How do you define sharp?

jonnyghost

jonnyghost

Joined
Dec 14, 2009
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112
I don't want to open up a can of worms because I think I saw the tail end of something nasty just before I started posting on this forum but I've got to ask.

Both my RC-5 and Izula came about the same sharpness. Sharp enough to cut most stuff pretty well and about as sharp as any other knife I've bought but I certainly wouldn't shave with them. Mine sharpened right up no problems and hold an edge like mad but I see some people talking about how razor sharp there knife came and so on and I just wonder if mine missed the last polish or if my standards of sharp may be different then others?
 
All of my RATs have been able to shave arm hair out of the box. Could they have been sharper? Of course. Factory edges can almost always be improved upon. As far as factory sharpness goes though (with edge geometery taken into consideration), RAT blades are among the sharpest I've come across.
 
jonnyghost said:
I don't want to open up a can of worms because I think I saw the tail end of something nasty just before I started posting on this forum but I've got to ask.

Both my RC-5 and Izula came about the same sharpness. Sharp enough to cut most stuff pretty well and about as sharp as any other knife I've bought but I certainly wouldn't shave with them. Mine sharpened right up no problems and hold an edge like mad but I see some people talking about how razor sharp there knife came and so on and I just wonder if mine missed the last polish or if my standards of sharp may be different then others?
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My IZULA came pretty sharp, it would shave but with a little force. After a couple strokes on the fine rods on the sharpmaker, it shaved much better and i bet if i had good stropping techniques, i could make it even sharper
 
i like my knives to be able to shave hair (or leg hair so my air hair isnt all patchy from testing my knife's sharpness), but even if its not that sharp it's still sharp enough to be able to do about anything i need it to realistically do
 
jonnyghost said:
Mine sharpened right up no problems and hold an edge like mad but I see some people talking about how razor sharp there knife came and so on and I just wonder if mine missed the last polish or if my standards of sharp may be different then others?
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If I push it on my arm and the hair pops off without resistance, it's sharp. if the hairs tug any...back to the stones.
 
Dizwolf said:
If I push it on my arm and the hair pops off without resistance, it's sharp. if the hairs tug any...back to the stones.
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That's about how I do mine.

I'm not complaining. I don't see the need for the factory to get to crazy with the edge, I mean you're just going to dull it up and have to sharpen it anyway and my favorite thing to do with a new knife is see how sharp I can get it. I was just surprised by some of the descriptions I was getting of the factory edge.
 
It has a certain feel when you touch it, or conversely doesn't hurt alot when you accidently cut yourself.
 
Both Izulas came shaving sharp, had to show my wife just how badass her present was. Not to mention when I cut myself the knife just barely rub on my arm and it split wide open. Maybe you are just high maintenance!!! LOL
 
sharp is what cuts. I spent two months trying to get to some magical super-sharp, and it didn't work. my straight razors don't cut arm hair, they scare it off, but that level of sharpness on my other knives would be useless, the edge would fail straight off.
 
jonnyghost said:
That's about how I do mine.

I'm not complaining. I don't see the need for the factory to get to crazy with the edge, I mean you're just going to dull it up and have to sharpen it anyway and my favorite thing to do with a new knife is see how sharp I can get it. I was just surprised by some of the descriptions I was getting of the factory edge.
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I think that most people were taking into account that it is a factory edge, and having had some experience with the factory sharpness of other makers they were impressed.

I also like my blades to pop hairs off with no resistance. Also (and I don't advise this) I run the edge genlty along my fingertips to see how it bites into the skin (without "cutting" myself). Inspecting the edge under a really bright light can also be really helpful to establish that there are no burrs or inconsistencies.
 
Mine were all razor sharp (OK my RC3 was second hand and was kept razor sharp but my Izula and HEST were direct from Shon Rowen's Dante Inferno !)

And I don't mind about factory sharp as I sharp them myself.
Like a dog who pees to mark his own territory ! ;)
 
Mine is sharp enough that I was wrapping the handle with paracord and my Izula popped out of it's sheath. I went to put it back in and noticed I had blood dripping from my thumb. When I looked at it, I had a really deep 1" slice at the base of it. I was bad enough I had to pull out the Quikclot to stop the bleeding, I should have gone to the doctor for a stich or two though. Funny thing is I never even flet the knife touch my thumb. I tried to take pics to post on the forum but I couldn't stop the bleeding and take the pics at the same time, sorry.
 
I've been using a sharpmaker, but finally bit the bullet and got a set of lansky diamond stones. Did a little work on my izula and rc3. Takes a little getting used to it, but I'm impressed so far. Out of all the methods, lansky clamp, gatco clamp, pull-thrus, rods, and sharpmaker, I still like stones best.

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I find some knives can shave arm hair out of the box, but can't push cut paper. So, I guess my definition of sharp is if you can push cut. My Izula can do both. MY ZT 0350 couldn't push cut out of the box.
 
Sharpness is a strange thing.

on an old AFCK made of ATS34 and another one made of M2...
ATS 34 was more aggressive for wood cutting than M2.
But M2 leaved some kind of "patina" in wood" like the 1095 heat treated by Rowen...

The nature of the steel changes the sharpness.

It's soOo easy to get the rat Cutlery knives to a razorsharp level and without any Lansky diamonds (really I keep that diamonds for S90V or ZDP189...)
Diamonds are overkill on such well treated blade.

Being so concerned about über sharpness on knives a chimp could turn into Vorpal is... almost insulting to their designers !
 
Sharpness is hard to define, but a knife is sharp when I can shave hairs with it. Anything under that is what I call "household sharp". I.E. sharp enough to do household things with, but not THAT sharp.
 
Strop any of the RC knives on leather or carboard and they turn into razor sharp.
It's so simple, you will want to try on all your other knives and check by yourself what means good heat treatment and good geometry.

Your milage may vary but this is my truth. :-D
 
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