Sharpening knives out of the box

Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Korin_Mari

Senior Member
Joined
May 7, 2012
Messages
1,323
Reaction score
4
I feel like it is has been forever since I posted on this forum... For anyone who noticed, I apologized. I got abducted by my mother to a place with little to minimal internet, which I will writing more about tomorrow. BUT Anyways...

I was wondering if people knew to sharpened knives out of the box, because the factory edge is not 100% sharp. I assume it is here, but when I poked around the internet in attempts to explain to the customer that all knives are this way, I couldn't really find anything. Granted most companies will never tell customers this, but I was surprised to not find anything on google. (I may have googled the wrong words.)

The reason why knives don't come 100% sharpened (especially Japanese brand knives) is because doing so will scratch the blade. Because it is a product to be sold, these companies cannot risk damaging the aesthetics. I also suspect that sharpening a knife to that extent would make the blade itself a little more brittle, and risk chipping while traveling.

At Korin we offer customers to put the initial blade on their knives before they leave the store (with the customer understanding that it will no longer be refundable) or upon request if purchased over the phone or internet.
 
I think most of the members here know. As for the general public, I'd say they don't.
 
ya just because most Americans look at the ootb sharpness, and don't even care if they have to sharpen it. It comes from our throw away society and no thought in keeping the tool around. Or little alone trying to learn how to take care of it.
 
ootb "sharpness" just doesn't exist.
 
I hate hearing. 'I loved that knife, it was just so sharp when I got it..." from non- knife people.
 
My Nenohi petty from Klein was mindblowing OOTB! That's how a lot of people actually learn what sharp means.

-AJ
 
That's the first I have learned the why.

-AJ

I don't think its something brands want to tell to the public, since they would complain... But I think it's justified. It's not like the knife comes to you dull or anything, and again it's something they have to sell. No one wants a scratched product.
 
Carters come plenty sharp OOTB... But I'm still a noob sharpener.
 
I've bought plenty of knives that were dull OOTB but still had scratches near the bevels from sloppy wheel work (hello Masamoto), and also bought three Carters that were screaming sharp and *didn't* have scratches near the bevels (I'd go out on a limb and say that's true with a Martell knife as well).

"Not wanting to get scratches on the knife" might be the excuse, but it's a lazy one.
 
And to totally beleaguer the point: not being able to hold a steady angle long enough to sharpen a knife without scratching it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the maker's ability to grind a knife in the first place.
 
Maybe I just don't get sharp, but the 2 Japanese knives that I bought came pretty darn sharp. My first was a Takeda 210 Gyuto, and it chipped the first time I cut something because of the high edge on it. I put a microbevel on the edge and it has been fine since. The next one was a Tanaka dammy with ironwood and mosaic pins. It had NO scratches and the kind of edge that leaves you trying to find where the blood is coming from.
 
I've bought plenty of knives that were dull OOTB but still had scratches near the bevels from sloppy wheel work (hello Masamoto), and also bought three Carters that were screaming sharp and *didn't* have scratches near the bevels (I'd go out on a limb and say that's true with a Martell knife as well).

"Not wanting to get scratches on the knife" might be the excuse, but it's a lazy one.

:plus1:
 
I agree. But you know, there always excepts and there are some companies that put the initial blade on each knife before being shipped out and there are some that don't. While I was at Knife Systems this time around, I watch Mr. Aoki's son do the honbazuke (putting the real edge) process on each one of the western style knives. He had a little sharpening section for him behind a massive pile of knives, where he gave our apprentice knife sharpener tips. I was amazed and wondered how many knives he sharpens a day. But even then, Korin sharpens them for anyone who is interested. :)
 
But even then, Korin sharpens them for anyone who is interested. :)
Indeed.

Nice segway.
27wheels-segway-articleInline.jpg


Huh?!

:lol2:
 
Dude Segway totally wins the word appropriation aspect of branding.

It'll be changed in the dictionary in a couple years, I am sure of it.
 
Vertigo I knew someone would post something like that.:fishslap:
 
Police officers on segways make me laugh. Exercise is good for you damnit.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top