Rmd has arrived but has dull blade :(

jrm3 said:
Well anyways guys. Some of the questions I asked weren't really answered lol.
Eric contacted me and said they will take care of it no problem (they have great customer service) however I made this thread for tips because I planned to do it myself.
Sorry I didn't mean for it to turn into a debate how knives should arrive new.
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:D Well in that case I'd use the sandpaper trick and hone it on a strop.

If you'd like detailed info on profiling and the whole process I'd be glad to help.

Nothing cuts better than a convexed edge.:thumbup:

Sorry about the debate.;)
 
Oh, .....well in that case, if you just want some sharpening tips you should look under "Related" then check out the "maintenance, tinkering, & embellishing" subforum.

Do some searching and reading, feel free to ask questions and you'll get plenty of help. Also try youtube, as there are lots of sharpening videos there too. :thumbup:
 
I got a RMD a couple weeks ago, My first Busse/Kin knife. It had a vey good edge and would shave easily. Personally, I would be very disappointed if I recieved a dull blade. Might even prevent me from buying another, and tarnish my opinion of the maker. If you are to think Busse makes the best knives available, seems that would apply to the factory edge as well IMO. Not everyone can sharpen very well, some get by, like myself. I doubt I could take a butter knife edge and do much with it with the limited tools I have. To a collector, I am sure the edge is not very important as they are going to sit in a safe and look pretty. Seems many on here just buy and sell for profit, like a knife stock market, so to speak. Not knocking it, just saying. I use mine, and want them sharp as possible. Too me, a sharp blade is the essence of what a knife is and it's true purpose for existing. Just stating how I think, and certainly not wanting to debate. Yes, you could certainly lay some blame on my sharpening expertise, but I do read and try to get better. Thought I knew a few things about sharpening however, since joining the forum, I see I am pretty far behind the curve. I am glad Jerry addressed the problem head on, and think it will become a thing of the past very soon. The RMD was a expensive purchase for me, and the most I have ever spent on a knife. I want a Busse and that's a Huge expense for me. When I get it, I want nothing less than a RAZOR SHARP factory edge. I can certainly see other's points of view, that they will change it as soon as they get it no matter what the factory edge is. When you have mastered sharpening and have the skills and tools, it's no big deal too you., no reason for it to be :)
 
dl351 said:
I got a Ratmandu about a year and a half ago, and it wasn't particularly sharp. I'd say it had a somewhat thick "working edge." The way I see it is this; if there is a little too much metal on the edge (it's too thick), you can always remove a little metal to thin the blade and make it slice better. Conversely, if the blade arrives and the edge is fairly thin, when metal is removed to thicken the blade, the profile of the blade changes more. Just my thoughts.
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This is a good point.
 
BryFry said:
Oh, .....well in that case, if you just want some sharpening tips you should look under "Related" then check out the "maintenance, tinkering, & embellishing" subforum.

Do some searching and reading, feel free to ask questions and you'll get plenty of help. Also try youtube, as there are lots of sharpening videos there too. :thumbup:
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Yea thanks. From what I have read sr101 is really stubborn when it comes to reprofiling. There isn't much on specifics for it so to speak. Thanks tho
 
Sargent 666 said:
:D Well in that case I'd use the sandpaper trick and hone it on a strop.

If you'd like detailed info on profiling and the whole process I'd be glad to help.

Nothing cuts better than a convexed edge.:thumbup:

Sorry about the debate.;)
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Is that sort of the norm for people to put convexed edges on swamp rats?
 
knifenut1013 said:
Has everyone forgotten how to sharpen a knife? did we watch to many ginsu commercial's?

I understand that we would all like sharp well ground knives out of the box but truth is its rare that it happens. When you put knives on big bench stones you quickly find that about 1% of knives are correctly sharpened, all the more reason to sharpen your knife as soon as you get it.

What happens once you dull your new knife? do you send it back every time to be sharpened?

Even a simple $20 norton india stone will get your knife sharp in short time no need to ever send a knife back for sharpening and you can keep it sharp.
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I have never sent any knife back for edge issues.

I usually adjust the edge to the angle I want anyway.

I convex all my edges anyway, so I just knuckle down and do it.

I usually use the factory edge until I ding it or nick it in use. Not always. I did convex my Sarsquatch before ever cutting anything with it. The edge was still factory and sharp. Now it is dumb sharp.

My only questionable factory edge from Busse was on my KZII. 90% of the edge was sharp. Towards the tip, it got too obtuse, and was not shaving sharp.

It is convexed now, and I am still thinking about going even more shallow on the angle out at the very tip.

I had a new Bad a while ago, and there was a bit of a wire edge, which for me is great. That is the step I have to take knives to when sharpening to get very sharp edges. Once you have a good wire edge going, knock it off, and strop. That one took a few minutes to get it hair flinging.

These are the first issues I have heard about swamprat edges.

The shop will take care of you if you have an issue.

For me it is not worth the hassle.




That said. I have to emphatically say that a knife in the price range and quality of Swamprat, Busse, or Scrapyard knives should never come from the factory dull. Ever. I should never have a worry that if I recommend one to a friend, that I will be horribly embarrassed if it shows up dull.

I know that they are working on this.



I know that the shop will do you right if you decide to send it in.




