sharpest production knife

Typically I touch up most knives I get, but I actually like a little "microserration" on most my edges so I generally don't super polish the edge. Most are pretty good, but when you can vastly improve the edge on a new $150 knife with a lansky medium stone that's really pretty sad. I think it says a lot about a manufacturers attention to detail that does not ensure a knife is sharp before sending it out especially at these price points.

The only knife I have been impressed with as of late out of the box was a F01 5.5" fixed blade from Hogue, mirror polished and razor sharp the entire length. It's by far the sharpest best polished edge I've had on a production knife I can remember and the only one I remember when I inspected it that I didn't even consider touching it up, considering it's a thick bladed field knife I was very impressed. Enough that I'm tempted to try one of their folders to see if that attention to detail extends throughout the entire knife. That includes recent benchmades, spydercos, Ritter, ZT, DPX, esee etc. Not that those were bad, but every one of them I felt I could easily improve on out of the box, a couple were bad enough that if I didn't know I could sharpen them I'd never have bought them.
 
In my experience the Spyderco knives I received new were the sharpest I have experienced.

Should I have the opportunity to handle a new Rockstead, I believe that may set a new standard. In the meantime, I sharpen.
 
I feel like Spyderco takes the cake in this category, my ZDP-189 Stretch, and Delica, were insanely sharp, and sported a pretty high polish. ZT, and Kershaw, put an excellent, serviceable edge on their products as well.
 
My factory Emerson MicroCommander came in a box...with a three-pack of BandAids. That tells it. Not kidding.
I also have a NIB William Henry in ZDP-189 that is scary-sharp.
 
My William Henry knives are the sharpest knives I own. I've never seen one yet that wouldn't cut like a laser right out of the box.
 
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My Mcusta gentleman's knife came scary sharp.

Scarier than any of my Spyderco, Benchmade, or Kershaw knives.
 
Probably one of the William Henry knives I have acquired the last couple of years. All were super sharp right from WH. My Insingo was had a rally nice edge when it arrived.
 
Another vote for William Henry and Sebenza.

Spyderco, BM also come to mind, several CS products came with hair scarrin' edges and most of my CRKT knives were shaving sharp.
 
None of these compare to single bevel fish knives out of the box. Yanagiba.

in comparison, sebenza feels like a butterknife compared to my yanagi new.
 
I know in my somewhat limited experience Spyderco and CRK have been overall the most consistent. I've never received a knife from either company that was anything less than shaving sharp. My Emerson's have been very sharp as well. I can't always say the same thing with ZT/Kershaw's and BM's I've received in the past. I know BM has gotten a lot better about their edges.

By far, the sharpest knife I've ever received is my Yojimbo 2. The angle is laid back so far that it cuts through paper effortlessly. It was clearly sharpened with flesh-destroying efficiency in mind.
 
Sharpest I have seen is oddly enough the Kabar Dozier folder. I stropped for an hour and did next to nothing (with the right angles).

That said, the out of box sharpness is moot. Just send your knife in to one of the sharpeners here (I hear Richard J will send it back with a scary sharp edge) after you are sure you want to keep it. Don't send it in too early, though. The factory edge improves the trade value (unless the factory edge sucks) most of the time.

If you want consistency for sharpness, though, go Kershaw/ZT. Only had a few of theirs that weren't push cutting paper sharp when new.
 
Out of the box, no sharping, tests done with free hanging paper napkin. Sharpest I've have is my Survive! knives (GSO-4.1) can go the whole length by slight pull cutting. Second up are the Victorinox small knife which can also pull cut all the way through followed closely by the large knife. All Spydercos can make it through to about 4/5 then it starts ripping the napkin.
 
Mcusta hands down
 
I think that my Kershaw Junk Yard Dog II is SG2 has to have been the sharpest out of the box. It came with a very highly polished and very thin edge.
My Spyderco ZDP-189 caly jr was incredibly sharp as well.
 
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