Whats the best way to fix a knife tip?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Whats the best way to fix a knife tip?

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:17:35 PM EDT

I bought a CRKT 1st Strike a short while ago, & I was taking it out to show my dad & dropped it on the tile floor. I looked it over & couldn't find any scratches or dings so I was pretty happy.

Anyway, I was re-examining it later & found I could just about hang the knife from my thumb nail by the curled over tip.

It must have hit point 1st thus no scratches on the black finish anywhere.

So what is the best way to fix the tip of this or any other knife that gets curled over?

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:19:31 PM EDT

[#1]

If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:19:52 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
I bought a CRKT 1st Strike a short while ago, & I was taking it out to show my dad & dropped it on the tile floor. I looked it over & couldn't find any scratches or dings so I was pretty happy.

Anyway, I was re-examining it later & found I could just about hang the knife from my thumb nail by the curled over tip. It must have hit point 1st thus no scratches on the black finish anywhere.

So what is the best way to fix the tip of this or any other knife that gets curled over?

Sharpen it.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:20:14 PM EDT

[#3]

Sharpen it out. Basicaly reshape the end of the knife to a proper contour. You can rough it out with a smooth file and follow up on your sharpening stone. Don't use any mechanical devise unless you have skills.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:21:57 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

Damned good point.

Pun intended

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:25:16 PM EDT

[#5]

CRKT's are great knives for the price, but it's not high quality steel.

+1 on sharpen it out. You can use a Dremel or grinder, but don't use a new drum and keep the speed down. You will lose the original grind of the tip, but it's no big deal.

Soft-steel sharpening tips to follow...

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:29:57 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

That's bad advice... Unless you depend on the blade for your life. Softer steels can actually produce a sharper blade. It won't hold it's edge, however.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:32:19 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

The BIGGEST +1

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:34:54 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

That's bad advice... Unless you depend on the blade for your life. Softer steels can actually produce a sharper blade. It won't hold it's edge, however.

While true that a softer blade is easier to sharpen it is not always true that it will be sharper.

Plus who would want to spend time sharpening their blade and it be too dull to cut butter after cutting the butter package open?

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:37:48 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

That's bad advice... Unless you depend on the blade for your life. Softer steels can actually produce a sharper blade. It won't hold it's edge, however.

you can make a soft blade sharp. but you can't keep it sharp.
any good blade steel like D2 or ATS34 will take and hold a razor edge.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:39:46 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

That's bad advice... Unless you depend on the blade for your life. Softer steels can actually produce a sharper blade. It won't hold it's edge, however.

Are you familiar with a CRKT?

(It ain't a fillet knife)

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:40:52 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

That's bad advice... Unless you depend on the blade for your life. Softer steels can actually produce a sharper blade. It won't hold it's edge, however.

Your bofe wrong. Harder steels will hold a better edge but softer steels can hold up to more stress without breaking.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:41:32 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
[
While true that a softer blade is easier to sharpen it is not always true that it will be sharper.

Plus who would want to spend time sharpening their blade and it be too dull to cut butter after cutting the butter package open?

I should re-phrase. A softer blade will produce better results in the same sharpening time than a harder blade. I stand by my statement that a soft steel will produce a sharper edge than a harder steel. It WILL NOT last, however.

It's still a shame that some think that this knife should be returned or discarded.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:42:22 PM EDT

[#13]

File the back side down until you move the point past the damaged area. If you try to sharpen your way out, it will take forever and will never look right.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:42:49 PM EDT

[#14]

I wouldn't want a knife that broke from a drop to the floor. Too brittle! A good knife blade should be tough enough and yet soft enough to bend some before breaking. IMHO

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:44:33 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Are you familiar with a CRKT?

(It ain't a fillet knife)

Actually, I am very familiar. I don't think the poster was looking for a fillet knife...

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:46:58 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
I wouldn't want a knife that broke from a drop to the floor. Too brittle! A good knife blade should be tough enough and yet soft enough to bend some before breaking. IMHO

I don't think it broke. I think we have a bent point.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:47:19 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
I wouldn't want a knife that broke from a drop to the floor. Too brittle! A good knife blade should be tough enough and yet soft enough to bend some before breaking. IMHO

Who drops a knife?

If you do, and it lands on the tip, and the floor is ceramic tile--all bets are off. Any good knife will likely snap the tip off. Use one for a screwdriver and find out.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:50:20 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I wouldn't want a knife that broke from a drop to the floor. Too brittle! A good knife blade should be tough enough and yet soft enough to bend some before breaking. IMHO

Who drops a knife?

If you do, and it lands on the tip, and the floor is ceramic tile--all bets are off. Any good knife will likely snap the tip off. Use one for a screwdriver and find out.

I've done a bit of heat treating and forging. Made several knives too. Just expressing my opinion. Carry on.

Posted: 12/28/2005 7:53:47 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I wouldn't want a knife that broke from a drop to the floor. Too brittle! A good knife blade should be tough enough and yet soft enough to bend some before breaking. IMHO

Who drops a knife?

If you do, and it lands on the tip, and the floor is ceramic tile--all bets are off. Any good knife will likely snap the tip off. Use one for a screwdriver and find out.

I've done a bit of heat treating and forging. Made several knives too. Just expressing my opinion. Carry on.

Eh, not busting your chops--just conversing.

I like the Chuck Hawes idea--he gives a double temper to his hunting blades. The edge has a "knife temper" of about 60-61 Rockwell, and the spine has a "spring temper." He claims you can flex the blade about 30* without breaking it. No way I'm going to test it though--$200+ per copy.

You can see the line where the temper changes if you shine the light on it just right. Very cool.

Posted: 12/28/2005 8:07:48 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Eh, not busting your chops--just conversing.

I like the Chuck Hawes idea--he gives a double temper to his hunting blades. The edge has a "knife temper" of about 60-61 Rockwell, and the spine has a "spring temper." He claims you can flex the blade about 30* without breaking it. No way I'm going to test it though--$200+ per copy.

You can see the line where the temper changes if you shine the light on it just right. Very cool.

Agreed. No offense intended, TBK1, but the CRKT blades were machine ground and probably never quenched. Tempering was done in a furnace with thousands of other blades.

Big difference between a $40 production blade and a craft-made blade.

Anyway, send it to me and I'll take it...

Posted: 12/28/2005 8:08:03 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
If a knife tip curls over instead of breaking you need to throw it away or send it back--it's not tempered properly.

That, or just tap it with a small ballpien hammer on a flat surface and call it good.

Still doesn't make it a good knife blade though.

GM

Posted: 12/29/2005 12:05:45 PM EDT

[#22]

Just because the tip is bent does not mean it is a bad knife. Mission makes Titanium knives and they can be sharpened to shave hair. Because of the ti, they are tough as all get out. Typically they hold an edge very well, and the edge will fold over, rather than wear. It just takes a little stropping to straighten it out. The whole knife can be bent and straightened out. The edges do not chip like steel and they do not corrode.

Posted: 12/29/2005 12:08:14 PM EDT

[#23]

New blade, or new knife.

Posted: 12/29/2005 2:30:36 PM EDT

[#24]

If a blade snaps before flexing or bending it was junk anyway.

Posted: 12/29/2005 2:34:55 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
If a blade snaps before flexing or bending it was junk anyway.

I don't know what to say........

Posted: 12/29/2005 2:46:51 PM EDT

[#26]

If it is bent to one side just lay it on an anvil or equivalent and hit it with a hammer and straighten it out. One or two easy licks should be enough. Just a tap or two. You might cover the blade with something to keep from marring it. If it is broken off, touch it on a grinder to restore the point. Don't hold it long or you will heat it up and change the color and temper. Knives are equipment and while they are not disposable they will take a beating and stuff doesn't stay new looking long if you really use it.

Posted: 12/29/2005 2:54:35 PM EDT

[#27]

Straighten the bent tip it will probably pop off (thats good) recontour the shape of the tip eliminating the folded area and sharpen the blade.

I use a 2 x 72 Belt Grinder for this sort of thing, but you can use a bench grinder, go slow and dip the tip in water often. Remember heat is your enemy.

Posted: 12/29/2005 3:08:09 PM EDT

[#28]

A lot of armchair metallurgy on the first page. Broad, meaningless generalizations. Simple carbon steels are easily sharpened to a razor edge at low Rc (like 50) while remaining tough, agreed. I certainly wouldn't want a folder or small fixed blade that soft in carbon steel or most stainless though, since the edge won't last more than a few seconds in cardboard or leather, so it is irrelevant how easily that edge was attained.

Fracture toughness and hardness are NOT inversely proportion when comparing two different materials, so that comparison cannot be made either. Titanium properties at 47Rc cannot be used to make generalizations about stainless.

Reshape the tip using a diamond stone. It will look like new in 10 minutes. Try not to let anybody else drop your knife.

Posted: 12/30/2005 2:03:09 PM EDT

[#29]

www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6093

This is the knife I dropped. I took it to work with me & 1st tried to drag or scrape the tip straight. That didn't work so I looked at une a magnifying glass & saw it was the edge that was bent at about 45 degrees.

So I got out the foughest stone in my Lansky sharpening kit, & wnet to work roughing it off. I had it flattened in no time & went to resharpen it. Had a razor sharp edge in about 5 minutes.

I had a Chicago Cutlery carving knife my ex bent the tip on & when I was sharpening knives I tried to bend it straight using a crack in some metal. Snap! it broke off way past the bent spot. I lost about 1/2" of the tip.

That one needs a serious tip grinding!

I'm looking to have a custom made knife done in a similar style as the CRKT. Anyone have a maker they can recomend?

Posted: 12/30/2005 2:58:05 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
I had a Chicago Cutlery carving knife my ex bent the tip on & when I was sharpening knives I tried to bend it straight using a crack in some metal. Snap! it broke off way past the bent spot. I lost about 1/2" of the tip. That one needs a serious tip grinding!

If it's angled the right way, make a tanto tip. You can be the only on in town with a tanto-tipped kitchen knife.

I'm looking to have a custom made knife done in a similar style as the CRKT. Anyone have a maker they can recomend?

I am very, very happy with our knives made by Chuck Hawes. He is a site member (at least since we bought four knives from him for the Avilas), and he does truly excellent work. His specialty is damascus steel, which he forges himself and sells throughout the world. I'll try to find a pic of one of his knives. IM me if you want his contact info--I have it around here somewhere.

Edit: Not a clear pic, but you get the idea. "Custom" means any size or shape and handle material:

Posted: 12/30/2005 3:07:21 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
I'm looking to have a custom made knife done in a similar style as the CRKT. Anyone have a maker they can recomend?

Well if you want a knife like that (but made much better and with better materials than the CRKT crap), you might as well go to the source - Steve Corkum - since it's his design.

You can see some of his knives here: http://www.newgraham.com/corkum.htm and I imagine you can find much more if you google his name.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Whats the best way to fix a knife tip?

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