Who Sharpens These?

28gauge

28gauge

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Dec 5, 2005
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Received my Native 5 G-10 yesterday. The edge was very crudely done. It looked like someone sharpened it on one of those 3 foot in diameter stone wet wheels that you had to peddle - like a pioneer. Many have rough crude edges, but this one was really bad. Sending it back. I refuse to put that much work into putting a nice edge on it. The pivot also had play. Yuk.

Bought an Ontario Rat 1 folder while on vacation in a Sportsmans Warehouse in the White Mountains of Arizona. This knife is near perfect in fit and finish. Razor sharp symetric edge. Just stropped it. Tight, smooth pivot; blade perfectly centered. 5, count 'em 5 stand offs and screws. Early lock-up. $35.00! What a great knife.
 
Delica 4 in superblue was razor sharp. Sal will take care of you. I would say this is the exception rather than the rule, but one many companies struggle with from time to time.
 
This.^
I only had one of my many Spyderco with an uneven edge and they took care of me real quick.
rolf
 
That's the downside of hand sharpening, and one of the downsides of buying knives online. Regardless of where they're made, 99% of all Spydercos leave their respective factories razor sharp, but a few don't. Funny thing is, I thought the Native V was one of the models being sharpened by that newfangled robot Golden has.
 
first time to hear this!as i collect the natives,i have never had a bad one yet,most have even grind on both sides,i would send yours back to spyderco for a fix,or they may just replace it.
 
Every production knife I own came with an uneven edge, grind, or both.
Even if it's not noticeable to the eye, it becomes evident when I sharpen and/or re-profile the edge.
 
My G10 Native came razor sharp with no play whatsoever. Just piling on a bit, but that is an exception for sure, and I'm sure they will make it right.
 
I'm sure Spyderco will fix that right up. I'm planning on trying out their sharpening service soon myself.
 
28gauge said:
Who Sharpens These?
Click to expand...

A robot.
Perhaps the robot was having a bad day.

There are also plenty of humans involved at different stages.
Here's a video that may shed some light on the behind-the-scenes goings on at the Golden CO factory

[video]https://youtu.be/_Du7AFPKIuw[/video]

Either send it back to be sharpened to your satisfaction, or get a refund from whatever retailer you purchased it from and enjoy your Rat 1.
 
Rasco- Thank you for the link.
My respect for Spyderco just went up... again.
rolf
 
Rasco said:
A robot.
Perhaps the robot was having a bad day.

There are also plenty of humans involved at different stages.
Here's a video that may shed some light on the behind-the-scenes goings on at the Golden CO factory

[video]https://youtu.be/_Du7AFPKIuw[/video]

Either send it back to be sharpened to your satisfaction, or get a refund from whatever retailer you purchased it from and enjoy your Rat 1.
Click to expand...

Awesome link. Spyderco rules.
 
The issues I have with the edges are two fold. We'll put symmetry aside and assume they're even. First is the grit of the grind. They typically have fairly deep grind lines that look like 80 grit? To go to a polished edge or even close takes a lot of work, which I have done many times. Second, and of more concern is when they have some 'scalloping" as if there was some chatter. I must just be having bad luck with the knives I'm buying or looking at? I sent the Native back. I would have fixed the edge but did not want to live with the blade play. Hope to find a more precise one because I like the knife.
 
My most recent Delica came with a pretty uneven bevel from heel to tip on one side only I think, but then I felt how ridiculously sharp it was, cut some stuff, and didn't care anymore.
 
Factory edges are typically around 120 grit and for most cutting applications this is the ideal edge finish. In testing it shows to produce a longer cutting edge when put against a wide range of media which is a good because once in the consumers hand it could be put to any use.

Machine sharpening by human hand or robotic hand will never be like sharpening on a stone. Metal is removed quickly and can easily cause asymetery, if you ever have the chance to sharpen with a belt sander you will understand this. I have sharpened thousands of knives with powered grinders and I would never compare them to the precision of my hand sharpening.

As a rule, you should never put too much stock in a factory edge.
 
Jason- Phill Hartsfield used a belt grinder to put the final finish on his knives and these are some of the sharpest knives out there. In a sense, isn't using a belt grinder, hand sharpening?
rolf
 
Lycosa said:
Jason- Phill Hartsfield used a belt grinder to put the final finish on his knives and these are some of the sharpest knives out there. In a sense, isn't using a belt grinder, hand sharpening?
rolf
Click to expand...

With my belt sander and polishing wheels I can apply an edge that will easily clean the hair from your arm or push cut news print until your face becomes sore from smiling. I actually take a bit of pride in the extreme level of sharpness that a Norton Blaze 120 grit belt and my polishing wheel can accomplish. It's also a good performing edge and one I will sometimes use on my softer German kitchen knives or softer stainless pocket knives.

If the edge angle is good and the burr has been removed then the sharpness will be there. The problem comes when you look at how even and symeterical the grinds are. Sometimes things line up perfect and others you simply do what you can, but we are talking production where a knife is sharpened every 60 seconds. When moving this fast you can only ask for so much before it becomes impractical in a production setting.

For a custom maker or even a knife sharpener as myself we can spend several minutes, using a little extra care and control to provide an edge to be proud of. The factory is simply trying to provide you with a sharp and useable edge.
 
I've got one Endura 4 in VG10, another in superblue and one delica in SB as well. all 3 had uneven and too abrupt primary grinds...All it took was a little work on the sharpmaker. I have about five other spydies and all of those were perfect out of the box.
 
28gauge said:
Received my Native 5 G-10 yesterday. The edge was very crudely done. It looked like someone sharpened it on one of those 3 foot in diameter stone wet wheels that you had to peddle - like a pioneer. Many have rough crude edges, but this one was really bad. Sending it back. I refuse to put that much work into putting a nice edge on it. The pivot also had play. Yuk.

Bought an Ontario Rat 1 folder while on vacation in a Sportsmans Warehouse in the White Mountains of Arizona. This knife is near perfect in fit and finish. Razor sharp symetric edge. Just stropped it. Tight, smooth pivot; blade perfectly centered. 5, count 'em 5 stand offs and screws. Early lock-up. $35.00! What a great knife.
Click to expand...

That is weird.Every one of my spydies came extremely sharp.My Endura 4 is the sharpest knife I own...it is insane hair-popping out of the box.
My 2 police 3 G10's are close to it.

No worries Sal will take care of you!
 
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