How to check if your knife need sharpening?

blade4sell

blade4sell

Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
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Hey members,

How do we check if blade need sharpening? I know when i got my blades new, I can slide paper by gliding it softly....but when do you consider it is time to sharpen?
 
I check by push push cutting phonebook paper. Where the edge fails to be able to push cut paper means it has some defect in the edge, either a chip or a roll ( the two primary reasons a knife goes dull ). You can also get in good bright light and hold the edge so that light shines directly on it. Larger rolls or chips will show as a gleaming area in the edge.
 
estate4life said:
What is best way to DIY sharp? Newbie here...need help?
Click to expand...

Depends. There is no such thing as "best", don't think that way.

Depends on the knife.

Depends on the edge & edge geometry.

Depends on the steel/material.

Depends on your planned uses.

Depends on your tools & skills.

What do you have that you want to sharpen?
 
If you are new to sharpening I recommend the spyderco sharp maker. It's affordable and a good tool to teach you how to hold a consistent angle while sharpening. Great starting point for beginners
 
I use a Crock-stick 4 rod 2-stage sharpener, and an antique spark-plug shaped hone to fix rolls.
 
Hold it under a light and look straight down at the cutting edge.
Nicks and other imperfections will be clearly visible. So much so that it will drive you nuts until you sharpen it.
Bluntruth4u has a 4 part vid on YT that demonstrates it and its the best and easiest method I have found.
 
As previously mentioned, hold it edge-up under a bright light and if you see any reflective spots those are flat spots that need some attention. Once all reflective spots are removed you can test the edge by resting it on your thumbnail and trying to rock it side to side. If it sticks in both directions it's sharp there. If it sticks in one direction but slides in the other you have a rolled edge there and the "sticky" side needs a few extra strokes to remove the lip of the roll. If it slides in both directions it's totally dull there and both sides of the edge need work.
 
Depends on the knife. For my EDCs I used to use the arm hair shaving test but my wife kept commenting on the funky hair patterns so I moved to the Murray Carter three finger test to lightly touch the the length of the blade to feel for the bite in the edge. My kitchen knives are a different level. At <30 degrees inclusive they need to just touch food and glide through. The only check there is my daily use in the kitchen. If they don't cut with very low resistance then it's time for a touch-up.
 
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