how sharp is sharp enough?

T

TheGoldenWalrus

Joined
Jul 16, 2011
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433
just curious of how sharp everyone likes to keep their knives at a minimum. not too long ago i kept all my knives quite close to hair whittling sharp (after i learned how to get them to hair whittling i realized i was actually quite close before). and then i realized i REALLY didnt need anything that sharp. so i brought my "Sharp enough" bar down to S (push) cuts in regular printer paper. (still sharper than i need though XD)
 
The answer is in your question. Sharp enough is when you get it sharp enough for you or your intended use. Probably varies from person to person. I am like you, in that my "users" are sharp enough for my day to day uses. I do have some sharper than that, just to prove to myself that I can get them that sharp. They are my "show off knives".:cool:

Omar
:rolleyes:
 
Sharp enough for my EDC is just shaving sharp. Anything above that does not seem to last long anyway. I don't let my knives get dull though even if that means a touch up a few times a week depending on what I'm cutting. I do this with a 30 degree primary bevel with a 40 degree micro bevel. Easy to maintain, cuts well, and remains "usable sharp" for quite a while.
 
If I can shave hair then I'm content and know my blade will do anything I ask of it, and hold its edge for a while.
 
For many of us that have taken up sharpening as a hobby in and of itself there is no such thing as sharp enough. We're always striving for the next level of sharpness. In reality though, sharp enough is sharp enough to cut what needs to be cut, which in most cases really isn't that sharp. That said, I keep all of my knives sharp enough to push cut phone book paper and easily shave arm hair. They're all hair whittling when they come off the stones, but obviously if you actually use your knives they don't stay that way very long. A couple swipes on my spyderco uf ceramic stone and a minute on the strop brings them back to screaming sharp in no time.
 
a agree "Just shaving sharp", in other words, as soon as you can run in down your arm and a few hairs pop. I dont need it to shave all the hairs off my arm in one swipe. as soon as a few hairs pop its good.
 
Push-cut newspaper / phone book paper = sharp enough.
Tearing copy paper = time to re-sharpen.
 
I usually take it to phone book paper sharp, once it laser beams that with ease I'm good to go.
 
In reality?

Sharp enough to cut the stuff I need to cut = sharp enough

Not that I don't mess around trying to get my blades more than sharp enough. But that's just messing around having fun.
 
My general edc steel is M390 at 10 per side. When i sharpen it, it usually comes out splitting hair and treetopping leg hair., I resharpen it after it hasnt been shaving for a week or 2, or when im bored, it doesnt take long. Some other steels lose their aggressiveness after the shaving edge is gone, those usually get touched up after shaving ability is gone. Others dont hold shaving long and hold the working edge for a long time, they are touched up when I feel they are ready to be.

Hair splitting (hht3) seems to be my default test, if I am going for absurd sharp edges, i test hht4 where the edge pops the hair in half. I go this sharp as I enjoy it, and it takes less than a minute generally.
 
If I had time I would take all my knives to the next level as a hobby. I do find that I'm sharpening my two sons (18 and 25) plus all their friends knives all the time. That means something that is somewhat fast and I can touch up when they drop by. Since I cook all the time at home and have custom kitchen knives I have though about getting better at freehand with waterstones. I do find that with a good bevel and micro bevel I can touch up down to Sharpmaker UF rods and then a quick strop and it can slice through your finger and done even feel it .... (don't ask).
 
For me, I prefer just a utility sharpness, I prefer strength of the edge rather than sharpness.
 
This thread looks familiar.

'Sharp enough' happens for me when my knives are sharp enough to cut what needs cuttin'. If they don't cut what needs cuttin', then they aren't sharp enough to be considered 'sharp enough'.
 
Aside from very specific task. Most of my cutting is EDC type cutting. Sometimes in decent volume at work. So as long as my knife can still push cut receipt paper. Or slice phonebook paper. I am generally happy. However, for me to be happy with the sharpness after it comes off the stones. It has to at least whittle hair, that is just a weird OCD thing I suppose :D.
 
My usual test is phone book paper, can't seem to do better than that myself. For some of my knives that I wanted really sharp I sent them to some of our fellow members who sharpen:)
 
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