Sharpness out of the box, traditional knives please

Cory, very true. Most cutting tools purchased are ready to do the job out of the box, and knives don't carry this expectation? Phooey!
 
Cory, I think you're right about common expectations. That reminds me of when a coworker asked if I would pick out a knife for him. I chose an Opinel for his purpose and price range. It was shipped to his address and he was incredibly disappointed that the knife was dull. I sharpened the knife for him but he was ready to toss it because it was dull! He loves the knife now.

I agree, Jamie. But there are some edged tools that need some work... like plane blades and chisels, for example. Usually, you spend a good amount of time flattening the backs of the blades and then refining the edge. There are exceptions like Lie Nielsen chisel that usually come with flattened backs but it's not uncommon with popular lower cost brands like Marples. The edges aren't nearly as bad as pocket knife edges but there's very little variation and they are much easier to sharpen by an automated process since they're just a simple flat edge.
 
supratentorial said:
Cory, I think you're right about common expectations. That reminds me of when a coworker asked if I would pick out a knife for him. I chose an Opinel for his purpose and price range. It was shipped to his address and he was incredibly disappointed that the knife was dull. I sharpened the knife for him but he was ready to toss it because it was dull! He loves the knife now.

I agree, Jamie. But there are some edged tools that need some work... like plane blades and chisels, for example. Usually, you spend a good amount of time flattening the backs of the blades and then refining the edge. There are exceptions like Lie Nielsen chisel that usually come with flattened backs but it's not uncommon with popular lower cost brands like Marples. The edges aren't nearly as bad as pocket knife edges but there's very little variation and they are much easier to sharpen by an automated process since they're just a simple flat edge.
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That seems kinda odd my first Opinel came pretty sharp.
 
I think there's a large difference in what we can expect with a traditional knife, as opposed to a tactical, straight from the factory. Tactical blades are probably sharpened before assembly, so the work can largely be done by machine. Traditionals have a far more intricate assembly process, so the blades aren't sharpened until afterward. That requires hand sharpening for the most part. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here.
 
I saw in a factory video... not traditional so lets just say it's a factory where knives are made on benches ;) ....a robot that estimates sharpness by measuring the cutting force/resistance. Pretty neat.

Victorinox has some neat gadgets too.

I think Buzz is right. There's a big difference in how the knives are manufactured and assembled.

I do think there is some value to knives being made the "old way".
 
I agree, given the choice between a machine made knife that's sharp out of the box and a handmade knife that's dull I'll take the dull knife every time. One of my favorite things about traditional knives is how they're made. I'm just a petulant child that wants to have his cake and eat it too. Oh, and it would be nice if that cake didn't cost any extra. ;)
 
When I purchase a knife, the factory edge should be fairly sharp. If the factory doesn't take the effort to sharpen their final product, imho it's a poor reflection of their work .
 
I'm afraid I must agree with Jake(SupraT) in equating it somewhat to high dollar chisels and plane blades. I've spent hours, literally hours, lapping the backs of these tools for a mirror finish-and it's expected by everyone from maker to buyer that this is going to happen. You wanna spend some money get a set of chisels from lie-nielson or God forbid a custom plane. They start in multiple hundreds and just go up-not to mention tuning up the edge and putting a micro-bevel on it. Yes they can cut without doing that, but taking the time to do it properly turns a tool into a jewel- and consequently something more pleasurable to use. Some knives are like a wood chisel that you don't care if it hits concrete and some you hardly let other people hold. I seem to have wandered here a bit , but the overall point is, I always expect, as an end user, that I'm going to have to "tune" my knives, just like any other tool. Cause that's,in the end, what they are, tools. $.02
Thanks, Neal
 
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