Has anyone else ever been f**d up enought to try this?

[johnniet]

I must really be procrastinating right now.

A while ago I got the Razor's Edge sharpening kit, which includes a couple of "sharpening strips"--basically sandpaper with a semi-adhesive back. I wanted to sharpen my Cricket, and I didn't have anything that seemed right to stick the strips to.
So I stuck one on my fingertip.
Using my fingertip, I rubbed the sandpaper right along the bevel. I could feel the curve of the blade, and pretty well tell what angle the bevel was supposed to be. I sharpened with the coarse strip for a while, and when it got smoother, I switched to the fine strip.
The edge is improved--it was pretty banged up before--but it doesn't seem super-duper sharp. But with practice I wonder if this could be a legitimate technique.

 

[Larry S.]

NOT ON MY FINGER IT WOULD'NT!!!

Larry S.

 

[Alarion]

Yes, a lot of people. It is indeed one of the finishing steps of the traditional togi, the art of polishing and sharpening japanese swords, done with a paper thin piece of extra-fine natural polishing stone glued to a piece of rice paper.
It doesn't work well on a balde with a secondary edge bevel, but works very well on a blade with an apple-seed edge section.