As to edge angle. 60 inclusive is ok for big choppers. I usually go to 25 per side (or 50 inclusive). For smaller blades, I think that somewhere in the 20 per side is what I like. I have thinner, and some thicker in the smaller range, depending on how I plan to use the knife.
 
jrm3 said:
Yea thanks. From what I have read sr101 is really stubborn when it comes to reprofiling. There isn't much on specifics for it so to speak. Thanks tho
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It is 51200 if you are looking for more information on the steel. It is subject to Swamprat's excellent and extensive heat treat and cryo process.

When Busse takes any steel, they really wring out the performance.
 
My experience with SR-101 has been that its a dog to work by hand. Its extremely high abrasion resistance is a pain when re-profiling. I started out trying to re profile a warden on DMT diamond stones, but it took hours and the results were questionable at best. My results with the DMT Aligner were even worse.

Last night i started re-profiling knives on a 1x42 belt sander and WOW. Now i think I'm gonna buy a nicer grinder and use the stones only for maintenance. I did 2 Izulas and my warden and its just awesome. I still need some practice before i try it on my RMD but its def the way to go IMHO.

Hours and hours of work reduced to seconds/minutes. Granted i did nick the tip of the warden, but I'm still quite new at this, and I'm picking it up very quickly. After trying it with 2" belts i was seriously concerned if i would be able to do it freehand. Picked up some 1" belts and it was like night and day.

My next venture will be finishing on paper wheels.

Good Luck,
Adam
 
Well, I received my Ratmandu today and was very disappointed. Super dull, wouldn't even cut paper. I can run my finger over the edge with pressure applied it's so dull. I spent about an hour on the wicked edge with it, but it still sucks. At least it can cut paper now. I just don't have the time to be able to work on it further.

I have to say, I'm pretty upset. Given the wait time, it should come perfect. I don't know why I've been running into so many quality issues lately, but it is what it is.

I'm almost thinking about getting a refund. Anyways, just venting.
 
I really recommend a DMT Diafold double sided with the medium/fine grits. I have a Gatco deluxe diamond hone kit I use the change the angle of the edge of knives that works really well also. I like to sharpen mine. Makes me feel connected to it if that makes any sense. My Rodent 6 I got a few weeks ago is the sharpest Bussekin I have ever gotten. Sharpened by Alex. Even beat my Beef and Garth sharpened knives.
 
I get an email back from Rat telling me to mail it in. No mention of them paying for shipping...Sheesh. Bad enough they charge 15 dollar shipping when it came to about 10 dollars to actually ship the knife.

No way I'm going to pay to ship it back to them....


My rodent 6 is also nice and sharp. Alex did sharpen that. Regardless of who sharpens the knives, they need to all be sharp. I did some googling and a lot of people have complained about receiving butter knives from Rat. It seems like an on-going problem dating back for years. Not too happy about it....
 
I just spent another 2.5 hours on the wicked edge. So 3.5 hours total to sharpen this Rat at a 23 degree angle. I can now run it across my forearm and watch the hair pop straight off. As opposed to when I received this knife, I could run my finger across the edge with all of my strength and not cut myself.

I have butter knives that cut better than this Rat. The only problem now is that I probably put a lot of wear on my stones. I did from 100-1000. I am going to request a partial refund to pay for the wear on my stones.
 
Well, now that it is sharp, you should get plenty of good use out of it. You will be impressed as to how long it holds it's edge.
The RMD is a Great knife(already a classic), and the Swamp is Good people, so if you have a problem in the future I would contact them direct. They will treat you right.
Now I want to see some pics of that edge. :)
Al
 
Thanks for the sheath Al! Pictures are coming right up. The bevel is a tad thick near the tip, but that's just how the wicked edge seems to roll.
 
My camera isn't the best, but here is something;

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By durosk at 2012-09-18
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By durosk at 2012-09-18
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By durosk at 2012-09-18
 
Nice, I have the same combo :cool::thumbup: She gets prettier with use:thumbup: I can't seem to get mine beat up enough, and I can't believe how sharp they get, and how long they hold that edge.
No matter how sharp they come form the factory, they cut better and sharpen easier once you get your edge on there, IMO. plus a few hours of sharpening is better than days sent away for a sharpening, that you will probably change the angle on anyways.
Thanks for the pics, and your business.
Al
 
First of all, did you realize that this thread was nearly 2 years old when you resurrected it yesterday? :p

Second,

duro said:
I just spent another 2.5 hours on the wicked edge. So 3.5 hours total to sharpen this Rat at a 23 degree angle. I can now run it across my forearm and watch the hair pop straight off. As opposed to when I received this knife, I could run my finger across the edge with all of my strength and not cut myself.

I have butter knives that cut better than this Rat. The only problem now is that I probably put a lot of wear on my stones. I did from 100-1000. I am going to request a partial refund to pay for the wear on my stones.
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Seriously??? Just a bit sarcastic there, don't you think? :rolleyes: You're borderline trolling here.

There is just no way it came that dull directly from the shop. :thumbdn: Go get yourself a belt sander (even a cheapy) and some good, dedicated-for-metal belts, and that job would have taken you 15 minutes, tops. Seriously. And if you honestly think Swamp Rat should compensate you for "wear on your stones", you're smoking some really good stuff there. :rolleyes:

Please, read more, post less. And stop the trolling. If you think I sound harsh, that is because it was intended. Please just listen and take the advice, and be a bit smarter about how you post in the future.
 
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