To sharpen a knife out of the box from factory edge or not?

[Accedo]

Hi Y'all,

I have a quick question and I wanted to get other people opinions on this question. Do you attempt to sharpen a blade father than what the factory edge that has been put on it right out of the box, or do you wait till it really needs it?

Reason I ask is I just bought a Spyderco with ZDP-189 and as sharp at it is from factory, I feel like I can, (maybe with a few failed attempts first) get it sharper than what the factory put on it was. I use a 1000/4000 Japanese whetstone for my sharping and strop on top of the 4000 with dry newspaper.

Thanks for your thoughts...

 

[DShiflet]

Depends on how sharp the knife is. I've never had a need to sharpen my Kershaw, Cold Steel, or Spyderco knives out of the box...something cheap like United Cutlery or Mtech is another story.

 

[bulgarian_djigit]

I agree, it depends how sharp is the knife and how sharp you want it to be. If it's too toothy edge I would shapren it, but thats my opinion.

 

[hank_rearden]

there are a couple of guys, one a professional cutter and the other a sharpener, who prefer to make the edge "theirs" right off the bat, meaning they sharpen right out of the box.

 

[Jeff S1]

If the knife is not as sharp as you want or know you can make, then sharpen it. If you plan on keeping it for a collection with no use, then do not sharpen it.

 

[FordFan]

I sharpened/stropped my new CRK 25 (really just a touch up) within two weeks of getting it. While sharp from the factory it was not as sharp as my Large Insingo thus I touched it up. I am glad I did. If it's a knife you plan to "collect" and potentially resell I agree with Jeff that it is better to have the factory edge. My 25 is a user.

 

[BePrepared]

I always do... but i'm an edge whore. I love the sharp

 

[Oakengroves]

Hi Y'all,

I have a quick question and I wanted to get other people opinions on this question. Do you attempt to sharpen a blade father than what the factory edge that has been put on it right out of the box, or do you wait till it really needs it?

Reason I ask is I just bought a Spyderco with ZDP-189 and as sharp at it is from factory, I feel like I can, (maybe with a few failed attempts first) get it sharper than what the factory put on it was. I use a 1000/4000 Japanese whetstone for my sharping and strop on top of the 4000 with dry newspaper.

Thanks for your thoughts...

I used to be obsessed with sharpness. Now, I'm satisfied if a knife can push cut through phone book paper cleanly. Most factory edges are sharp enough to do that. I prefer to extend the life of my knives by not over-sharpening them.

 

[Accedo]

Thanks for all your answers. I like the comment about it being "their" edge. I think I fall into that category. I like the edge to be mine IMO if I can make it happen. Ok, off to the whetstone it is then.
Cheers!

 

[RevDevil]

Depends on how sharp the knife is. I've never had a need to sharpen my Kershaw, Cold Steel, or Spyderco knives out of the box...something cheap like United Cutlery or Mtech is another story.

Same here. If a knife is sharp out of the box, use it and once that edge is gone, resharpen.

 

[22-rimfire]

Never had the need with a Spyderco that I have owned. But if I plan on using the knife, I have no hesitation to further improve the edge to my liking.

 

[Shotgun]

For me it's a matter of what the knife will be used for. For general edc a low grit finish works just fine and I'll use the knife right of the box and then bring it to a higher grit with each sharpening. For woodworking and hiking knives I sharpen them right out of the box because most companies don't sharpen to a high enough grit for that type of work. The 2 exceptions I've found were BHK and Victorinox.

 

[marcinek]

Reason I ask is I just bought a Spyderco with ZDP-189 and as sharp at it is from factory, I feel like I can, (maybe with a few failed attempts first) get it sharper than what the factory put on it was.

Then sharpen it. Simple! Put a hat on it and call it Nancy if you'd like! It's your knife, it should be the way you like it.

Me, I sharpen out of the box because I like to sharpen, and because I'm just going to have to sharpen it eventually using my edge angle anyway.

 

[BrentD86]

Really depends on if you are using it or planning to sell it in the future. If I get one that I think I probably won't use much and might sell in the future I leave the factory edge. If it is a user (which most of mine are) it goes straight on the wicked edge and taken to 30 degrees inclusive.

 

[SaintlyBrees]

Same here. If a knife is sharp out of the box, use it and once that edge is gone, resharpen.

My philosophy as well.

 

[Ken44]

If it comes very sharp I don't touch it until it needs it.

And any Spyderco ZDP-189( like you mention) I've got didn't need it.

 

[scottabrandeberry]

Same here. If a knife is sharp out of the box, use it and once that edge is gone, resharpen.

Plus one on this, unless it is a collector item.

 

[cbach8tw]

some of us like our knives sharper than the factory edge, but we are still learning to sharpen worth a lick. I have a few with a convex secondary edge, like my Dave Farmer EDC's, I have not tried since I do not want to mess it up, but I am dying to try because I want to carry and use them little suckers, they are wicked sharp. I know about the sandpaper and mousepad or cardboard method.

 

[suedeface]

Same here. If a knife is sharp out of the box, use it and once that edge is gone, resharpen.

+1 on this. I try to make my factory edge last as long as possible via stropping, steeling, and touch-ups on a ceramic rod. Once the factory edge has degraded to where the above methods don't yield a workable edge, I go for the full re-profile. Usually 40 deg. This is usually for more expensive knives, as I can't see the point of wearing down your blade faster than necessary. However, if it is a cheaper knife with a thicker "axe edge" that seems to be common on lower cost knives, I have been known to take a file or belt sander to them in order to thin them out sufficiently.

 

[Sonnydaze]

If it comes very sharp I don't touch it until it needs it.

And any Spyderco ZDP-189( like you mention) I've got didn't need it.

I've had two NIB ZDP-189 Stretch models in FRN blue. The first one was great; very sharp. I HAD to sell it.
I bought another as soon as I could afford one. This one is NOT sharp, but I will take care of it. ZDP is too good a blade-steel to leave it this way.