opinions on when a knife gets dull?

rugershooter16

rugershooter16

Joined
Mar 2, 2007
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ok, so when do you think your knife is dull? I was wondering because i often run into people saying my knife is so sharp when i think it is dull. I think it is dull when it stops shaving, but of course, this is me. It does not mean it doesn't have a field edge.
 
When it will not cleanly slice tissue paper.:D
In reality, if it slips on my thumb nail, I sharpen it.
 
This is very personal issue. For me it is when it takes more than a quick slash to open something. There have been times when I judge based on slicing paper, but right now real usage is more important than proving things. Steven
 
M67Chucker said:
I think it is dull when it stops doing the main task I use it for efficiently.
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Yup - exactly. Not all my knives need the same criteria for sharpness. On some, I want a more durable edge - not one for cutting tissues. But, in general, i too use the fingernail test. If it slides off, time to get 'er sharp again.
 
I imagine the average knut is likely to keep a shaving edge on his or her knives, whereas anyone else isn't likely to even care about the question.
For me, a knife is dull when the edge imperfections start reflecting light, but I usually sharpen them first.
 
It's dull when it stops shaving hair.

If it catches or just sort of scrapes hair I consider it in need of a touch up, but I don't always get to it right away.
 
Depends on how I feel. Sometimes if it doesn't whittle hair, I really want to get the edge there. But generally, if it doesn't slice smoothly through paper or can't shave hair, that irks me.
 
It's dull when you slip and "cut" yourself, and it doesn't even break the skin.

Or, when it won't do the cutting you want.
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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rugershooter16 said:
ok, so when do you think your knife is dull? I was wondering because i often run into people saying my knife is so sharp when i think it is dull. I think it is dull when it stops shaving, but of course, this is me. It does not mean it doesn't have a field edge.
Click to expand...

When it doesn't do what I want. So it depends, most of the kitchen knives are wicked sharp, my pocket knife isn't. It's sharp enough to slice up boxes, and push cut nylon cable ties, but not sharp enough to shave with, unless its freshly sharpened. Cable ties and plastic clamshell boxes are what it gets used on, so that's good enough.

I'm often horrified at how dull people are willing to put up with. When I got a christmas tree, the guy who cut the string to tie it on the car had to saw at it with his knife. I could cut it with my Leatherman just by waving it at it, and I don't keep the Leatherman ultra-sharp. I could cut PVC pipe with my knife for a week before it would be dull by that guy's standards. (Don't cut PVC pipe with a knife. It's a really good way to make sure it needs to be sharpened!) If my knife were that dull, I'd sharpen it on the sidewalk before I'd use it!
 
Arm hair, if it can't do that it is just dull enough to get you in trouble as most accidental self cuttings occur with a dull blade.
 
Whenever a knife nolonger cuts to my expectations its dull and needs sharpening. Now that same knife may still be scary sharp by other people's standards, but if it's not cuttin it for my standards then the sharpener will fix that.
 
Dull being defined as letting the edge get to the point where I feel inclined to sharpen it would be when it no longer removes stubble from my arm or face without considerable scraping. The knife is still quite usable like this but cutting becomes less of a pleasure and more of a chore at this point.
 
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