Sharpening and Shipping

Red Devil

Red Devil

Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
63
Two part question.


1
I have come to the conclusion that I need to learn/teach myself to sharpen all my knives. Everthing from Spyderco and Benchmade to MOD and Microtech.

Price is not a concern, but ease of use and quality is. Hands down which is the premier sharpening system. Lots of opinions and info from a search, but I'm still unsure which way to go. As a beginner I don't want to ruin a good knife just to learn what not to do.

2
This is for my fellow Canadians. What is the best way to deal with Customs as far as shipping my knife back to Benchmade for warranty work or Lifesharp service.

What needs to be written on the package to pass through US Customs, and what needs to be done on it's return so CCRA doesn't think it is new and ding me on duty and taxes.

Does CCRA except at face value that it is resharpening/warranty without proof of some sort.


Thanks
:cool:
 
1. Since money is no problem, give Ben Dale a call and order an Edge Pro Apex. Hard to beat this system from what I've read. For quick touch ups of your knives, get a Sharpmaker 204. Easy to set up and use.

Can't help you with #2


Mike

Edited to add: Here is Ben Dale's website for the Edge Pro. Click Here.
 
Red Devil:

As far as the shrpening issue, I too suggest a sharpmaker. I use it on all my blades and have never had a problem bringing them to an "out of the box" edge.

Regarding the second issue concerning sending the knife back to Benchmade, if you follow these Rules of thumb, you shouldn't have a problem. When posting the package from home, mark it Tools: (Warranty) Returns to Manufacturer. That should clear Customs on both sides of the border.

In so far as return package acceptance, you should include a letter or notice to Benchmade C/S how you'd like the package sent back to you. I would suggest that you have them send it back USPS Priority Post with no insurance and a market value of $65.00. I'm sure they already know how to label the package, but have them specify: Tools (warranteed items) return to owner. As such, this should clear Canada Customs without them levying an import or handling tax.

Hope that helps. Good Luck.
 
I'll second the suggestion for an Apex. Get the Apex, a stone upgrade kit, a coarse Edge Pro replacement stone, and be sure to follow all of Ben's advice and read the sharpening FAQ here on BF. I suggest the coarse stone because if you're sharpening premium steels such as 154CM and S60V, you'll be doing a little reprofiling and the coarse stone speeds up the process immensely as well as helping to save your medium stone for edge maintenence later on. The coarse stone wears very fast though, so use it sparingly and gently! Also, a good smooth steel and a jeweler's loupe are handy to have as well. My next purchase will be a strop from www.handamerican.com . They have some good pointers on steels as well. I just got a 10X loupe a few days ago and it helped me to see that even after using a 3000 grit polishing tape with the Edge Pro, there's still a very tiny burr. I want to see if a strop can take that off and maybe take my edges to the next level.

More important than which system, however, is knowledge on how to sharpen. The FAQ here on BF is excellent, and practice is the best teacher of all. That's another reason I suggest a loupe, it lets you see up close and personal exactly what you are doing to the edge while you're sharpening it. Practice on kitchen knives and cheaper, more forgiving steels for a bit before diving in with the Microtechs, just so you don't slip and scratch the finish. That's another thing about the Apex, be sure to retape the blade ramp regularly, and even then wipe it off now and again as you are sharpening or you will scratch your blades, especially coated blades. Another solution is to tape the blade, a measure I've never used because all of my blades are scratched from use so sharpening scratches don't matter too much. Anyway, those are my suggestions and tips, if you need clarification or more info on something I said, feel free to e-mail me.
 
as the above poster has said, it doesn't actually matter what system you use
you just have to get the technique down

http://www.ameritech.net/users/knives/index.htm

this is a good site to start one off

i personally use a diafold double sided and a ceramic stick for finishing off
without major reprofiling it takes 5~10 minutes to get a shaving edge

i'd advise you to practice on a cheaper knife
don't ruin good ones like what i did T_T
 
I may depart a bit from the other responses you will get, but I feel that the most important factor in sharpening is the PERSON DOING IT.
I have been sharpening my own knives (I own production knives, and my best most expensive one is a Benchmade Mini-Griptilian) since about 1992. It's been 11 years and I would say that only for the last four or so have I really known what I was doing at sharpening and can say with confidence that I put a good, sharp, expert edge on my knives. It takes me a while and I may sit at my Spyderco Profile for a good hour with something as simple as a Buck Gent getting everything just so. By the way, that's what I recommend -- but bear in mind that I have NOT sampled many of the available sharpeners. I am no expert on what is out there. What I know is that my Profile gets me top results and I don't see a need, personally, to go looking further.

