Sharp Knives: Necessity or Marketing Ploy?

C

clip point

Joined
Nov 14, 1998
Messages
213
Greetings,


This is a theory.


For years, knife manufacturers have been touting the cutting and slicing efficiency of their products, flagrantly using such bold statements like "honed" or the ever-suspicious, "sharp".

My question then to you is this. Why is it that we need "sharp" knives? And by whose definition of "sharp"? Personally, I think the flint shards I chip off in the backyard work well enough.

And obviously, there is a larger issue here, namely one of safety. Can we as consumers be allowed to own such potentially dangerous tools? How can the manufacturers sleep at night, knowing little Timmy could find his father's M.D.U.K. in the house?

I, for one, believe these terms like "sharp", or "razor-honed" are examples of irresponsible pandering to the knife using public. If one or even two people are goaded into purchasing one of these so called "razor-honed" knives because of the salacious advertising campaigns, doesn't it send a message to us all? Surely, we will soon become a population of Band-Aid wearing, Twinkie eating automatons, salivating in a Pavlovian like trance, whilst we await the newest "ultra-sharp" M.D.U.K. from XYZ Co.

Are we being led to believe "sharp" knives actually work better for some reason? If this is the case, then I would like to see some scientific proof. (Perhaps the JPL labs in Boston could free up some time) Is there truth to this "edge geometry" talk I've been hearing so much about? Or is this all a part of a grand ruse masterfully orchestrated by the cutlery manufacturers?


Thoughts? Opinions?


Thank You,


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(toungue planted FIRMLY in cheek)
 
Sharp to me means being able to shave the hair off your body and keeping an edge for a loooonnnngg time. The sharper the knife - the safer the knife! Ever been cut with a dull blade? It leaves a nasty cut and heals slower and scars more easily. A sharp blade leaves a clean cut which heals faster and there is also a less chance of scaring.

Less work cutting with a sharp blade, less chance of slipping!

markd.jpg

 
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Did April Fools Day come early this year? Am I just getting older? Or is it just tooo eary in the morning?
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Don't answer that now!!
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Mark


 
clip point seems too have been clipped a little close this time...


Sharp does not matter. I will soon use a blade to dullness, and need to sharpen it anew. And I have yet to find a manufacturer that creates substantially sharper blades than I can. That said, I would rather use a sharp blade than a dull blade. The depth and trauma in the cut have little to do with the degree of sharpness the standard member here speaks of, however, the force needed to cut a specific item can vary tremendously with small degrees of sharpness. And, I think everyone sees this, hitting oneself with more force will be more harmful than less force.

So, regardless of the degree of sharpness, I will be able to sharpen it very nearly close. I just prefer that manufacturers do not choose extremely radical edge angles, or sharp-cornered blade angles, as these are harder for me to sharpen.


Stryver


 
The marketing problems begin earlier than the use of the adjective 'sharp'. The real problem comes with using the noun 'knife' to describe these destructive instruments. Once you call them knives, the public expects them to 'cut' (verb) and be 'sharp'. Once this cycle of evil starts there is no hope for a PC resolution. We must outlaw marketeers if we hope to be safe from the dangers of words.
 
Guys! It's a joke! I wasn't serious, it's a parody...

Oh well, what's actually even more humorous are the serious toned-responses...
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clip
 
Despite being a joke, I have noticed that some of my knives are TOO sharp for some uses. For example, of my favorite little knife to use for cutting fruit, cleaning fingernails, etc, they are a little dull so chances of cutting myself are reduced. Also, I was using a factory edge Jot Sing Khalsa (SPyderco) to cut a box open last night. Actually, my fiancee was also helping. We didn't want to slice the outer paper deeply because there was gift wrap under it. The damn thing was TOO sharp! Every time she laid the knife down, too, it stabbed into the tablecloth! It was funny... aknife that's actually too sharp. For everday use I need something a little more dull. Am I the only one?

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Yes, Chiro, you are the only one.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
I have found that the dull blade made of cheap steel of unknown heritage is the most consistant cutting tool. It takes a dull edge and holds it forever. You never need to sharpen it because it can't get much duller and it can't get much sharper. You never have to wonder if you should have sharpened your knife before the big hunting trip because you know it would'nt have made a bit of difference. Always cuts like new and practically maintainance free, not bad at all. I sure do feel sorry for those folks that spent all that money on William Henry's and Sebenzas. They sharpen it. It gets dull. They sharpen it again. It gets dull again. If they only knew...

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Dave
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If a tree falls in the forest, and there is nobody there to hear it, then don't worry about it.
 
I think edge geometry Does matter. After all, how could anyone actually Cut anything without understanding simple Pythagorean principles of non-Euclidean geometry? If that doesn't make things perfectly clear, Einstein demonstrated that all edges are relative. Edges can curl, bend, and fold, just like Space itself.

It is virtually impossible to accurately measure the sharpness of an edge without taking into account the rotational velocity of the Earth in relation to Cliff Stamp's angular momentum. Walking the Razor's edge takes a keen sense of balance and really tough feet.

Paracelsus, who never met an edge (or human being) that was sharp Enough.

For Jeff, Words are Not dangerous. It's the sometimes violent reactions that some cause when falling into the the event horizon of the wrong brain that can be Very dangerous indeed.

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 03-14-2000).]
 
Paracelsus-


"It is virtually impossible to accurately measure the sharpness of an edge without taking into account the rotational velocity of the Earth in relation to Cliff Stamp's angular momentum."

LMAO!

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Troll: An ugly little dude that has brightly colored hair and used to be found hanging from automobile reaview mirrors. Most likely the Troll was also accompanied by the prerequisite Dog With Bouncing Head in the rear window. For some religious owners, the plastic Statue Of Jesus on the dash was also popular, as a statement of faith. An interesting era, indeed.

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Dave
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If a tree falls in the forest, and there is nobody there to hear it, then don't worry about it.
 
I see your point and believe the time will come when only knives that are too dull to cut will be sold! They will be covered with warning labels and it will be illegal to sharpen them so they will cut anything.
I look forward to the day! We will all be allot safer then!!!
RIGHT!
 
According to Heisenberg (quantum physics) it is impossible to measure sharpness without destroying it.
So you will never know, what "really sharp" means.
Just too bad.
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D.T. UTZINGER
 
I can see the logic in Coumbo's post, because I have a watch that stopped that has the correct time more often than another watch that runs a couple of minutes fast. And people say I'VE got TOO much time on my hands, Geez!

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"Will work 4 Knives!"
Homepage: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=254126
 
PhilL, if you have too much time on your hands all you need is some warm water and a biodegradable soap.

Just apply some of each, and add a little elbow grease.

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"..it is foolishness and endless trouble to cast a
stone at every dog that barks at you.."
 
That which is going on in congress right now is not democracy but government by hallucinating mob.

So some 5,000 kids die every year due to guns. (Is this statistic even true? Even THAT seems rather high, considering how much press each individual one seems to get.)

That's an infinitessimal number in a country approaching 300,000,000. I bet tricycles kill more.

I wish I didn't think this way but it makes me wonder what's really going on.
 
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