How do you define sharp?

[ratamahatta]

just like everbody else has already stated that if it can shave hair off the arm, then it's sharp, now that their's no hair on my arms its to my legs!!!!!!

 

[mworley13]

i agree if it can shave hair its sharp

 

[slice o' life]

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.

Absolutely. I find that if I can shave my face with it, I'm good to go

 

[theamazingdrew]

sharp is sharp enough to cut what needs to be cut

 

[adaman04]

Before I came here it was just the run the fingers perpendicular across the edge test. Now that I have some RATs, if it’s not shaving sharp, it’s not sharp. Unfortunately, I can’t get my own knives that sharp yet.

 

[choltzapple]

The RC-4 is the best knife I've ever owned and it came shaving sharp. I've owned quite a few lower-end knives that I've sharpened, but never gotten as sharp as the RC-4 came from the factory.

I've been sharpening by hand since I was about 10 or so (26 now) and I do alright, but I've never had what I consider a real "fine" stone to polish with. The only knife that I ever got sharp enough to shave with was a Victorinox Farmer. I used a red (fine) DMT mini sharpener then stropped it on a plain leather belt for a couple minutes. Shaved pretty well until I used it on something else

I'm actually reluctant to use the RC-4 because I doubt I'll ever be able to get it as sharp as it is now. I can't afford to buy a nice sharpening system, so I'm kind of stuck. I just hate to see such a great knife go unused for that kind of reason.

But to answer the original question: Now that I've seen what "shaving sharp" really is, it's my new benchmark. Doesn't need to pop hairs off, I'm just impressed that they come off at all.