Will Sharpning a Knife devalue it?

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TurtleguyFive

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So I have Brian Nadeau(Sharp by Design) Cyclone and I am not a big fan of the edge it came with. I was thinking of getting it sharpened but the Cyclone is discontinued and I am scared of hurting the value of the knife. So as long as the sharpening job is decent will it hurt the value of the knife?
 
On a new knife I think it will harm the value. I'm not sure exactly why though. I've owned a lot of knives that came from the factory with a bad edge- uneven edge thickness, varying angles that are too steep and/or don't match, blunt points. I can sharpen them with a guided system to a uniform edge with good angles all the way down, but potential buyers will assume that it is a used knife and that I'm a total bozo at sharpening.
 
Yep. Customers don't know us and have to assume the worst about our sharpening skills. Nobody wants an overheated blade which is 10% less wide than original.
New vs sharpened is a reduction
Used vs used and sharpened is about the same.

That's all different if the blade has some super cool regrind by a a known and trusted artist some of which are active here at BF. Some might pay even extra for that.
 
If you bought the knife to use then don't worry about value, if you bought it so sell then don't use it or sharpen it 👍
 
A lot of folks want a factory edge when they buy a new knife, or one that's advertised as new.
I want a factory edge. It's just a matter of not wanting to buy a knife that was sharpened by a hack.
That's a real concern.
 
Yes. And based on my observation, even used but with a blunt factory edge has more value than equally used and with a beautiful mirror polished hair popping edge. Of course value here means the sales price at the Exchange.
 
Of course. That is like asking if driving a new car off the lot after purchase will lower the resale value.
 
Yes it will lower its value. I have bought sold and traded a ton a of customs. I can't help it, but I use all my knives. Biggest mistake if you want to resell, even sharpening it. A lot of people like it brand new, even if it is not very sharp, even if it is dull! Think long and hard if you want to keep it or not, then go from there. I have lost lots of money because I like to use my knives. Now I don't sell anymore, I just make damn sure I will keep it before I do anything with it.
 
Universally, the more original (to the day it was made) something is, the more it's worth....

Edit: Reason: tired...

Anything that is altered from it's original condition in anyway is worth less in a collector/enthusiast environment, unless that alteration was by the original manufacturer, or the alteration adds a universally excepted value...

Your sharpening skills (even if they are amazing) are not a universally excepted value...
 
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Or if you are really good and have a wicked edge you could just bevel match the original edge and no one will ever know. Fixed a friends Dalibor once because he accidentally rolled the edge and the before and after pictures looked identical.
 
I've Ebay'd several knives sharpened by Tom Veff, and got more for them because of this.
That said, a truly rare and valuable knife would've lost value because it didn't have the factory edge.
 
Contact Brian and see if he will sharpen it for you!. That still counts as (don't say factory) workshop or bench edge in my book!!
 
Dean Crail said:
Or if you are really good and have a wicked edge you could just bevel match the original edge and no one will ever know. Fixed a friends Dalibor once because he accidentally rolled the edge and the before and after pictures looked identical.
Click to expand...
Unless you sell it to one of those anal guys who look at it with a loupe. They won't be happy and will have a fit. They'll complain about a factory scuff on a clip and claim you carried it. Then they'll try to extort you.
 
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