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Can someone give me some advice on how to test the sharpness of my blades?I just sharpened some knives and want them razor sharp!
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How to test sharpness
- Thread starter FirstKnife
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Try and shave your face.
Carefully.
Carefully.
They're a lot of different answers to this...seems everyone has their preferred method. Here are mine:
1: Lay the blade at 45-30 degree angle on a fingernail. It should not slide. In fact it should almost seem like its "grabs" the nail was soon as it touches.
2: See if you can shave a portion of your arm hair. This should not take any effort. I can "make" an edge shave if its borderline...but you want it to do the work for you. (Besides, "making" it shave isn't exactly safe)
3: The Hair-Pop test. I admit...I can rarely get them this sharp. Pluck a hair hold it in you fingertips. Just barely touch the edge to the hair. The free end of the hair should vanish. (A little easier to do if you hold the old portion of hair in your hand and try to "slide" the edge towards the new/follicle end.)
There are my methods in order of Acceptable sharpness, "Sharp", and "Scary" sharp.
1: Lay the blade at 45-30 degree angle on a fingernail. It should not slide. In fact it should almost seem like its "grabs" the nail was soon as it touches.
2: See if you can shave a portion of your arm hair. This should not take any effort. I can "make" an edge shave if its borderline...but you want it to do the work for you. (Besides, "making" it shave isn't exactly safe)
3: The Hair-Pop test. I admit...I can rarely get them this sharp. Pluck a hair hold it in you fingertips. Just barely touch the edge to the hair. The free end of the hair should vanish. (A little easier to do if you hold the old portion of hair in your hand and try to "slide" the edge towards the new/follicle end.)
There are my methods in order of Acceptable sharpness, "Sharp", and "Scary" sharp.
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Try cutting some cheap cig. rolling papers up. It's hard to cut them without tearing, even if you can shave with it well.
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If your blade is long enough or your technique good enough, try this.
Take one sheet of newspaper and roll it up into a tube and tape it all the way down the seam. Stand it on the edge of a table and with a nice slicing action perhaps at a downwards angle, see if the blade will cut the tube of newspaper off instead of just pushing it over and putting a gough in it =)
Kinda like very cheap tameshigiri test cutting!
Take one sheet of newspaper and roll it up into a tube and tape it all the way down the seam. Stand it on the edge of a table and with a nice slicing action perhaps at a downwards angle, see if the blade will cut the tube of newspaper off instead of just pushing it over and putting a gough in it =)
Kinda like very cheap tameshigiri test cutting!
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Field dress a deer with it. If your not cussing when you get done, it's sharp. Then field dress a second deer with it. If you're still not cussing when you're done, it's got a great heat treat and is sharpened just right!
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Hang a balloon by a string. Swing the knife at it.
If you can cut it in half, and it stays inflated, your knife is sharp!
If you can cut it in half, and it stays inflated, your knife is sharp!
i see if i can pop off a hair by lightly touching it. if it does, then i know its sharp. i also try pushcutting newspaper sometimes. i also look straight down on my edges like i'm going to split my nose. if i see an area shine, i know thats a dull spot. i use the cardboard wheels to sharpen with and you cant beat the edge you get with them. stevebot, a member here sells the wheels to members at a discount. i have links at my website. check them out.
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I am with you on that kind of test scottickes no better way then to test it in the field. :yawn:
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If you can cut foam ear plugs without compressing them, it's a pretty sharp knife. If you can get the innards to fall out of a deer just showing the deer your knife it's really #@$@# sharp.
I'm sure you know but I'm just going to repeat it for someone that doesn't. Sharpness is relative to intended use. A sharp axe isn't going to be a sharp kitchen knife. While you could sharpen an axe like you would a kitchen knife it's not going to be a functioning axe for very long.
I primarily make what I consider 2 different categories of blades, my hunting/field/edc blades and my chef's knives. I use 1/2" rope to test my general usage blades and I slice bread to test my chef's knives. I have an acceptable rope count and it's a pressure/feel thing for the bread slice.
Hope that helps at least tell you how I think bout it, you got my first post on my first cup of coffee.. lol
Will
formerly known as badbamaump
I'm sure you know but I'm just going to repeat it for someone that doesn't. Sharpness is relative to intended use. A sharp axe isn't going to be a sharp kitchen knife. While you could sharpen an axe like you would a kitchen knife it's not going to be a functioning axe for very long.
I primarily make what I consider 2 different categories of blades, my hunting/field/edc blades and my chef's knives. I use 1/2" rope to test my general usage blades and I slice bread to test my chef's knives. I have an acceptable rope count and it's a pressure/feel thing for the bread slice.
Hope that helps at least tell you how I think bout it, you got my first post on my first cup of coffee.. lol
Will
formerly known as badbamaump
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, oohh, it's sharp 
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If all else fails, try shaving someone elses face, I'v found this method to be much safer...At least to MY face.
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Thanks for the tips my friends..and the humor!..lol
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Just a side note on sharpness:
Sharp as a razor is only a good edge if you are shaving something with it.
An axe is not "sharp as a razor", but will cut down a lot more trees.
The edge is "sharp" if it will do the job intended with ease and proficiency.
A cut up tin can is sharp, but isn't tough. The HT needs to be right to insure that the edge holds up to use, and stays sharp.
Edge geometry is far more important than how "sharp" the blade is. With proper edge geometry, a hunting knife will out cut a fillet knife 20 to 1.
Field dressing a couple of deer is a good test of the overall ability of the (hunting) knife to do the job. For those who don't have a couple of deer laying around, cutting up manila (sisal) rope and cardboard are standard test for most types of blades.
Stacy
Sharp as a razor is only a good edge if you are shaving something with it.
An axe is not "sharp as a razor", but will cut down a lot more trees.
The edge is "sharp" if it will do the job intended with ease and proficiency.
A cut up tin can is sharp, but isn't tough. The HT needs to be right to insure that the edge holds up to use, and stays sharp.
Edge geometry is far more important than how "sharp" the blade is. With proper edge geometry, a hunting knife will out cut a fillet knife 20 to 1.
Field dressing a couple of deer is a good test of the overall ability of the (hunting) knife to do the job. For those who don't have a couple of deer laying around, cutting up manila (sisal) rope and cardboard are standard test for most types of blades.
Stacy