Best Way To Test Sharpened Knife??

[TheBadGuy]

I recently got a Sharpmaker and have been going to town. My question is whats the best way to tell if your blade is Scary sharp?? I am getting ragged on by my wife and friends for all the bald spots on my arms and legs

 

[pahl]

If you can shave your face with it, its scary sharp

 

[Kwaiken56]

If you can lay your finger open without even realizing it, it's scary sharp

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Ouch !! You guys are too tough for me ...

What I do to test my knives' edges is to touch the edge to a fingernail. I touch it at the tip and the middle and the belly of the blade if I think it may have any great difference in wear.

About a thirty degree angle will do, lightly tapped or placed against a thumbnail. You'll know if it is sharp by the way it sticks right where you put it. If it is very dull, it will keep on going, sliding down the nail. If it is extremely sharp, it won't move at all.

Once you get a feel for this technique, try a particularly sharp edge on shaving a spot on your arm, to calibrate the two systems. After that, you can let the hair grow back in peace!

Don't use the same nail all the time, either, because it will groove, and hold even a duller edge.

((I don't shave my face anyway, so I can't use that test ))

 

[db]

What are your friends doing looking at your legs anyway? I'd be careful of those friends if I was you. A real good test is to cut a hanging peice of paper towel, then roll up the peice tightly and slice through it on a cutting board. This gives you 2 different types of cutting to test the edge.

 

[TheBadGuy]

If you can lay your finger open without even realizing it, it's scary sharp

I would like to find a method without cutting myself if possible, I do that enough on accident

What I do to test my knives' edges is to touch the edge to a fingernail

Yeah, I saw that done in the video that comes with the Sharpmaker, I just can't seem to get the feel for it yet

What are your friends doing looking at your legs anyway?

I was waiting for that one!!


Does anyone know what the deal is with an Edge Tester?? I think theres one coming my way with that Razor's Edge Passaround.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Hey, maybe you could test it on some of those friends who are staring at your legs!

 

[ARtsig1]

I take a piece of newsprint and see if I can slice the edge like you would if whittling on wood. I try to slice the smallest little strip possible. Another test is to use cigarette wraps as they are very, very thin and only the sharpest of knives will slice them. Went into the store and bought a pack and got the strangest look, even though I explained what I was doing the clerk just smiled. I guess it was a pretty lame excuse.

 

[OwenM]

Slices paper towels, filets paper---it's sharp.

Check out the toilet paper test!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=147711&highlight=toilet+paper+test
It's actually about blade and edge geometry, not just sharpness, and the threads are pretty funny.

 

[logan5]

The edge tester that comes with the razor edge system is basically like the test you can do with you finger nail, but you use a little plastic rod instead of the finger nail.

I really like the finger nail test. I only shave hair ocasionaly for something to do, I think the finger nail is a much better test.

 

[JamesA]

Get a piece of used printer paper.

If you can stab it and slice through it without drag, it's pretty sharp.

If you can slice into the paper at an angle (on the edge of the paper), it's very sharp.

If you can filet the words off of the paper, it's scary sharp.

At least that's my system.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Pull the knife out, flick open the blade, slash repeatedly at a friend or co-worker. If they flinch, it is "scary" sharp. Be sure to wear a mask, so you know they are reacting to the knife, not to your "game face".