New knife sharpness

BugGuy936

BugGuy936

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Joined
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Am I being unreasonable in thinking that a new knife should be able to cut paper or even skin? I am pushing down with a good amount of force.

*Edit* this is after I contacted the company and sent it in to be resharpened. It is still unused. When I received it, it was even worse.

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jfk1110 said:
It can be a crap shoot.......Made by hoomans means mistakes...😉
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Sorry, I wasn't clear it was already sent back in for resharpening. The main body is slightly sharp but the curve isn't even cutting paper.

I sent it in for sharpening, got it back like this, emailed them and they told me they had the owner test it and if I didn't think it was sharp enough I could try to return it to where I bought it.
 
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I expect a knife to come with a usable edge. It might not push cut paper, but it should cut paper when using a draw cut.
But, I also expect to sharpen it myself before I seriously use it.
 
^
I'd hope any knife that comes from a decent company should be able to achieve a draw cut. If it can't then that's not a very good first impression. For me, I never do paper cutting tests, I usually drag my thumb across the edge to ascertain its sharpness, followed by actual use to confirm it
 
If we were to buy a toaster, microwave, or water filter, we would expect it to work right out of the box with NO hiccups. IMO, knives should be no different. I’m not expecting every knife to be Michelin five star chef approved sharp, but it should have a working edge and cut paper cleanly.
 
It varies, of course, since perfection is only gifted to a few among us :rolleyes:, but most new knives I've bought have come with very good edges. My latest acquisition, a Buck Custom Shop 110 in Magnacut, came hair popping sharp. Looking forward to the Buck Range Pro in CM-154 that I recently ordered. Haven't found any that needed more than a few swipes across the DMTs to hit screaming witch level sharpness.
 
A knife has one job. It should be able to do that out of the box.

That said, if I like the knife I'll put an edge on it myself. Since you have already sent it back once and it still was not correct, I'd return it for refund and look other brands.
 
Yes, a new knife should be very sharp. You might try returning it to wherever you bought it. Hopefully it was a brick and mortar store That way you could test out other knives right there prior to purchasing them. Good luck.
 
Boattale said:
What kind of knife are we talking about here?
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TOPS Tick. I bought a TOPS El Chete and it's sharp along it's entire 12" blade. Maybe since it's so small it's harder for them to sharpen?

The Hawk said:
Yes, a new knife should be very sharp. You might try returning it to wherever you bought it. Hopefully it was a brick and mortar store That way you could test out other knives right there prior to purchasing them. Good luck.
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That's a very good argument for buying in a brick and motor store.
 
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For the price of that knife I'd expect razor sharp. And IMHO, the size isn't an issue. Could the tungsten cerakote be interfering with sharpening? I understand that it is very hard.
 
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Back in the old days knives just didnt come sharp out of the box. You were expexted to do the sharpning your selfl. Now days we think knives should be shaving sharp and I even expect a new knife to be sharp enough to cut paper. Time for a lot of knife nuts to learn that simple skill. It takes a bit of time but its worth it.
 
jbmonkey said:
in this day and age a knife should have a useable edge. doesnt have to be perfect, that I can fix myself if I want........... but should be able to be used right out of the packaging.
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This. There were plenty of times back when I was camping regularly with friends, or with the BSA where I'd gift a new knife to someone around the first night's campfire and they'd take it out of the box/package and get to using it right away. If I gave someone a knife and it had no edge at all (as the second video running the blade across your finger would suggest) A. I'd feel embarrassed for giving a gift that was seemingly of poor quality and B. it would reflect poorly on the QA folks of whichever company it was that let that knife leave the factory. So all around, bad times. A knife should ship decently sharp, no matter what.
 
Whitedog said:
Back in the old days knives just didnt come sharp out of the box. You were expexted to do the sharpning your selfl. Now days we think knives should be shaving sharp and I even expect a new knife to be sharp enough to cut paper. Time for a lot of knife nuts to learn that simple skill. It takes a bit of time but its worth it.
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that's still true with shovels and axes and such bought at hardware stores. primary bevel sometimes just not a finished edge. that way owner could put the angles needed for his use.

nowadays and picking on knives only here....with better steels and heat treats that can hold angles good for most uses and people.....I feel makers should have a useable edge from the factory.
 
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