sharpening question

D

DanMan4142

Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
62
I just purchased a benchmade 550 griptilian(thanks to the knowledgable prodding of you all) and i really like it very much. however, the blade is already noticabley duller than it was when i received it just a week ago, and i havent used it except to slice a few sheets of paper just goofing around, and then i have used it a work this week to cut a few strips of tape and some plastic shrink wrap. I cant imagine how in one week my knife would go from easily shaving my arm hair and cleanly slicing paper to barely doing either, especially considering that i have only used it a few times. perhaps it came with a "wire edge" or something from the factory? I will sharpen it when i get the chance, but i was just wondering if you guys had any explination for this or any ideas.
Thanks
 
It could be a wire edge; possibly something you cut was harder than you had thought; maybe the edge was too weak because it was made with a really coarse belt. The real test will be how long it lasts after you resharpen it to your liking.

You can easily tell if it's due to a really sharp edge given by a coarse belt by lightly steeling the knife. If the edge comes back immediately and is even sharper than before, but dies even faster, then a coarse finish was the likely culprit.
 
danman,

i can imagine this happening, because it has happened to me.

i bought a kershaw w/ 440c steel blade the same time i bought a benchmade 941 w/ 154cm. i used both the same, and its been about 5 months since purchase. the bm 941 w/ 154cm is still sharp after cutting boxes, plactics, tape paper, and even a little fine wire. the kershaw with 440c went dull after about 2 weeks of cutting tape, paper and boxes.

if i'm not mistaken, i believe the benchmade griptillian is made of 440 steel as well. so my story would apply to you as well.

this story taught me a valuable lesson on different steels, and their edge holding.

i'm not saying that the griptillian is not a great knife, I actually love them. they just take more work to maintain an edge.

hope this helps.

thanks,
 
Im not sure about your case. But I had a 440 steel knife that had a very sharp flat grind to it.

The biggest problem I also faced was the fact that due to the flat grind, and the thinness of the edge, that the edge would "flop" over with the very first thing I would cut.

I also had a problem with it staying sharp in the sheath. I can never prove this, but I "think" that the cutting edge was rubbing on the plastic sheath somehow and so just drawing the knife in and out of the sheath was dulling the blade.
 
Similar to what Thom has said ... factory edges can suffer from several problems, including not only a wire edge, but steel that's been damaged by overheating in the sharpening process.

The solution in any case is the same: resharpen the knife yourself, cleaning up any wire edge or damaged/burnt metal. The easiest way to assure that you've done this is by following the common practice of working one side until you've raised a burr, then working the other side with your coarser grit before moving on to your finish sharpening steps.

If, after doing this, your blade still doesn't hold a satisfactory edge, then you would begin to suspect some problem with the factory heat treat or steel itself. Chances of your Benchmade having any problem of that kind are small, IMO.
 
ColoradoDave said:
but steel that's been damaged by overheating in the sharpening process. .
Click to expand...

I was about to post the same comment. Once an edge has turned colour from overheating , whether by the new owner or the factory with the initial sharpening, there is a good chance that the edge will not stay sharp until it has been re sharpened a number of times and you are down to good hard steel.
 
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