- Joined
- Oct 16, 2013
- Messages
- 2,087
Great question --- I'll do my best to answer:
A clean mirror polished edge has several advantages. For starters, there's less surface friction for the steel to glide through any medium -- especially ones that have a tendency to "catch" on grind marks and/or a low grit edge. A true polished edge that is polished properly to the apex-- has an edge/apex that is significant finer/less thick. This finer apex is better capable at deeper medium penetration due to its improved geometry.
As for longevity --- there has been a lot of mixed experiences. Some people find that the more polished an edge is -- the longer it remains atop or at a level that passes in terms of sharpness. Also, these same people find that the more polished a bevel is, the longer it takes for the bevel to becomes ("too rough"/full of grind marks) for efficient cutting after prolonged use.
Then there are those who believe that polished edges fail to "catch" certain mediums --- such as tomatoe skin and just glide/slide off due to the micro serrations being too polished. Many of these same people also argue that overly polished edges tend to have weak/flimsy edges that roll or chip with tougher use.
Generally speaking, while I'm no true expert at all, I can tell you that a polished edge that sees plenty of use, usually ends up looking reminiscent of what an edge would look like if it was finished on a lower "toothy" grit. The trick is to find the right steel, with the right heat treat, and then figure out what apex thickness is the limit before it becomes too prone to rolling/chipping/damage. For INFI and SR-101 --- I've found that a .5 micron thick edge apex is right about the limit for hard use without the edge rolling/damaging. I have beat my HHFSH so freaking hard and it did fantastically with a mirror polished edge and edge apex of .5 micron.
In short --- do what works for you and remember that you're in good hands when working with Busse/Bussekin Knives.
