C46 Hap40 Lum Sprint run touch up and spa.. at Golden?

[Blueboost]

Old forum member and 30 year customer/lifetime Spyderco nut here... I have a C46 Lum Tanto Sprint in 420/Hap40. It needs.. stuff. And I'm man enough to say I might need help instead of DIY. I don't know how you void a warranty on an irreplaceable knife but I like the idea of this being done by someone Bob would approve of. Not Sal, I know he doesn't like the C46 :lol: :p

Basically the tip profile leaves a lot to be desired, tiny chip, grind isn't very even, it's way too pointy, the lamination line is almost to the cutting edge on one side, and I've scratched it up in general. This is a special knife, with a complex grind. I am used to maintaining and sharpening the C46 as I've carried them for decades, but this is a bit more involved of a task and I'd like masters of their craft to bring this to peak performance, fit and finish, which is what this knife deserves to be but never was. I am looking for the satin finish to be touched up a bit on the blade sides towards the point. This is where most of the scratches are, from me attempting to improve/add some Hamaguri grind which in my particular case translates to "failure scratches" . The 420 outer steel is SUCH a scratch magnet.. what is it with CO and obsession with 420?! I must come and visit someday. Anyway... I also have some debris under the translucent natural g10 scales, which is very unsightly. This knife was a bit of a basket case since new and I have failed to improve factory finish. Time to quit while I'm ahead. I'm a little gun shy about sending it to Golden. Anyone there good with Hamaguri Appleseed grinds that could profile the front edge and tip closer to how the original C46 are done? I'm really hoping for a "we got this" rather than me search for some random mad edge scientist on bladeforums that's going to mirror polish my knife with his special oils and juices :o :eek: :spyder:

[PayneTrain]

I don't know if what you're looking for is even possible. The thing about those lamination lines is that the angles are so low that they really amplify any imperfections in flatness and straightness of the heat treated steel. You could have a perfect grind profile, but those lines might not be perfect because the layers of steel do not have a perfectly straight cross section.

Refreshing the finish adds another layer of complexity. For a brand new appearance, it would have to be completely refinished and re-laser-marked. If you try to just touch it up, you'll notice the difference in scratch pattern. It'll probably also dull the lines because there's little chance they'll hit it at the same exact angle.

Even if they had someone they could pull off production to do such work, which I'm sure they don't with everything they've been cranking out lately, it really wouldn't be worth it to either party in terms of time or money, especially since once you use it, it'll just get scratched up again like you mentioned.

The imperfections are what makes it unique. The scratches are what make it yours. Unless you can find someone willing to do almost what you want for a bunch of money, I say take it apart and clean the insides, then use it even harder! More scratches will make it look even better in my opinion!

[awa54]

I'll second that... if it's going to be a safe queen after the cosmetic refresh, then find an independent blade specialist like BBB who can do the work, then lock it away so all that cost and hard work aren't spoiled the first time you cut dirty cardboard with it. Otherwise, keep working on your sharpening technique until you can do your own appleseed edges and use the knife as intended!

I was put off by how easily the jade G10 shows dirt at first, but I got over it. You could always dye the scales a darker color to minimise that aspect. On the subject of uneven lamination lines, what you see is what you get, there's no easy way to correct the issue, since removing stock to alter where the line falls on one side will create an asymmetrical blade grind.

It might make more sense to buy a replacement with a "better" blade and sell yours to someone who wants a user?