reprofiling while still sharp?

freedoom

freedoom

Joined
Jan 31, 2010
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If you don't like the factory angle or something about your new knife will you use the edge until it dulls before you reprofile or will you reprofile the knife while it still has it's factory edge?
 
I usually use it until it goes dull, then rebevel. Occasionally, I'll do both. When it goes dull, I'll resharpen it, then do a few dozen rebeveling strokes on it. Eventually it will get there, I and don't have to do it all at once.
 
I haven't used a factory edge in 15+ years, sharpening is one of the first things I do to a knife.
 
I don't really see the point in letting it go dull before reprofling. It's just going to take you longer to reprofile, and you'll be forcing yourself to use an edge you don't like.
 
KennyB said:
I don't really see the point in letting it go dull before reprofling. It's just going to take you longer to reprofile, and you'll be forcing yourself to use an edge you don't like.
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It won't take any longer to re-profile it unless you let it get dull as plastic utensils. If the edge is razor sharp then I use it until it loses it's ability to maintain that sharpness with just a minor everyday touchup. Then it is time for the re-profile. If the bevels are really bad from the start then it is done up front. All of my knives get re-profiled eventually, how much depends on the steel and usage.
 
Factory edge... what's that? :p

The very 1st thing I do is get rid of it and put my own edge on it. :thumbup:
 
I use a knife before I sharpen it for the first time. I don't like to "waste" the edge, even if it's one that hasn't been done superbly.
 
SOLEIL said:
It won't take any longer to re-profile it unless you let it get dull as plastic utensils. If the edge is razor sharp then I use it until it loses it's ability to maintain that sharpness with just a minor everyday touchup. Then it is time for the re-profile. If the bevels are really bad from the start then it is done up front. All of my knives get re-profiled eventually, how much depends on the steel and usage.
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I kind of thought that's what was meant by dull, I don't really see any point in waiting until it's not razor sharp to reprofile it. If it needs to be reprofiled, why wouldn't you just do it right away? What's the benefit of letting it go dull to any extent?

I generally cut some stuff with the factory edge before re-profiling it, but I don't have much rhyme or reason to that except to see how the factory edge is. Even when I like the edges, I reprofile...

Though, am I the only person that doesn't see reprofiling as strictly thinning the edge out? A lot of the time when I reprofile a factory edge, I'm only really doing so to take care of the asymmetries, the convex surfaces, etc. I leave a lot of factory edges at close to the angle that I think they were attempting. I thin the edge out a little, but only enough to set a new bevel of my liking.

I've thought about the idea of not wasting an edge... I mean, each successive grinding thickens an edge out a little bit and wears away some of the blade. I don't think that just one reprofiling wears that much of a significant amount away though.

I've also read around here that sharpening the blade for the first time removes fatigued metal and exposes the "good steel" underneath. I don't know how true that is, or if it wouldn't happen with a regular touch-up though...

Ultimately though I'd rather get the edge just the way I like it before using it than to use a factory edge that I don't like.
 
With rare exception the factory edge is very quickly replaced, before the knife is carried or used in any meaningful way. On rare occasion...two that pop in mind from the last year or so are a Native S30V and my recently acquired Gayle Bradley, were both tree topping sharp OTB. I stropped the GB for a while to get it a little more polished, but otherwise I'll use the factory edge till it needs going over. At which time I'll re-profile it as well. The Native is ready for the treatment, badly. Loaned it to my brother for a month or so, he "used it like a knife is meant to be used" :D
 
Peoples definition of dull varies. If my knife is not razor sharp it is dull. I used to reprofile everything before using it. I don't feel the need to anymore. I would rather see how different makers original edges perform with various steels. Reprofiling for me is not just about thinning out the blade. It is about cutting ability and edge durability. I set my blades up according to use and steel type. Everyone will do things a little differently. I do eventually reprofile just about every blade I get and it gets done when I feel like it. There are many different ways to get a knife very sharp, and they all work.
 
I sharpen every new knife I get regardless how sharp the factory edge is. I have yet to find a production knife that doesnt need thinning out. The edge geometry is always too thick for superior cutting.
 
If the edge is not completely worthless from the factory, I use the factory edge and sharpen when I feel it is necessary. It appears I'm in the minority in this thread. :)
 
If I'm even moderately disappointed with the factory bevel, I won't carry or use it until it's fixed. It's therefore very unlikely that I'll wait to 'use it up' before reprofiling. If reprofiling straight out of the box is what it takes, then so be it.
 
I strop anything new, if it's 'sharp enough' after that I leave it alone. If it's really cruddy and stropping it a bit won't fix it, I fix it.
 
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