How does sharp feel?

I forgot to mention, both knives have the stock edge and the Calypso has been used more often. Then we have my Browning 679 fixed blade. The edge is pretty thick (I have to raise the knife A LOT to hit the edge) and plus I believe that it's just dull (no shaving), but it'll go through cardboard just fine.
 
Feeling really has little to do with how sharp the edge actually is. The sharpest blade you could get would cut right into you so cleanly without pushing flesh down around the cut area so you wouldn't feel it going in.

Touch the edge at an a slight angle against a finger nail. If it slides off, it's dull. If it stops, it's sharp. If it feels like it's glued there at the lightest contact, it's very sharp.
 
WadeF, I'm glad you posted the toilet paper picture....I've never been able to do that but I now realise that you used single ply. Guess what, my calypso with my resharpened edge (sharpmaker n strop) can do a clean cut too....

I'm feeling happy now....
 
spyken said:
WadeF, I'm glad you posted the toilet paper picture....I've never been able to do that but I now realise that you used single ply. Guess what, my calypso with my resharpened edge (sharpmaker n strop) can do a clean cut too....

I'm feeling happy now....
Click to expand...

After reading some of the sharpening tips on here it isn't that hard to do. Also the Calypso was born to rule the TP test with it's blade shape. :) It's a natural slicer.

How many sheets can you get through before it snags or you just run out of blade?
 
Don't know... I loose enough skin on my stones without trying to slice my thumb up too. I generally just stand up a bic lighter or pen and hold a knife at a 45 degree angle to it, and without any pressure other than the weight of the knife, see if it wants to slip or bites right in and sticks there. I've seen a page on sharpening Japanese kitchen knives where someone used their tumbnail this way, but I have a hard enough time keeping my nails looking okay without making them fuzzy from little knife knicks.
 
Zero sheets with the Browning....
I've been going at the knife on both fine and medium Spydie Benchstones. Still no bite. I AM hitting the edge, I can feel it
 
My father is a fan of the fingernail test, but I found that some knives bite even though they aren't sharp.

My favorite is the skin test. Most of my knives can easily slice cut a very very thin layer of epidermis off of my thumb. But my Wenger Commander can push cut a thin layer off for a week or two after sharpening it (I use it heavily).
 
I do the forearm shave and fingernail grab test.

Of course, the "it cut me and I didn't feel it" test works pretty good too, but I don't recommend it... :D
 
I wet my thumb and run it along the edge with practically no pressure at all. While most sharp blades will have some drag as the blade starts to cut in, only the sharpest knives start biting on a wet thumb (the ball of the thumb no the nail). Its a trick that was suggested in a Barbers manual. Against coarse, chipped, and wire edges I run it across my thumbnail (also wet). I run the ball of my thumb aross the edge to test for a burr, usually slightly angled from spine to edge.
 
Wow. That toilet paper test is amazing. I doubt that any of my knives could do that. How did you sharpen that particular knife?
 
To me sharp is the same as alot of others, if it shaves my hair then it's sharp. I also use a sheet of paper, but i don't cut straight, I cut down the paper and then start making semi circular motins and see if it pirs or cuts the paper and then I look at the cuts and see if they're clean or if I can see micro "hairs". If it's clean the knife is sharp.
 
To WadeF,

Is that a flatgound Navigator? If it is, did you do it yourself?

I also passed the TP test. I get my blades razor sharp by polishing them on a buffing wheel with the green compound.

Mike
 
To WadeF,

I just realized that was a Calypso. I feel retarded now.

I was just hoping for what was too good to be true!!!

Mike
 
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