If I had my time over again I would buy a knife from a custom maker who was prepared to allow me to visit him and teach me how to sharpen the knife in the same manner and skill as he did when I got it. I have had a lot of custom knives with special steels...some were not sharpened well...and I have had other custom knives with middle of the road steels that have amazing edges and edge retention. Sometimes from Bussekin as well....although this might be a "lucky dip" phenomenon...or they are early knives made by Jerry and Dan and I "got lucky". My DFLE has never been sharpened and came with a great factory edge...it just needs stropping. My early Basic 9 is even better on edge retention...who knows...maybe one done by Jerry? That one has not even needed stropping yet. I have two FSH's modified by Garth...again awesome edges...but the rest I have had were middling...maybe the newest SAR4 LE is different...that is also very very sharp.

However if I could pick up the skills Jerry Hossum has on putting an edge on a knife I would be happy to pay for the flights to visit and learn how....his knives are seemingly "unusual" in edge retention and sharpness...one is in 154CM and the other S30V....the edges just don't roll and stay razor sharp despite use which has had me sharpen other knives like my NMFBM and my CS Khukri. His edges were much sharper than my knives from Japan...or elsewhere from custom makers in the USA and the UK. Hell...one knife cut through the leather and fibre lining padded zip pouch it came in during it's postal journey to me....the point is SOOO sharp it just pushed on through to the other side! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />