself (it's really not that hard). If you could get your hands on a grinder, it would really help... I wouldn't want to tell you to spend hours using a stone.
 
Last time I checked they were going for like 60 bucks in the mall (a little pricy but at least you get it instantly.) The sharpmaker comes with an excellent little video that will have you at least getting you knives sharper than factory sharp in a couple of simple tries. Start out on your Mom's kitchen knives first so you don't harm your prized 42, plus she'll really appreciate it. After you get the Sharpmaker you could get a real cheap course stone and practice hand sharpening (an invaluable skill) finishing it on you sharpmaker in bench-mode. The little Eze-Lap you found at wally World is one of my favorites to take camping or just to have in my pocket. they work really well but requires more skill (not much more) than the sharpmaker. Hope I haven't confused you again.

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Mykl
Don't think you are...know you are.
 
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