Reprofile your customs, or are you CHICKEN?

fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
Anyone not too chicken to reprofile the edges on their customs?

I just lowered the angle on this Cucchiara Banshee. It's a massive .212 thick and the edge was WAY to steep for the Sharpmaker, so I fixed it so it would cut better, be more hair-poppin' and be Sharpmakerable.

I know, the edge looks really wide, but it's actually only a little less than the Sharpmaker's 30-degree angle. It just takes a long distance to get to the edge on a blade this thick. Recurves are a bit of a beeaatch on the Edgepro so the edge width isn't quite uniform in that area. The little crescent-shaped scratches on the flats are from grit on the Edgepro surface. I'm sure Matt will refurb those out for me after I work the heck out of this thing for a while.

I've reprofiled customs before, but before now I was do chicken to do it on a custom worth over about $200. I guess I'm keepin' this puppy now!
 

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I have a Bill Ruple wharnecliffe whittler that I reprofiled all three blades on with the Edgepro. When I first went to whittle (Imagine that!) the thickness of the main blade and the steep angle of the edge kept me from being able to actually use it. It would dig in and snap the wood out without being able to make any nice curls at all! I did a double bevel on it and the other two blades and we're happy. It does, however, seem like the primary bevel runs about a third of the way up each blade now! Works well, no chipping (didn't go too thin), keeps a great edge, but I'm not so sure I'd be able to get what it's worth if I tried to sell it. Don't plan to though, so no worries.
 
Yeah, been there, done that. No big deal to me, whether a knife cost be $5 or $500 I bought it to be used. If I am unhappy with how it is working for me I will change what I need in order to make it work out.
 
Well, depends...usually for a custom, I try to specify the type of edge bevel I prefer, usually under 20deg per side (hard use), or 15deg (if it's for urban use), so I've never had to reprofile.

I would reprofile productions in a heartbeat, but I may hesitate a little for customs, especially if I plan to sell it in the future.
 
I've done several, most notably a Tom Anderson Wolfpup. I could've just sent it to Tom and asked him to put a more acute edge on it, but I get obsessed and can't leave things be, so I got out the coarse DMT and just started back beveling. By the time I was done, the blade had an unintentional convex edge and a number of scratches in the bead blast.
 
Not to be a stick in the mud...but why not just contact the maker guys? You'd sure end up with a nicer looking end result (well, usually anyway).

For wood-carving, it's hard to beat a Scandi grind...down to zero with NO secondary bevel. If you attempt to achieve this with most makers knives you'll end up taking off a LOT of metal.

Just my $0.02...
-Nick-

http://www.wheelerknives.com
 
and, for the most part, I agree with him.

I have a Grizzly Grinder in my garage. I learned how to make knives from my business partner, who learned from Rod Chappel. He is currently working with Phil Baldwin to learn forging. In other words, I had some schooling.

I also worked at GT Knives when I first moved down here. I started as a shop gopher, but worked up to doing pretty much whatever needed doing.

I have turned down offers of work at semi-custom factories. It is tedious to do day in, day out.

My point here is that I have some serious experience in the long haul, and it is still dicey to take a knife to a grinder or even, sometimes, a whetstone, if you want it to stay looking nice.

Many times makers have told me about a buffer grabbing a finished knife and throwing it across the room, smashing the pearl or ivory scales, and then it is back to square one. It is better to have a maker take the risk, than you yourself.

I was just goofing around the other day, LOOKING at a new custom I got, and I put the knife down on an area that had some grit on it, and long story short, what was once a mint, hand rubbed fighter is now classified as a user.

S**t happens, it's better when someone else is the one getting pooped on.

But.....if you have the huevos and some EXPERIENCE, go for it. Just don't be distressed too much if you blow it. You have no one to point the finger at but yourself.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
NickWheeler said:
Not to be a stick in the mud...but why not just contact the maker guys? You'd sure end up with a nicer looking end result (well, usually anyway).
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I'd feel silly asking a maker to re-sharpen a knife for me. Besides, I didn't drop the money on an Edgepro for nothing. I'm happy with my results.
 
fulloflead...just realised you mentioned you're using the edgepro, but aren't you the sharpening kung fu master? would you say the edgepro gives a better edge than your previous techniques (with the strops etc), or is it the opposite?

sorry for detracting...
 
Looks like you did a great job! Are those scratches on the blade or just the pic? If the blade is rubbing the handle slab and getting scratched send that thing back to me and I will fix it up for ya! I'll even cover shipping. Hopefully its not rubbing and you just getting your moneys worth out of the knife! :D
Matt
 
In my opinion, a custom should not have to be reprofiled. In general, I think quality blades are thinly ground. Reprofiling, as Nick said, can't really be accomplished by just sharpening at a lower angle.
 
Guys-

I re-read what I wrote, and it sounds sort of "short."

I didn't mean to be rude or irritate anyone.

What I PERSONALLY feel though, is simply that you'll get your best outcome by contacting the maker. fulloflead, I didn't mean you did an ugly job or anything like that...only that Matt could have thinned the blade if you asked him. We can see by his post that he's ready and willing to keep his customers happy.

