Factory edge poll

[vivi]

I generally leave the factory edge alone until it begins to dull. Then I take it to my Hapstone for a full reprofile, often lowering the angle. I never put a microbevel on a factory edge.

I tend to do the same. Gives me a chance to use the model a bit and make sure it works well for me before I drop the resale value by thinning out the edge.

I never microbevel a factory edge either. They come ground a little thicker than I'd prefer already, so I go in the opposite direction and thin them out. If I can't microbevel my PE knife on the 15 degree setting with the sharp maker, the back bevel is thicker than I like.

I generally only use the 20 degree slots if I want to quickly take a completely dull knife to "It can cut stuff now" sharp, such as a friends kitchen knife that I know will be abused.

I will note that I don't find I need to reprofile Spydercos serrated edges at all, which is one reason I've grown to love them. I'm still confused why the same knife in the same steel gets ground twice at thick on the PE models. Buying serrated saves me a lot of time and effort.

[vivi]

Why do you ask?

With the recent discussion about them, I was just curious how the numbers would look if I posted a poll. I didn't expect to see a tie.

Why do you ask?

Good question Pat. :cool:

There’ve been a few sly chops at members who post clean unsharpened knives of late so it’ll be interesting to see how this thread pans out.

I thought it was funny people were posting factory edged knives to the show your users thread. Seems I triggered a few folks by pointing that out. If I posted my heavily ground PE Pacific Salt to a "show your pristine knives" thread I'd expect some ribbing :p

[Pancake]

No, no factory scratches.
First thing that I do with new Spyder is that I sharpen it. I dont want someone else´s marks on MY edge! I want MY OWN marks!
My edges looks terrible. They are not very polished, they have deep scrathces because I skip grits like crazy, they are not the same on both sides, but they are sharp and they are mine.

[RustyIron]

Spyderco puts a nice edge on their knives before they leave the factory. They're perfectly usable right out of the box.

However, I can never be truly happy with an edge until I make it my own. As good as Spyderco's edges are, on both that I own, there has been slight variations along each edge that needs cleaning up. One my Manix 2 S110V, do a final polish with 0.25μ, so of course the factory scratches were gone within an hour of my taking it out of the box. On PM2 S30V, I've cleaned up the inconsistencies of the edge, and finished it to 40μ. So again, there are no remnants of factory scratches.

[Sharp Guy]

I thought it was funny people were posting factory edged knives to the show your users thread. Seems I triggered a few folks by pointing that out.

Ahh I see. I get your point but all "users" start as new, right? I just looked back at that thread. At the point you made your comment there were only a handful of pics posted which includes mine. I may be mistaken but it's a pretty safe assumption your comment was directed at me.

Some of you guys just don't seem to get that we all enjoy the hobby and use our knives in different ways. What's a well worn knife to me might seem like a almost new knife to you. I like variety and carry something different every day. I have quite a few to choose from. So none of them look like I've been out chopping down trees with them (I have an ax and limb saws for that). I'm currently a warehouse and production manager for a cabinet company. I use one or both of the knives I have on me for something pretty much every day. If I don't have something I need to open or cut they stay in my pocket.

I'll never understand why a couple of you guys act like those who don't use their knives as you do are inferior. Must be an ego thing I guess

[Brock O Lee]

Voted yes, because factory edges are all pretty coarse.

I reprofile most of mine to 12-13 dps soon after arrival and maintain a micro bevel at 15 dps.

[Bloke]

I thought it was funny people were posting factory edged knives to the show your users thread. Seems I triggered a few folks by pointing that out.

Ahh I see. I get your point but all "users" start as new, right? I just looked back at that thread. At the point you made your comment there were only a handful of pics posted which includes mine. I may be mistaken but it's a pretty safe assumption your comment was directed at me.

Some of you guys just don't seem to get that we all enjoy the hobby and use our knives in different ways. What's a well worn knife to me might seem like a almost new knife to you. I like variety and carry something different every day. I have quite a few to choose from. So none of them look like I've been out chopping down trees with them (I have an ax and limb saws for that). I'm currently a warehouse and production manager for a cabinet company. I use one or both of the knives I have on me for something pretty much every day. If I don't have something I need to open or cut they stay in my pocket.

I'll never understand why a couple of you guys act like those who don't use their knives as you do are inferior. Must be an ego thing I guess

Hey Vivi, Pat beat me at the jump and I couldn’t have been as diplomatic anyhow.

Pat, love your work! :cool:

[vivi]

I thought it was funny people were posting factory edged knives to the show your users thread. Seems I triggered a few folks by pointing that out.

I'll never understand why a couple of you guys act like those who don't use their knives as you do are inferior. Must be an ego thing I guess

I made a simple comment in a thread specifically for showing well worn knives that I'm surprised how many of those well worn knives still have a factory edge. Wasn't directed at anyone in particular, it was just an observation.

Seems like pointing that out really struck a nerve. I don't see why it's a big deal.

If I make a thread for posting orange handled knives and someone posts a digital camo Para 2, I'm gonna wonder what they're doing too.

[vivi]

Spyderco puts a nice edge on their knives before they leave the factory. They're perfectly usable right out of the box.

That they do. I've been impressed by many of my Spydies out of box sharpness. I may prefer them thinner or finished to X grit, but they've all been consistently shaving sharp and generally pretty thin behind the edge compared to other companies.

