Am I crazy or...

ebidis

ebidis

Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
2,884
Do some of my knives lose some edge just sitting around the house? I could swear this happens. They are not rusty, but I swear I can pick up a blade that I sharpened a month ago, and it has not been used, but the edge has lost some of it's sharpness. Anyone else ever notice this?
 
It happens all the time to me too. I like my stuff crazy sharp, all the time. When you get the edge that fine IMHO minute degradation of the edge occurs from the usual suspects, primarily water. It happens to all types of steel eventually. You also have to take into account that if you are testing it by touch that your skin or nails are not the same as they were a month ago. And you may be leaving minute amounts of acidic oils from your skin. A slight touch up with a glass, ceramic rod or strop will bring it right back. I live in a very humid environment < 1/2 mile from salt water which is also a factor. YMMV depending on your ambient environment. It does not seem to matter whether it is carbon or stainless steels, although I do take extra care of steels more prone to staining or rusting.
 
I agree with the previous post. I've seen slight but real dulling of a freshly sharpened and honed edge with no use what so ever. In the previous threads that have come up in the past, some theories include humidity, salty air and "loosening up" or relaxing of the edge with time. Based on my experience, I think it's real.
 
Glad you posted this ebidis. I've noticed this too on blades I've worked to tree topping sharp. I wasn't sure if I was just nuts or the edge was simply oxidizing because it was so thin.
 
its because neutrinos from outer space are bombarding your knives.


but yes, ive noticed blades that have sat a while are not as sharp as when i put them down.
/shrugs nonchalantly
 
I wonder if it's better then to have a working edge vs. a wicked sharp edge?
 
oh good I thought I was going crazy .I told my wife that I thought my knives got dull just sitting . She just looked at me like I was crazy.I recall that someone said that they kept their knives in a special kind of pyramid to align the energies. I may have to give it a try.
 
I like the wicked edge as a few strokes on a strop or very fine rod brings it right back. Most of the time I use the glass rod filaments from old sodium vapor light bulbs. They are any where from 5" to 10" long if you can find them. Got mine when I worked in a scrap yard many years back. A ceramic rod or VF diamond rod works too.
 
I used to find that same scenario with all my knives. I live in Hawaii, so its quite humid and thats just terrible for any decent knife steel. i figured it was just the air getting to it even with some oil rubbed on it. i now store all my blades (all have kydex sheaths. cant do leather in hawaii) with a thin layer of good quality marine gre
 
ase on them and that has taken care of it. now they stay sharp =] . . . dont know why it split my post into two messages. oh well
 
I noticed the same thing with carbon steel blades when I lived in a humid climate. Now that I live in a dry climate, it does not seem to happen very much.

To quote the originator of the theory: Die Entropie der Welt strebt einem Maximum zu. R.J.E. Clausius
 
Anyone that notices this should be happy, because the knife is sharp enough to make the differences obvious. More so if it's the result of one's sharpening skill.

Ever think a dull knife feels duller after sitting idle for a month? :D
 
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