Do you have any pictures of what a burnt factory edge looks like?
Sometimes I'm happy that I can't tell the difference between 8cr13mov and CPM154 in my EDC uses.
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ZT's Elmax
- Thread starter L2bravo
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Do you have any pictures of what a burnt factory edge looks like?
Sometimes I'm happy that I can't tell the difference between 8cr13mov and CPM154 in my EDC uses.
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- Nov 27, 2012
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Have you ever seen overheated metal? its purple, orange, brown and black..... I got an edge back from Kai that way on my 0561 last time, even though i had expressley stated not to sharpen. I even taped off the edge so they wouldnt. I had two angles, and a strange bevel that wasnt there before. i Was pissed, but i fixed it. ITs not the end of the world, and as stated, accidents do happen and i didnt complain. I took it to my lansky at the time, and fixed it, smoothed and sharpened. Honestly, if you want a perfect edge, buy a wicked edge.
I was more interested in a picture of an actual burnt edge on a factory knife.
I have heard many theories but seen very little evidence.
With a little proof, perhaps the manufacturers will take steps to avoid burnt edges if they currently do not.
Perhaps it is a more common occurance than I assumed.
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sadly, i went through my pics and didnt see the evidence i was looking for. I had poorly focused pics. I think its not a "common occurrence" but mine happened when the main sharpener was on vacation and is easily done when using a belt sharpener. I dont hold it against KAI at all. Matter of fact, the first thing i do when i get a knife is sharpen it
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I have a private YT video showing a burnt 561 edge. I can share the link with you, just shoot me an email. a
Wasn't it your video that created this "ZT burns Elmax" forum excitement? I don't think your video is in sync with what you're saying here. You've had a few other steel conspiracies in the past as well. It feels like your experiences/issues are based on you looking for problems, and wanting to expose them, perhaps for attention or viewership. I mean why else would you apparently buy the one with a burnt edge and do a video on it if you don't have an agenda? I'm going to stop short of further commentary, but am disappointed that we have to discuss this like it's a real issue. As an FYI, we don't use belts when sharpening.
We have yet to see even 1 example of a burned edge that has been sent back to the factory, so I am at a loss here. As I mentioned in another thread, we did talk to production and put safeguards in to watch for burned edges on all the blades we sharpen.
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For what it's worth... I have a ZT 0550 and a 0561. I must say that I MUCH prefer the Elmax steel in the 0561 ver the S35VN in my 0550. It takes a better edge with less sharpening and seems to hold it longer. I've also chipped the S35VN edge, but the Elmax just keeps cutting.
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:thumbup:
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I don't think my video has been used in any forum excitement since it was meant as a private video, and hasn't been viewed too many times. As for viewership, I could care less. You been around my channel lately?
This is what bothers me about production company's. I haven't made a single deprecating statement about KAI, yet I get heat from the company. I didn't burn the edge, KAI did. I am merely stating that this could be the reason you have numerous people complaining that Zts elmax sucks. If you pay so much attention to YouTube, then you've seen the videos.
I could care less about making drama. I'm actually trying to tell people that there's nothing wrong with the steel, they just need to sharpen it a few times to get past the burnt edge If their knife came with one. This kind of stuff is exactly why I stay off of forums now. You think I'm trying to get views by starting drama (obviously don't know how YT works) yet meanwhile I've sold hundreds of Zts from my videos. It's just sad.
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There's something sad here alright
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There's something sad here alright
Lol. Gotta love the forums.
ETA: Better keep that to myself.
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I love the forums. If you dislike them so bad, why do you keep posting?
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While I also don't particularly like group think, I think it's fair to expose it on both sides of an argument. If the video that you're talking about is the one that was previously public, then yes, that's one of the videos that previously led to a lot of unfounded criticism about Elmax, particularly that from ZT. Last I saw it, it had over 3,200 views and sparked a lot of discussion as well as other videos.
Saying it was meant as a private video is a bit of a misrepresentation I think. You published it publicly, and it was that way for a long while until apparently recently. I say that with a fair bit of certainty because this topic came up on the USN as well, and your video was the primary fuel. That same video now is private, so I can only assume that it's the video you're talking about. It's the only video you've ever made specifically about burnt edges on ZT's Elmax. It was in that video that you actually said that your samples of the 0561 were proof positive that ZT is burning their edges. That's a pretty concrete claim and it indeed sparked a lot of concern and anecdotal assertions of a new "problem".
I'm a long-time subscriber of your channel, as I am with several of the more prominent YouTube producers of knife content. I have a habit of reading and listening to people pretty closely, since I'm just one of those people who put a lot of value in words. I think that what people say should carry weight, and considering your impact with your audience and the clear influence it has, it's not very nice to say that the video was meant for private viewing when it reached a decently sized viewership. The reality is that it was one of the sparks that led to other people making videos not even showing evidence of the problem, but just asserting that the problems exists, and is more rampant than people think. Now there are videos where it's being asserted that production knife companies are having problems with Elmax insomuch as how they work with it and heat treat it. Note that it's not being said by tiny YouTube channels with 100 subscribers, but rather prominent ones with a large following.
I pay a lot of attention to YouTube. I pay a lot of attention to the forums (as best I can). It's easy to brush it all off as YouTube being a pile of misinformation and the forums as a pile of fanboyism and group think. I don't feel that way. Internet or not, there are actual people thinking real thoughts, and to assert something that's unfounded (or founded on very little evidence) I feel is irresponsible. It's also, again, disingenuous to say that an influential video was meant for private viewing. It wasn't, and the reality is that is has caused a good number of people to think that there are problems with Elmax, with ZT's Elmax, and how ZT sharpens their knives from the factory.
Personally, I think transparency and accountability are both very good things. ZT & Kershaw have done a lot to show that they listen to the concerns of their customers as far as I've seen, and have done very little to show incompetence in how they handle their products.
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