Now this knife gets used, but even with that in mind, I think you can really hurt the value of a custom by changing it. Which to one guy means nothing, and the next possibly everything.

On the other end of this stick >>> I have the typical engineering attitude of- "look at something, figure out how it works, how it was made, and if it can be made better..." So I can COMPLETELY understand the urge/want to modify your knife to get it closer to what you want.

I guess in the end it boils down to personal thoughts on my own stuff... if somebody wasn't happy with a knife from me, I hope they would contact me before changing or selling it to see if I could make it better fit their wants/needs.

fulloflead, I'm sure after a good session with an EdgePro that thing is SCAREY! :)

Thanks folks! :D
-Nick-

http://www.wheelerknives.com
 
I have the maker do the re-profiling, and re-furbishing of the custom. Makers I have worked with have had no problems with the request. So, for me it is not a matter of courage, but convenience.

If a knife is yet to be made by a maker, I will let them know my edge preferences up front so it comes ready to cut. Anything less than wicked sharp is not okay.
 
Pontiaker said:
Looks like you did a great job! Are those scratches on the blade or just the pic? If the blade is rubbing the handle slab and getting scratched send that thing back to me and I will fix it up for ya! I'll even cover shipping. Hopefully its not rubbing and you just getting your moneys worth out of the knife! :D
Matt
Click to expand...


Thanks! It doesn't rub the inside of the handle unless I loosen the pivot too much which I don't do. The scratches are mostly because the EdgePro gets some grit on between the knife and EdgePro table if you don't wipe it off often enough or cover it with tape. They're little crescent-shaped scratches (very shallow) from the knife wiggling as I worked. I'm carrying it daily now that I like the edge angle better. It's hair poppin' sharp now and wouldn't shave before. I can also maintain the edge on a Sharpmaker now which I couldn't before. It's just a matter of taste - I like a shallow angle on everything. Someday I'll take you up on your offer and send it in for a refurb and maybe a carved clip, but let me use the heck out of it first. :)
 
spyken said:
fulloflead...just realised you mentioned you're using the edgepro, but aren't you the sharpening kung fu master? would you say the edgepro gives a better edge than your previous techniques (with the strops etc), or is it the opposite?

sorry for detracting...
Click to expand...

I used to use a weird Lansky/Gatco combo with the "burr" technique followed by a strop which gave me the best edges I've ever seen to date. But it was SLOW!

The EdgePro will get me pretty close depending on the shape of the knife, but it's REALLY hard to hold the knife completely still which I think is important to get the kind of edges I was getting with the clamp systems. I'm sacraficing the ultimate edge for a slightly lesser one but I'm reprofiling my knives in HALF the time it took me before.

If the EdgePro came with a clamp to hold the knife still, the world would be all rainbows and lollipops and every kid would have a green balloon. :D
 
NickWheeler said:
Guys-

I re-read what I wrote, and it sounds sort of "short."

I didn't mean to be rude or irritate anyone...
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You didn't offend me. I usually don't post unless I'm prepared to have someone disagree with me. ;)
 
You have to think about some other things here too, I dont think I sold this knife to its current owner so I have no idea whats been done to the edge before he got it. Iam not very critical with the angles of my final sharpened edge.I make it to what I feel works best for me and my thick blades that I carry and use everyday, not everyone will like what I do not a big deal. :D Iam always open to suggestions when Iam making a knife for a customer. I started out by buying and using customs and tinkering them until they fit me and my needs, most of the time I didnt worry about what I was doing to resale value.Nick nails my feelings exactly with this paragraph below.

"I guess in the end it boils down to personal thoughts on my own stuff... if somebody wasn't happy with a knife from me, I hope they would contact me before changing or selling it to see if I could make it better fit their wants/needs."

Great thread
Matt
 
Pontiaker said:
You have to think about some other things here too, I dont think I sold this knife to its current owner so I have no idea whats been done to the edge before he got it. Iam not very critical with the angles of my final sharpened edge.I make it to what I feel works best for me and my thick blades that I carry and use everyday, not everyone will like what I do not a big deal. :D Iam always open to suggestions when Iam making a knife for a customer. I started out by buying and using customs and tinkering them until they fit me and my needs, most of the time I didnt worry about what I was doing to resale value.Nick nails my feelings exactly with this paragraph below.

"I guess in the end it boils down to personal thoughts on my own stuff... if somebody wasn't happy with a knife from me, I hope they would contact me before changing or selling it to see if I could make it better fit their wants/needs."

Great thread
Matt
Click to expand...

Matt,
If it was the lock or the blade rubbing or something like that I would have sent it to you. But as busy as you are, I would have felt like a jerk to even ask you to sharpen my knife at a different angle. :) I didn't think it was something people did. Remember, I've only been "into" customs for a year now. Now I know.
 
Cool :D When your ready for a refurb let me know! Also wanted to add, that last paragraph I quoted of Nicks, for me this mostly goes for when a custom is delivered. If your not happy with your newly finished custom let me know I want to help make it right.I will always help with anything needed down the road too.
Matt
 
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