How sharp is a rockstead really?

[Wowbagger]

I have two Rockstead, one sharper than the other.

The two sharpest knives I have ever handled are the Rockstead Kou (currently using daily)

I would really like to see photos of the two you have; especially the Rockstead Kou. I don't know much about these.
Maybe you can bring it back from the rat hole I'm about to make with some nice photos of your Rocksteads.
Please.
(sorry I'll stop now)

I got mine for $8 at the gun show. One of the best deals around for a knife that you'll use every day. Pretty easy to get sharp with a diamond steel or anything else for that matter.

You got me beat.
by the way : Fits in a Mora sheath (doesn't dull the edge) a little bit of heaven.

 

[Wowbagger]

That HHT scale seems pretty silly.

Dude . . . . . .
don't look now but a whole bunch of the stuff we do here IS pretty silly.
Best not to look too close.
Unless it is at a hanging hair and the carnage the edge is doing to it.
ok, oK, OK . . . just how would you gauge sharpness ? ? ?
go ahead, come on, go ahead . . .
how ?

 

[lex2006]

Ive never had a factory edge this sharp , not even close

 

[SpySmasher]

Dude . . . . . .
don't look now but a whole bunch of the stuff we do here IS pretty silly.
Best not to look too close.
Unless it is at a hanging hair and the carnage the edge is doing to it.
ok, oK, OK . . . just how would you gauge sharpness ? ? ?
go ahead, come on, go ahead . . .
how ?

By some objective measure that doesn't rely on the observed behavior of a hair. My sharpness testing is the same as everybody else's (cutting paper, shaving hair) but it seems like that "HHT" scale has pretensions of scientific objectivity (The HHT scale? really?) when it's just the same "feel your way there" nonsense that we all do.

 

[nick_30]

I personally think it is a GREAT test of the edge keeness. Think about it, I have stropped to 1.5m and it maybe will violin a hair, but take it down to .01m and that is when the real magic happens. I have seen semi dullish knives quick slice phone book paper..big whoop....but for a edge to be thin enough to fit in between the shingles of a single 20micron hair and then cut it in half with the lightest pressure or no pressure is freaking awesome. Not to mention a hair is stronger than copper in the same thickness.

 

[nick_30]

It's also about leverage when "testing by shaving your arm" or anything else. When it comes to hht, you have no leverage or fulcrum point. Only the weight of the hair. Pushes to ability of the edge even further to test it's TRUE keenness

 

[TheEdge01]

Dude . . . . . .
don't look now but a whole bunch of the stuff we do here IS pretty silly.
Best not to look too close.
Unless it is at a hanging hair and the carnage the edge is doing to it.
ok, oK, OK . . . just how would you gauge sharpness ? ? ?
go ahead, come on, go ahead . . .
how ?

Yup, knife aficionados do some silly things, especially ones that are obsessed with getting our knives as sharp as possible, depending on our skill level and sharpening equipment of course.
I’ll admit that I have tried but not achieved the hanging hair test, but I occasionally have bald spots on my arms and magazines with missing pages that I previously turned into confetti.

 

[kniferbro]

SSJ5 Goku is my favorite

 

[nick_30]

Ultra Instinct! For sure

 

[Chefget]

The Kou is on top

 

[brandoak]