[Wartstein]

To be honest: I don't know exactly what "factory edge grind lines" look like, or, to put it better, at what point they are no longer factory edge grind lines.

If the question is meant like: "Have all the Spydies you own been sharpened / touched up multiple times already?": Yes (except my NIB Stretch 1 backup), even my quite new Endela yet.

If it's meant like: "Did you give every Spydie deliberately a new edge / reprofile?": No.

[Pelagic]

Well worn is well worn. I don't think Vivi's comment was some "ego thing". No biggie.

[Tims]

Voted yes because in the last couple years I've gotten lazy thanks to the Sharpmaker and I just micro bevel everything until it's thick enough to reprofile. I used to take a new knife and immediately reprofile it on my Edge Pro but it has been years since I bothered. They really should call it the Lazymaker.

This. Work smarter not harder I say

[Wartstein]

I thought it was funny people were posting factory edged knives to the show your users thread. Seems I triggered a few folks by pointing that out.

Ahh I see. I get your point but all "users" start as new, right? I just looked back at that thread. At the point you made your comment there were only a handful of pics posted which includes mine. I may be mistaken but it's a pretty safe assumption your comment was directed at me.

Some of you guys just don't seem to get that we all enjoy the hobby and use our knives in different ways. What's a well worn knife to me might seem like a almost new knife to you. I like variety and carry something different every day. I have quite a few to choose from. So none of them look like I've been out chopping down trees with them (I have an ax and limb saws for that). I'm currently a warehouse and production manager for a cabinet company. I use one or both of the knives I have on me for something pretty much every day. If I don't have something I need to open or cut they stay in my pocket.

I'll never understand why a couple of you guys act like those who don't use their knives as you do are inferior. Must be an ego thing I guess

No offense, and I might be missing something here, but I really don't get how you came to that conclusion??
And by "don't get it" I mean I personally just don't see the logic behind it, not that I'd want to attack you!

But honestly, never, ever since I joined this forum I read any comment that would imply anyone who does not use knives in a certain way (or not at all) would be "inferior"...?

Much like when I (who uses knives quite a bit) state that in the context of this forum, have very little knowledge when it comes to steels and only basic sharpening skills, was ever called or felt "inferior"...

I am also just generally interested in how / how frequently/ in what tasks/ at all people are really using and sharpening their knives. But that's more in a statistical way plus out of interest for the whole "knife-world" generally, and I am glad when everyone has his or her own, personal way of enjoying knives, and all are equally fine with me. From just collecting and looking at knives, to heavily using them professionally.

[vivi]

To be honest: I don't know exactly what "factory edge grind lines" look like, or, to put it better, at what point they are no longer factory edge grind lines.

If the question is meant like: "Have all the Spydies you own been sharpened / touched up multiple times already?": Yes (except my NIB Stretch 1 backup), even my quite new Endela yet.

If it's meant like: "Did you give every Spydie deliberately a new edge / reprofile?": No.

Factory edges are generally applied using a grinder followed by a buffing wheel to deburr. https://youtube.com/watch?v=AONGkRZsIpc They have a distinctive appearance - vertical grind lines with relatively deep grooves. Very low grit bevel.

Here's some photos that should make it easy to understand.

Factory edged plain edge knife:





Hand sharpened plain edge knife:



Factory edged serrated edge knife:



Hand sharpened serrated edge:

[Wartstein]

To be honest: I don't know exactly what "factory edge grind lines" look like, or, to put it better, at what point they are no longer factory edge grind lines.

If the question is meant like: "Have all the Spydies you own been sharpened / touched up multiple times already?": Yes (except my NIB Stretch 1 backup), even my quite new Endela yet.

If it's meant like: "Did you give every Spydie deliberately a new edge / reprofile?": No.

Factory edges are generally applied using a grinder followed by a buffing wheel to debur.

...

Thanks, now I understand!

How many average sharpening processes does it roughly take to no longer have the factory edge in your opinion? (Maybe even just ONE, given you sharpen at the factory angle and hit the whole bevel??)

Here is a pic I happen to have of the edge of either one of my Enduras or Stretch (can't remember). Not factory, I guess? (NOT kidding you, I know the blade itself is pretty scratched up, but the grind lines are in some places still very "regular"or perpendicular to the very edge..[and the knife was for sure not freshly /properly sharpened when I took the pic... :rolleyes: ])

[Pelagic]

The scratches on the bevel on the right look like factory. The huge burrs don't though :cool: haha

[Bloke]

I’ll get rid of my factory edges one day. :)

3/16”-1/4” over grind at the heel. (ZDP-189 Stretch 1)



And a bit at the tip. (VG10 Large Lum) :eek:

[Tims]

I’ll get rid of my factory edges one day. :)

3/16”-1/4” over grind at the heel. (ZDP-189 Stretch 1)



And a bit at the tip. (VG10 Large Lum) :eek:

That Lum tip gives me flashbacks. The last remnants of the factory bevel used to drive me crazy.....
Many an hour spent grinding away at new knives to get a perfect bevel. When I think of all the wasted steel

[Tims]

Dbl post

[Bloke]

That Lum tip gives me flashbacks. Many an hour grinding away at new knives to get a perfect bevel. When I think of all the wasted steel

Over grind at the heel doesn’t faze me too much at all Tim, Tips are another story altogether. The very tip is slightly over ground and slightly rounded which bugs me but it’s only another knife mate, ay? Ah, hahaha! :)