Stuff you wouldn't think would dull a blade

G

Groove

Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
877
Today I'm splitting and sizing soft foam pipe insulation (much like neoprene) for a project at work. First up was my Kershaw Skyline FB, it sliced like a laser beam for about five or six (6ft long) slices, then started to grab and tear the foam. I grabbed my Spyderco Tenacious out of my bag and continued with about the same amount of slicing before the edge was grabbing and hard to work with. Has anyone else here worked with this type of foam insulation?

This got me to wondering. What other seemingly innocent materials will kill an edge so quickly?





Eric
 
Fiberglass insulation is a monster, dish sponges with a 'scrubbing' side are as well.
 
JDunn709 said:
Fiberglass insulation is a monster, dish sponges with a 'scrubbing' side are as well.
Click to expand...

^^they eat up edges^^

I was cuting some straps I thought the where plastic they turned out to steel...........
 
I did the same thing last weekend. I insulated some pipes with the foam insulation and it dulled my knife bad. I was using an old tradtional Craftsman linerlock since I thought the thin blade would be just the thing. I would have never thought it would dull the carbon steel that bad.
 
This stuff is making me wish I had my GEC Bullnose in O1, just to see how long it holds out.
 
Old, shaggy, left-outdoors-too-long rope. It looks like normal rope, but it gets full of sand and grit that's really tough on your knives.
 
Carpet, I've seen carpet dull a circular sawblade usually you're lucky if ya a couple of slices in before it cuts like a buyer knife.
 
You're welcome Dorito Monk. I like to help out folks wherever I go... :D


On topic though, I've found cutting sandpaper quite damaging to knife edges; I was suprised at how quickly it can dull a sharp knife, especially coarser grit stuff.
 
Last edited:
Czechmate said:
You're welcome Dorito Monk. I like to help out folks wherever I go... :D


On topic though, I've found cutting sandpaper quite damaging to knife edges; I was suprised at how quickly it can dull a sharp knife, especially coarser grit stuff.
Click to expand...

If find it helpful to cut from the backside of the paper. Seems to slightly minimize wear on the edge.
 
silicone_caulk_removal_tool.jpg
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
If find it helpful to cut from the backside of the paper. Seems to slightly minimize wear on the edge.
Click to expand...

I do cut that way and have found the same to be true. :thumbup: Last stuff I cut was coarse grip tape; after that the knife edge looked like it had been thrown onto rocks, all chippy and rolly and such. Not pretty but easy to fix.


theizzardking said:
silicone_caulk_removal_tool.jpg
Click to expand...


Yeh, practical as all get out but those are no fun to use... :D
 
I suspect one of two things is happening with that pipe foam. Either there is something in that that's actually abrasive or could it be that the material is adhereing to the edge of the knife? I haven't dealt with it so I cannot say.

Cutting rubber is very hard on the edge. Not only is the stuff tough but there are abrasive inclusions in the rubber. Same deal with cardboard. It's very unclean paper with soil (which is mostly extremely fine rock) and clay and other contaminates it there.
 
Tomatoes!!! I have to sharpen my kitchen knives after cutting two of them. It doesn't help that I got cheesy steel in my kitchen that is probably made by cutting a tin can and shaping it like a knife.
 
Carpet, though it's not unexpected, its still rough. It's nothing like human flesh which you can cut through for hours before it dulls a knife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top