Professional knife sharpening woes.

[eb1118]

Hey guys. I had my Paramilitary 2 and my Manix 2 professionally sharpened at Westpfal Henry in NYC, and they came back with a nice even edge, but they weren't sharp!! The blades barely chewed through paper, and couldn't come close to shaving arm hair. Am I crazy, or is the job of knife sharpeners to put a scary edge on your knives?I think the factory edge was sharper (although the bevel wasn't as even). I think I'm going to take them back, but what do you guys think? Am I not to expect a finished edge? Maybe they expect me to finish the edge.

 

[A Justice]

They should cut paper - but expecting the knives to shave just because a professional sharpener does it is a little much. You could always agree on how sharp they must be to make your grade before you send them, but that might raise the cost.

Most professional sharpeners I have had sharpen my knives use a wheel and charge 2$-4$ per blade, and do not re-profile. If you have a knife that is/was very sharp, it will be very sharp when they're finished. If your knife has never been able to shave, it probably won't just because someone took it to a wheel for 2 minutes. These people set up at spots where there is high traffic, where lots of the crowd will have a pocket knife, they sharpen several hundred per day and spend very little time on the blades, and their idea of sharp is about the same as a production factory floor. The edges will be clean and free of defects, and should definitely cut paper with a slice, but I wouldn't expect much more. Of course, you could also send it to someone on BF that charges a little more, takes a little more time, free hands it, and is known for hair popping blades.

 

[Jason B.]

Just because the shop they work in sharpens knives does not mean they are professional sharpeners. Anybody can buy a grinder and sharpen knives but being good at it is another story.

I would recommend buying stones and learning to sharpen. If you would still like your knife professionally sharpened then there are a few of us here that could help you get it done right.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I'd go with knifenut, RichardJ, or Ohallum.

The only edges that I've actually seen and used are from Omar, but I've heard (and seen pics of) the knives they sharpen and they are very nice. You can expect a shaving sharp edge from any of them imo.

 

[eb1118]

I'm going to take it back to them tomorrow to see if they can sharpen it with a finer stone to bring out the edge. As it is, the grind is even and looks nice it just won't cut well at all. If that doesn't work, do you know anybody in NYC I can take it to with confidence?

 

[Honed_Edge]

Most people around here get it pretty quick. They make a few posts about sharpening equipment, a few more about using it, post decent results, get feedback and a strop, improve and shave arm hair in weeks or months. If the "professionals" have been at it long with the good equipment, then the results should be better.


There are A LOT of people on this forum that consider anything less than phone book paper push cuts inferior. There are still tons more that can get printer paper sharp every time they sit down and sharpen. DID THEY TEST IT after reprofiling the bevel? I go through a page or more when I'm working on a knife. They either didn't notice the knife was dull or they didn't care. Either are not marks of professionalism.

It takes time, but learn. So many of us have become "professionals" ourselves. Hand sharpening is cheap (about the cost of a knife) and reliable. I love to relax and work on an edge. -end ramble

 

[RevDevil]

I'm going to take it back to them tomorrow to see if they can sharpen it with a finer stone to bring out the edge. As it is, the grind is even and looks nice it just won't cut well at all. If that doesn't work, do you know anybody in NYC I can take it to with confidence?

If you like your knives at all, even the least bit I would strongly advise against that. Yu will end up with more of the same, trust me. Buy yourself a Sharpmaker or some DMT stones and practice on some old kitchen knives. There are thousands of instructionsal videos and tutorials available online. Part of owning and using a knife is being able to maintain (sharpen) it.

 

[grizzled gizzard]

I use 3 1x42s and a 1x30 with a leather belt charged with boron carbide gel.

It doesn't usually take me more than a couple minutes to sharpen any blade you hand me. Doesn't matter what shape it's in.

Experience will give you a very good idea of what sort of steel it is before you choose the first belt. Within a couple passes it should be determined.

Before I hand a knife back, I confirm the edge on paper. Every single time. I want the guy to see how it cuts, and I can determine if there is any burr. Soft stainless, as most knives are, may need the refinement of the leather belt to remove all the burr, but I'd rather leave it with as much tooth as possible.

If I ever sharpen a knife and it is less than shaving sharp when I hand it back, I failed. Plain and simple.

Not only do I resharpen it, I do not take any money for that knife PERIOD.

When someone asks what I charge, I only say, "A few bucks". No matter what. I don't care if the tip is broken. I don't care if it's a 12" pos "bowie knife" or zombie slayer. They watch me work. I almost never get less than $5. If it does happen to have a broken tip, or it's a big knife, they almost always give me a bigger tip.

I do 90% of my business at some sort of event. That's where the money is IMO.

 

[fervens]

I always saw "professionals" as just people who get paid. It doesn't mean they're good.