Now, the lesson I've learned is that I will always be learning. I hit 31 and made the realization that there are several things I used to think I was good at until I learned more, and looked back upon the time when I *first* thought I was good and realized I didn't get good until later. That happened with sharpening knives, tying knots, flying planes, playing frisbee, and it's about to happen again now that I've taken up guitar. The cool thing is that I've now learned a great deal of patience. I now know that it can take quite a while before competence is reached. The journey to get there is part of the fun.
 
Originally posted by DEA
as the above poster has said, it doesn't actually matter what system you use
you just have to get the technique down

http://www.ameritech.net/users/knives/index.htm

this is a good site to start one off


Thank you SO much for posting this link! The guy who presents that site is a blessing for doing it! What a great website for information on sharpening! Steve Bottorff seems like a real straight-shooter, giving an honest appraisal of techniques, materials, and products -- and never letting it seem like he thinks his word is gospel. All the more reason to value his opinion: he seems very open to admitting he doesn't know it all -- informing the reader when he is stating *opinion* -- and therefore you can trust that any time in his experience he has come across better information, he has most certainly incorporated it into what he teaches. Humility is what allows a person to do that.

That aside, I want to restate a technique (or technique modification) that has helped me sharpen my knives. I posted this once before, perhaps a year ago. I have acquired a Photon Microlight (generation I, II or III doesn't matter) in BLUE. Blue seems to be the one that works best, and something about the LED light is better than any incandescent I've encountered. I hold a knife I am sharpening up close to my chin, edge away from my face, looking down on the surface. Up near my eyes, I hold the LED light facing in the same direction as I am holding the knife edge. Visualize this: the light reflecting off the blade will not be returned to your eye, for the most part, EXCEPT that light that hits a burr ("wire edge") and bounces back up toward your eye. The burr will appear like a tiny line of neon light. Apart from using a jeweler's loupe, which I do not have (but am now thinking about acquiring, thanks to someone's suggestion on BF), this is about the most economical and simple way I've found of checking for a remaining burr on a knife I am sharpening. As I recall, the first time I posted this technique, several people expressed interest and seemed intrigued. I hope it has helped people and continues to do so.
Click to expand...
 
no problem
i got it from BF too :)

i use a desktop halogen lamp instead of a handheld light
more constant light source without having to hold it
this way i can see the effect AS i sharpen instead of stopping to check
ymmv, of course :)
 
I've been sharpening by hand for 13yrs... my spydies will all shave. hell, my cheapies shave too.

I'd suggest buying a couple cheapies, and spending $10 on a combo stone(I have a 200/300 and 500/800) and going at it. I've probably spent 80+ on stones, and I have a spyderco 204MF Sharpmaker on top of that(for as much use as it gets). I recieved a strop this winter, but I'm still looking for good compound for it.
 
As you must have read everywhere the important thing is to be able to maintain the angle between the blade and the hone.

I have mentioned on some other thread that I sharpen by jigging a sharpening stone at an angle and draw the blade horizontally, this is intuitivly easy to do without any fancy equipment (my current jig is a cigar box, I put something inside to keep the lid open at an angle).

My suggestion is to get a decent double sided hone or a set of soft/hard Arkansas stones and give this idea a try.
 
Per on-scene tacticals web page Eric states:
"If you are sending from another country Other than Canada,, on the Declaration slip mark it :"Knife To Be Repaired""
 
i have a lansky sharpening set that comes with clamps and guides, but i use freehand sharpening
find it easier to do anyway :)
 
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