Regular sharpening

[Artilary6]

I was just wondering...if you touched up the edge of a knife regularly, maybe once a week or whatever it may be, wont you sharpen the knife so much that the blade becomes noticably shorter? Or does this rarely happen because sharpening just doesn't wear down that much steel if done properly?

 

[samhain73]

After a few years maybe, but thats why we all must learn the wonders of the strop!

 

[Artilary6]

By shorter I mean less distance from the edge to the spine.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Many old pocketknives show just this kind of narrowing of the blade. If you use a Sharpmaker, for example, with the white rods lightly once a week, you will not noticeably impact the blade's width for a long, long time. Stropping will avoid the problem as well, in fact, I tend to strop the blade on my sleeve after I use it.

 

[DrThunder88]

As the highest mountain will eventually be brought down by the relentless assault of wind and rain, so too will our blades be shortened by our attempts to keep them sharp.

 

[Alberta Ed]

This is why you need many, many knives.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

As the highest mountain will eventually be brought down by the relentless assault of wind and rain, so too will our blades be shortened by our attempts to keep them sharp.

old mountains are young hills
old hills are young plains
old plains are young oceans
old oceans are dry

​

 

[Artilary6]

I don't want my new Green Beret to dissapear from sharpening! I better purchase 2 more right away!

 

[Bridges]

This is why you need many, many knives.

Amen! You cannot have too many knives!

 

[fordf250]

Proper sharpening removes steel. Improper and frequest sharpening removes more steel than necessary. Very few, if any knives need that kind of service. Use a hone, steel or strop in between sharpening. You will get good service from your blade and it will last a lifetime.