Sharpnes tests?

[silverpete]

Hope that wasn't your last one

[andy1000]

Real world, real use sharp varies.

My knives are sharp but I also use them and like them to have a maintainable edge with a bit of beef behind it!
If I wanna shave I've found that Gillette do a fantastic line of "razor" blades just for the purpose.

Haha, how true! I finally got around to trying my ceramic sharpening 'steel' I bought a few weeks ago. A couple of passes and the Santoku kitchen knife that Tom (TB_London) shaped & created for me was sharp enough again to slice through a sheet of A4 without effort. Goes through food like a knife through butter too

On the other hand, the rest of the original set of knives, despite having been run through one of those safety sharpeners, barely cut at all or just ripped it. To be fair they were pretty blunt anyway and I don't know how old or good the sharpener was I used! Thankfully the Santoku fulfils nearly all my needs

[87pounds]

Hope that wasn't your last one

The last one i was allowed to cut in half (the wife found out)

[RamblerUK]

Real world, real use sharp varies. Sometimes it's possible o get that thin an edge it's scary sharp, so sharp that when you actually cut anything.....




You gotta sharpen it again!
My knives are sharp but I also use them and like them to have a maintainable edge with a bit of beef behind it!
If I wanna shave I've found that Gillette do a fantastic line of "razor" blades just for the purpose.

+1

I think it's one of those 'less is more' things. For general day to day use paper shaving sharp is more than good enough.

A test I do is rest the knife on my finger tip at the shallowest angle it will cut and drag it even so slightly (Max. 2mm) with just the weight or the blade (Or less if it's a big blade ). If the first layer of skin starts to lift from your finger painlessly then it's sharp. If you draw blood painlessly it's sharper.

WARNING - Makes sure you've thoroughly cleared the blade, you don't want any bits of steel under your skin

[Hatethatgiraffe]

Filleting a sheet of A4 is plenty sharp

[rb8989]

Well thats good. I have the side of my face with my petty last night. It did burn a little after though, but that might be my technique more than anything.
I think I'm ready for a straight razor!

Oh yes, you're braver than I. I only trusted myself to shave with a knife after being a regular straight razor shaver for some time!
Still, shaving the mustache can still make my palms sweat a bit!

[Manofkent]

Real world, real use sharp varies. Sometimes it's possible o get that thin an edge it's scary sharp, so sharp that when you actually cut anything.....




You gotta sharpen it again!
My knives are sharp but I also use them and like them to have a maintainable edge with a bit of beef behind it!
If I wanna shave I've found that Gillette do a fantastic line of "razor" blades just for the purpose.

Ha.. I totally agree. My Users I keep at a slightly wider angle and just make sure they are usably sharp.
But The knives I dont use for jobs I like to keep insanely sharp. Mainly to practice my sharpening. In the kitchen I have a nice santoku which I keep in good shape, but my petty I keep lazer sharp and only use it for very light duties like tomatoes, garlic and chillies.

I have got my boker plus xs to the point that I can cut a hanging hair very slowly, but only when you cut slightly downward. If I cut horizontal it wont catch.

[windy81]

for those with two exit points hehe

[rojaz]

Filleting a sheet of A4 is plenty sharp

And changing the direction of the slow moving cut (90 degree left, right or even circular) effortlessly without 'stalling' or 'catching' is a good indicator of sharpness and any faults in the edge.

[Gazo]

This is a sharp knife. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTHD2J2za6Y

[the laird]

This is a sharp knife. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTHD2J2za6Y

yep thats sharp enough

[Manofkent]

Yeah!!! pretty sharp!

I can get anything to shaving sharp. But 'tomato sharp' I struggle with.

[Ben_]

For me, as soon as it shaves hair I tend to stop. However, I have 2 knives (a Svord Peasant knife I convexed and a cKc Friction folder) that are too sharp to do that and they'll cut some of the hair if I hover over the skin as I push.

Whenever I've started to shave with those two I've stopped immediately as they just bite in too easily.

Search for Murray Carter on the web or You Tube and sign up for his sharpening tips

Murray Carter is the chap that wet shaved with a spoon.

[Manofkent]

Watching now. Brilliant!

[rb8989]

Whenever I've started to shave with those two I've stopped immediately as they just bite in too easily.

No such thing as too sharp for a shave!