Sharpener damaged my Spydie: What should I do?

VictorLouis

VictorLouis

Joined
Mar 6, 2000
Messages
973
Hi all. I took a Stretch and a small Browning of mine into a local knife store who advertizes sharpening. Their business is high-end Japanese kitchen knives and cutting boards, but they have a smattering of Benchmade and Laguiole.

He took them into a sideroom and cleary used a grinding type machine(He identified as a 'KMG') to sharpen them. He brought them back out to me, and I could clearly see a radical alteration to the Stretch. The width of he edge, from the shoulder to the edge, was now twice as wide. In looking at the kick, it seemed like the edge got set-back pretty severely. But, the Browning looked subltle, he stropped the Stretch, and both were shaving sharp. So, I paid my $6 and left.

It was only when I returned home, and compared it to my stock Stretch, that I saw the extent of it. The edge was set-back nearly TWICE as far from the kick, and now the tip of the blade sits proud of the scales. If I rub my finger along the edges of the scales, forward from the lanyard hole, I can feel the tip! It's not enough to bite my pants quite yet, however. I didn't yet take a tape measure, or caliper, to the blades, but the sharpened blade is clearly shorter in OAL than the unmolested Stretch, perhaps by a 1/4".

Clearly, he ground too much off. I'm not crying a river, nor am I particularly angry here. I am disappointed that someone who holds themselves out to provide such a service could do so poorly. What sort of redress should I ask for, beyond a refund of my $6? What would you expect? The Stretch was not new, but only like 1.5yo with normal pocket wear and easy use.
 
I lived in phoenix for 2 years, I'm pretty sure I know the place you're talking about. As for what you should do, If you're not happy with the service let them know. Did they give you any indication that they'd change the edge geometry that much? When I sharpen for others I specifically ask if they want me to keep the stock geometry or if they want the angle changed. Sorry to hear about your situation regardless.
 
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Probably shouldn't trust people that use belt grinders to sharpen knives. You should probably look into getting your own sharpening stones.
 
Nothing much you can do at that point except to see this as a lesson. A couple years back I took my Strider to a reputable knife shop that sells Hinderers, striders, and a bunch of other high end customs to get it sharpened. They used a grinder and all I heard was minutes and minutes of long hard grinding. 10 minutes later he comes back out and the blade looked significantly smaller. I was upset, but what can I do about it? Now I sharpen the knives myself.
 
XiaolongJackson said:
Probably shouldn't trust people that use belt grinders to sharpen knives. You should probably look into getting your own sharpening stones.
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I agree, let's blame the OP instead of giving him any useful advice to seek redress for the situation.


Victor, the first thing I'd do is go back down to the shop immediately to give them a chance to offer you a new knife. Sharpening doesn't mean "grinding a significant portion of the blade off". In my eyes, they've damaged your knife and should most likely be purchasing you a new one.
 
I would at least go back and explain to the owner why you're dissatisfied. Even if they don't offer to compensate you they'll hopefully realize that their sharpening skills need work. Sorry they messed up your knife.
Which shop was it?
 
I would show the shop the two stretch's to compare them. I would also learn to sharpen my own knife.
 
I don't know what they charged you but, a Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great investment and super easy to use.
 
Belt grinders used properly, in skilled hands are perfectly acceptable for sharpening. That being said, those guys are few and far between. Furthermore, the shop should be offering you a new knife. Massive alterations to blade geometry and/or edge angle aren't kosher without explicit consent from the owner. When I sharpen for money I take extra care to ask if there is anything people are dissatisfied with about the state their current knife is in. Either way, all sharpening shops should be using jigs, and not free handing on way-too-fast belt grinders.


I'd say go back, take the stock knife with you, show him, and explain. He will either be totally understanding, and do you right, or he will be a dick and tell you to get lost. Either way, he loses for being a hack.
 
I feel for you, but if I was the sharpener and you didn't say anything at the time of the sharpening and paid the cost I might wonder why you came back later to complain. Regardless I agree with those saying to go talk to them and see what comes of it.

Also agree that it's a great time to start sharpening your own knives.
 
I can not imagine why would anybody need to use a grinder to sharpen a knife after it has been in regular use.
Grinders are handy in changing a blade geometry, that's what the guy obviously did.
 
I WOULD be crying a river and furious. I have like ten or so knives, so having one totally damaged (I won't carry a knife with a tip even close to proud) and PAYING FOR IT?! if I were you I would expect a replacement knife.
 
You paid your money and got your lesson. Been there done that. You accepted the work when you paid, you can't complain now without looking like a...?

Just be smarter than me. Hope springs eternal, so after I got my first lesson from a knife sharpener, I thought the problem was the shop, so I sent a used knife I bought back to a well known respected maker for clean-up and a new edge. I paid for the service. He certainly hogged off more blade than I would have with stones. Same thing has happened to a buddy of mine at the gun show. I also bought a used knife that was previously sent back to a master smith for a new convex edge. They removed about 1/16" off with a slack belt in sharpening and it was noticable. If he had used sandpaper on a block he would have removed a lot less metal.

Grinders (belt or otherwise) are not acceptable for the final edge on a knife you care about. That's why the Randall shop uses a stone for the final edge...for 70 years now.
 
To answer the OP's question of "what should I do", I have to echo what others have already said; do yourself a favor, get some stones and learn to sharpen your own blades.

If you meant what should you do about what happened, eat the six bucks and never let them sharpen your knives again.
 
I personally wouldn't take it back after you paid and accepted the knife back, if the guy was stressed out and did it by mistake (no excuse, but it happens) but didn't notice what he,d done,, then he would probably think you just brought in a different ruined blade to try to get a free replacement, so I say just chalk it up to a fairly cheap lesson, and next time check the item very carefully in front of the person before you pay.
Still sorry to hear about it, I know how it feels to have one of my blades messed up.
 
Agree with most of these posts. I use a belt grinder on all my blades including sdbenzas and striders but use a very light hand. Once I convexed originally I now just touch up with a loaded leather strop. Having said this, I probably would not trust others to use a belt on my knives.

Get yourself a sharpmaker for the future. Sorry for your misfortune.
 
I would definitely let them know they botched the job. At the very least they could drop the tip down a little so it is sitting inside the scales and won't run the risk of sticking out enough to slice your hand after a sharpening or two.
 
LOL, i can see NOW that I should NOT have edited out the part about my Sharpmaker. I took it in with me, explaining that it's what I use to maintain my edges. Got a combination look of derision, and astonishment from the 30-something that I entrusted my knife to. I explained the stones, and more importantly, how the 30 is for occasional back-bevel/shoulders, and the 40 is for the edge.

He insisted that one shouldn't be USING a 40 for their edge, but rather a 17(34), in a rather trite manner. I explained that I was a dunderhead at free-hand, and that the tool did what I needed it to do, and asked if he could get at least close to that 20. He continued to look at it awkwardly, even removing the stones and showing "it's so much easier to freehand", and admittedly that he hadn't really seen one or ever worked with it. I explained that's how the maker started in business 40+ years ago, with THIS TOOL, before ever making knives. Then, we got passed that point, and on to actually sharpening my knives.

Why i took it in is because the angles on this particular Stretch were not allowing me to use my Sharpmaker, for whatever reason. I think I need a set of the ultra course so that I can really set back the shoulder, but I guess not now.

I work during their opening hours, and can't get there before they close, that's until Friday. I had it done on Friday, but didn't think to check it until the next morning, and I had to work that Saturday. Thus, Friday's the soonest I can get back it. I will do so at the very LEAST to show them their error, and how it jacked-up a decent knife, then leave the response up to them.

TO the poster that asked, it's PKH on East Indian Shchool Rd., almost to the Scottsdale line.
 
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VictorLouis said:
LOL, i can see NOW that I should NOT have edited out the part about my Sharpmaker. I took it in with me, explaining that it's what I use to maintain my edges. Got a combination look of derision, and astonishment from the 30-something that I entrusted my knife to. I explained the stones, and more importantly, how the 30 is for occasional back-bevel/shoulders, and the 40 is for the edge.

He insisted that one shouldn't be USING a 40 for their edge, but rather a 17(34), in a rather trite manner. I explained that I was a dunderhead at free-hand, and that the tool did what I needed it to do, and asked if he could get at least close to that 20. He continued to look at it awkwardly, even removing the stones and showing "it's so much easier to freehand", and admittedly that he hadn't really seen one or ever worked with it. I explained that's how the maker started in business 40+ years ago, with THIS TOOL, before ever making knives. Then, we got passed that point, and on to actually sharpening my knives.

Why i took it in is because the angles on this particular Stretch were not allowing me to use my Sharpmaker, for whatever reason. I think I need a set of the ultra course so that I can really set back the shoulder, but I guess not now.
Click to expand...

Yeah that might have helped, lol.

Definitely pick up the diamond rods for the sharpmaker, well worth their price. I've used them to re-profile a handful of knives to 40 inclusive and they work very well.
 
Just Get a Sharpmaker and have other pay you to sharpen their knives... It is an essential skill set for anyone who wields a blade. Eventually, you can learn how to sharpen free hand. with a simple diamond stone
 
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