Bent/curved knife

Hey there, newbie here. I have a 10 inch carbon K-Sab that I've owned for awhile. Cuts beautifully when sharp, as expected, but I've recently noticed a flaw--there's a subtle bend in the blade. It's not initially noticeable, but it's definitely there when you look straight at the edge. Took me awhile to realize it because it hasn't had an effect on cutting or (so far) an effect on the waterstones. What's odd, though, is that the curve only happens close to the edge; the spine is perfectly straight. My camera resolution isn't good enough to see it clearly, so this was the best I could do to demonstrate the curve:

http://imgur.com/a/iAUmr

You can see that a dime slid under the edge doesn't make contact with the blade until it's fairly close to the tip when the knife is laid on its left side, but when laid on its right, the dime makes contact towards the middle.

In any case, I'm wondering if it would be an easy fix (for a pro; I've already tried Mark Richmond's table technique to no avail), or if I need to get a new knife. I'm past the return date so I can't get it replaced for free.

Thanks!

Yepp it's easy to fix for someone that knows how.

you need some tools for it

a hammer and a (soft) anvil and hit the bump on the blade until it is flat by simple explanation

The right face is a bit more convexed then the left one. Asymmetry in blades is no Japanese invention. A perfectly symmetric blade would wedge as none.

The new Sabatiers are almost always seen with bent blades. I've examined many of them and can't figure out if they're warped from heat treat or grinding (maybe both?) but non the less they can't be straightened by just flexing them like the advice you were given on the "table technique". That technique works for soft clad knives only, if a blade is fully hardened it may snap when performed.

The fix for this is to either get a knifemaker to re-heat treat and bend straight or buy a better quality knife.

Thin it a bit, and with the patina it should become obvious.

Any recommendations on knife straightening services? I know Epicurean Edge does it, but it would expensive.

Damn, I have a 10'' Lion Sabatier in stainless and it is also bent - both the spine (in a "?"-curve towards the tip) and the edge (close to the heel). I was wishing I had bought a K-Sab and have been eyeing one, but it seems like they suffer from the same problems.

I'm quite sure Dave sees more Sabatiers in a month than I do in my entire life. But about this very one I'm not sure it is bent, at least I think the dime trick should not be conclusive.
To verify you may sharpen very lightly behind the edge with a flat fine stone, at the lowest possible angle, and look at the abrasion pattern on both sides. It will show high and low spots, and possible bends.

Benuser said:

I'm quite sure Dave sees more Sabatiers in a month than I do in my entire life. But about this very one I'm not sure it is bent, at least I think the dime trick should not be conclusive.
To verify you may sharpen very lightly behind the edge with a flat fine stone, at the lowest possible angle, and look at the abrasion pattern on both sides. It will show high and low spots, and possible bends.

Click to expand...

It's subtle enough that I'm not even certain it'll cause a real problem, but I've always heard that a knife blade absolutely must be perfectly straight, and that if it isn't it could create long run problems with sharpening.

Are you saying that there may not be a problem at all?

The dime test shows one thing, that is that both faces are not symmetric. That's normal, and that's how it has to be. Right face more convexed, fatter so to say, left face flatter.
Most blades show high and low spots. Some a spine which isn't perfectly straight, while the edge is. Most minor irregularities are sharpened out with time.
If you haven't noticed anything when sharpening the blade I can't imagine any serious issue.

i'm not sure i follow all that's been said in this thread, bent or not?

to check if it's bent just hold the knife with the edge up and the tip pointing towards you in about eye level.
now you should be abel to see along the edge if it is bent or not

if it's straight i suggest you twist the knife and check if the spine is straight also.
if the spine is bent the knife has been grinded straight towards the edge and is usable

then turn and twist the knife horisontal with the edge to you and begin looking at the heel area and try hold it steady with edge in center towards it's spine
and follow the edge towards the tip.
if it's centered at the heel area but not towards the tip you have a twisted blade= No good

I'm not sure my english can do much better but i hope it's usefull in either way