Reprofiling?

[SCWillson]

I've seen some comments here about reprofiling, and if I understand correctly it means regrinding a blade from its original grind (flat, saber, convex, etc.) and/or shape to a different one?

Here's why I'm asking: I recently purchased a stonewashed Brous Silent Soldier (wharncliffe version) and when it arrived I found the grind was non-symetrical from one side to the other, one side was off by several degrees which was very noticeable on such a short blade. I contacted Brous Blades and Jason Brous immediately replied that I should return the knife for replacement. (No criticism of Brous Blades is intended or implied; any manufacturer can have something fall through the QC cracks. The test is how they deal with it; and Jason's response was just what I'd expect from a top notch operation.) That's what I planned (and still plan at the moment) to do, but over the past couple of days I've been looking at the awesome ongoing thread featuring modifications of commercial knives and that's got me thinking about something I might like better than just a replacement.

I think the wharnecliffe Silent Soldier would be better (for my purposes) with a full flat grind than its saber grind, since slicing is what I use EDC knives for mostly anyway. So would it be feasible/practical to have the blade reprofiled to a flat grind? And if so (although I have a modest workshop) it's not something I'd dare tackle myself, so is there someone who could perform such as service for me at a reasonable price? I know we have lots of gifted knifemakers and customizers here at BF, but who might be willing to perform such a minor task?

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I've moved the thread to Maintenance, as more appropriate. But if you decide to look for a knifemaker to modify the blade shape, post that request in Wanted: Knifemaker / Craftsman / Related Services

 

[SCWillson]

Thank you. I should have thought of that myself.

 

[ryxlyx]

I think technically you're talking about a regrind-- reprofiling would be the establishment of a new primary bevel upon which you can perform your magic w/ the sec'y to make your knife a razor. Krein comes to mind, but don't know that he's taking projects at the moment-- shouldn't cost much if you can find someone.

You can however do this kind of thing yourself by hand if you have the patience and desire, sanding it on a flat surface. You just need to re-establish your new grind plane, correcting as you go-- you can take it as far as you want and as long as you pay att'n, you won't wreck anything. Here's an example of one face of a BM 523 tanto that I flatsanded to a droppoint, running it 320 to 3000:

There's no economics in this believe me, but I find it satisfying to do this sort of modding-- you may too.

 

[Magnaminous_G]

... when it arrived I found the grind was non-symetrical from one side to the other, one side was off by several degrees which was very noticeable on such a short blade.

That is normal, unfortunately. You're chasing the dragon if you're waiting for a factory to deliver perfectly even bevels, heel to tip and side to side. That said, I don't own any super high-end knives, so maybe the standards of expectation are higher there.

I think the wharnecliffe Silent Soldier would be better (for my purposes) with a full flat grind than its saber grind, since slicing is what I use EDC knives for mostly anyway. So would it be feasible/practical to have the blade reprofiled to a flat grind? And if so (although I have a modest workshop) it's not something I'd dare tackle myself, so is there someone who could perform such as service for me at a reasonable price? I know we have lots of gifted knifemakers and customizers here at BF, but who might be willing to perform such a minor task?

There are tons of people here who would take that job on, I'm sure. And changing the geometry or from saber to flat is *not* a "minor task." It's a major task. It requires careful attention to steel removal and keeping sides even. Plus it requires polishing the entire grind up, which is time consuming.

I think technically you're talking about a regrind-- reprofiling would be the establishment of a new primary bevel upon which you can perform your magic w/ the sec'y to make your knife a razor. Krein comes to mind, but don't know that he's taking projects at the moment-- shouldn't cost much if you can find someone.

You can however do this kind of thing yourself by hand if you have the patience and desire, sanding it on a flat surface. You just need to re-establish your new grind plane, correcting as you go-- you can take it as far as you want and as long as you pay att'n, you won't wreck anything. Here's an example of one face of a BM 523 tanto that I flatsanded to a droppoint, running it 320 to 3000:

There's no economics in this believe me, but I find it satisfying to do this sort of modding-- you may too.

Whoa, nice! :thumbup: