[Gulf Coast Handyman]

I picked up a Butz detail knife today at Woodcraft, it is as dull as dull could be, is this normal ? I have a Flex cut detail and others that came nice and sharp, I assumed they all came sharp. I really liked the shape of the blade and the fact that it was thin. Should I get it sharpened or return it ?

Dave

[Just Carving]

I've noticed that when you buy the Butz knife from Woodcraft on-line, you can order sharpening service for $4.99--which I think is an insult and a ripoff after having to pay $15.99 for a knife. They also offer free sharpening instructions, too.

http://www2.woodcraft.com/pdf/77A35.pdf

So, my guess is that the knife has to be sharpened--or at the very least, as it says on the Woodcraft website, "Require honing before use".

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx...e=details#tabs

Wait and see hat the others say, but my guess would be to either send it back, or send it to Rick at Little Shavers:

http://littleshavers.com/Sharpeningbymail.html

and he'll get it straightened out for you--unless you can sharpen it yourself.

Bob L

[BobT]

I bought one of those about 5 years ago. It had a ridiculous bevel on the edge. I threw it in the drawer and forgot about it until I read this. I think I will send it to Rick. I could sharpen it but nowhere as good as Rick.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

You are right, the sharpening service for 4.99 is a ripoff. My thought are the knife should come sharp. I have decided to keep it because I like the shape and size, I guess it's off to Rick's. Thanks for your help.

Dave

[Claude]

I bought a Bütz detail knife 2-3 years ago. It was not sharp, so I sharpened it. Took me a while to figure out how to sharpen it, as the thin blade flexes when trying to sharpen on a stone or strop it. I finally figured out, I had to hold one finger near the tip of the blade as I moved it on the stone/strop; once I did that, it only took a few minutes to get a really nice edge on it. Now, a little stropping every so often, and it's always sharp. It's my prefered knife for fine detail carving.

...but it's not easy to get shart in the first place.

Claude

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Claude,
I tried to sharpen the knife with the directions that Bob L. posted, I had the same problem that you had at first. Being new to carving and very new to sharpening I figured some things are best left to the pros.

Dave

[RussL.]

"...I bought one of those about 5 years ago. It had a ridiculous bevel on the edge. I threw it in the drawer and forgot about it until I read this..."

Hey, I did the same thing but it was only about a year ago.
Maybe I'll send mine to Rick, too.
Can you see it now? All of a sudden Rick gets a couple dozen Butz detail knives from all around the country! :-)

Maybe I'll just give it another try myself.
I am at least a little better at sharpening than I was when I first attempted to sharpen it a year ago.

RussL.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Maybe someone from Butz will read all these posts and say hay we have a problem here, lets make some changes so the people that buy our knives can actually enjoy them, like that will ever happen.

Dave

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Nahh, they would rather sit around saying "wull gulleee vern, whys nobuddy buyin' these here knives?"

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Maybe thats what they need, I know I would not waste my $$$ on another dull Butz knife !!

Dave