I agree it's weird. I started out like I would any new knife that didn't come sharp: big arkansas, same as you. Then, went to DMT plates.

I think it's a combination of two things: (1) the primary bevel on the shorty is soooooo short and steep that any secondary bevel is well over 25*, and (2) I think I just got a bad temper (the knife, not mine, thought after all the time I've put into the damn thing . . .). Hey, it happens.

I came to the latter conclusion after convexed the thing, which took forever because of the steep primary bevel. It's just a combination of bad geometry (fairly thick stock, fairly narrow blade, bad angle on the grind line) and a steel that has a corse grain structure. After convexing, the 'grind' is now almost back to the blood groove, and I may well have cut through the temper.