Why do most factory edges suck?

[MadMel]

In our litigious society if a knife is really sharp the maker could get sued for letting the customer cut themselves.

I think this is one of the reasons.. Big knife makers like henckels, wusthof etc have their knives on display in the open in departmental stores. At least they do here in Singapore. Maybe they are afraid that some kid may get clumsy and cut themselves and then they get sued?

[Benuser]

For many users a coarse edge will last longer than a highly polished one anyway.

That might be the case with properly sharpened coarse edges. Out of the box you may find incomplete edges with bevels that just don't meet, or edges with a remaining wire edge. I found edges that failed after three slices of a cuncumber. So the concern is not exactly about edge refinement.

[JohnnyChance]

It's not really that complicated. Factory knives, it's a cost issue. Most people's expectations are not as high as ours, a machine or belt edge is more than acceptable. Why pay someone extra to finish an edge that most people wont notice and wont last as long?

Maker knives, they just dont sharpen as much as we do. They spend their time making knives, not sharpening them. Obviously not true of all makers, Carters and Daves have been known to have a few good edges.

[tk59]

I actually thought Devin's edges have been very good, just not as refined as I like them.

[half_hack]

the factory edge on most people's first japanese knife, though it can be improved on, is still a million times better than the edge they were used to...

[jmforge]

You can put a pretty mean edge on a field/hunting knife with a fine grit belt and a little elbow grease on a good strop. That is probably what many knifemakers, myself included, have always done, but super thin kitchen knives are a different breed of cat from what I have seen on here.

It's not really that complicated. Factory knives, it's a cost issue. Most people's expectations are not as high as ours, a machine or belt edge is more than acceptable. Why pay someone extra to finish an edge that most people wont notice and wont last as long?

Maker knives, they just dont sharpen as much as we do. They spend their time making knives, not sharpening them. Obviously not true of all makers, Carters and Daves have been known to have a few good edges.

[JohnnyChance]

You can put a pretty mean edge on a field/hunting knife with a fine grit belt and a little elbow grease on a good strop. That is probably what many knifemakers, myself included, have always done, but super thin kitchen knives are a different breed of cat from what I have seen on here.

Well when those toys sit in drawers and on shelves in the owner's home, any edge will do!

[jmforge]

Eh, hacking up two wild hogs without having to touch the edge is hard to do in a drawer.

Well when those toys sit in drawers and on shelves in the owner's home, any edge will do!