I cant help but feel like the acclaim to RS is in justification of buying one...
I've had three now and baptized one of my Higo's into the world of building a new home. I cut everything with it and treated it no differently than any other work knife. From the factory they are hair popping sharp with a distinct glassy edge. Fit and finish is great, on-par with CRK. Unfortunately this is where my praise stops. My Higo dulled faster than any of my other edc's. After cutting burlap bags, cardboard, tyvek and much more, it felt as though I was cutting with a dull butter knife. This led me down the road of using a strop for the first time.
I followed the online tutorials and sharpened my Rockstead to what seemed like a pretty sharp edge again and returned it to use. Its first task was to cut six Nylon tie-down straps used to anchor a shed for high winds. By the 3rd strap I found myself preforming that sawing motion... trying to utilize any sharp area on the blade that was still left. By the sixth strap my Higo was dull as dull could get. I now felt like the guy who purchased the snake oil. Just as a test, I retrieved my Insingo from the truck and made six identical cuts on the same tie-down straps. My Insingo was still ready for more.
On a good note, I now use a strop on my other knives where I would have never tried it or done so without buying the Rocksteads. I can achieve an edge on my edc's unlike what I've ever experienced before.
My Higo was in YXR7 with a r/w of 65.1 in Honzukuri grind.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I cant help but fee like the acclaim to RS is in justification of buying one...
Ive had three now and baptized one of my Higo's into the world of building a new home. I cut everything with it and treated it no differently than any other work knife. From the factory they are hair popping sharp with a distinct glassy edge. Fit and finish is great, on-par with CRK. Unfortunately this is where my praise stops. My Higo dulled faster than any of my other edc's. After cutting burlap bags, cardboard, tyvek and much more, it felt as though I was cutting with a dull butter knife. This led me down the road of using a strop for the first time.
I followed the online tutorials and sharpened my Rockstead to what seemed like a pretty sharp edge again and returned it to use. Its first task was to cut six Nylon tie-down straps used to anchor a shed for high winds. By the 3rd strap I found myself preforming that sawing motion... trying to utilize any sharp area on the blade that was still left. By the sixth strap my Higo was dull as dull could get. I now felt like the guy who purchased the snake oil. Just as a test, I retrieved my Insingo from the truck and made six identical cuts on the same tie-down straps. My Insingo was still ready for more.
On a good note, I now use a strop on my other knives where I would have never tried it or done so without buying the Rocksteads. I can achieve an edge on my edc's unlike what I've ever experienced before.
My Higo was in YXR7 with a r/w of 65.1 in Honzukuri grind.

This is one of the problems with highly polished edges--they're best used to push-cutting, have very little slicing aggression, and lose their bite in slicing cuts quite rapidly. By contrast, if you try using a coarse edge for push cutting, you'll experience that same rapid blunting. For most utility tasks a coarser edge (but still with a crisp apex!) is much preferred, as it is more aggressive in slicing cuts and holds its edge longer.

 

[nick_30]

......wow, now that is some real world stuff right there. U got Big cahoneys or a bunch of money...bahahah

 

[brandoak]

This is one of the problems with highly polished edges--they're best used to push-cutting, have very little slicing aggression, and lose their bite in slicing cuts quite rapidly. By contrast, if you try using a coarse edge for push cutting, you'll experience that same rapid blunting. For most utility tasks a coarser edge (but still with a crisp apex!) is much preferred, as it is more aggressive in slicing cuts and holds its edge longer.

I agree completely and have learned from my experience. Well said.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It's one of the reasons I consider such highly polished edges to be mostly a parlor trick at this point, unless you're doing wood carving work or similar where that kind of edge is actually ideal.

 

[nick_30]

Absolutely, I will take a course grit edge for daily use any day of the week. And you are right, there are very few instances where a polished edge is more useful. I mostly have it for removing tiny metal splinters from my hands and for showing off

 

[brandoak]

The Rockstead didn't prove to be a great edc or work knife for me, but maybe it will for others.
One persons edc tasks may greatly vary from another's. I guess it all depends on what you expect from it. Ill be honest and say Im embarrassed that I fell for the hype...and then maybe I shouldn't be. Maybe I just bought a knife that was meant for a different usage altogether... maybe I should be embarrassed that I bought a hammer to rip boards in half. If I ever get a job as a free hanging hair shaver or phone-book push cutter I might be inclined to reinvest.

 

[Natlek]

It can be sharpest knife in the world .............but it is not slicer ! Two hand to cut that rope and that paper ????????? If Rockstead ever grind full height convex blade I will buy one ...............

 

[NJBillK]

Factory edge is ultimately kind of irrelevant.

Sort of. There are plenty of folks that aren't willing or able to sharpen their own knives and they rely upon services like Benchmades Lifesharp or otherwise for edge maintenance. It is entirely possible that the OP is among these ranks.

 

[brandoak]

Sort of. There are plenty of folks that aren't willing or able to sharpen their own knives and they rely upon services like Benchmades Lifesharp or otherwise for edge maintenance. It is entirely possible that the OP is among these ranks.

Yes and then add that Rockstead wants you send your knife back to Japan for sharpening, meanwhile to strop it with a particular compound and strop material.