how sharp is a fixed blade suppose to be?

[Gary007]

got my first fixed blade, a SR DJ. Very nice knife, but not real real sharp. But it is meant for chopping, (right?) so I assume it shouldn't have a razor thin sharp blade, because it might be prone to chip? I stropped it last night but not sure how much sharper it actually got.

Should I not think too much of this, or try to use my Lansky on it? I can be a little obsessive complusive about this kind of matter.

 

[cerberus]

RATS will not chip, at least none of mine ever did. I put a shaving sharp edge on my Camp Tramp and thinned it out to make a better slicer and never had a problem with chipping on hard woods or anything else for that matter. It was really easy to do on my EdgePro and did not take very long............But alas, I have not used a knife for anything in two months as I have been sidelined due to work and soccer season. Had time to take one fishing trip and did not even get to filet a fish as the guides did all that

I say put the edge on it you want.....It will live up to anything you can throw at it.


Cerberus

 

[yoda4561]

I say it should definately shave hair, not necessary in a chopper, but a duller edge really isn't any stronger, and as long as it lasts it will chop better as you'll get better penetration, instead of it bouncing off the wood fibers. What you don't want to do is sharpen it at a very low angle so that there's almost no metal supporting the actual cutting edge. If you do then anything other than perfect technique will likely result in the edge rippling, folding over, or even breaking off if you hit something bad. Unless you're chopping rocks a 30 degree included angle is more than strong enough, and that's what alot of people put on their light duty folding knives.

I wouldn't call the desert jack a chopper though, more of a medium sized utility fixed blade that can do light chopping or suffice for heavier jobs if that's all you happen to have. So yeah, make that edge as thin as you want, but I don't reccomend the lanksy unless you're used to using it on blades that size. I had no end of trouble trying to use it to sharpen anything other than folders and thin fixed blades under 5 inches long.