What do you consider dull?

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ktataragasi

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With the countless edge retention posts and discussions going on these days and reading what everyone has to say about that, one thing that always seems to stick out to me is what people consider to be dull vs working edge or even how sharp they aim for when sharpening.

One thing I often struggle with is when to reasonably touch up or sharpen my knives. Usually when my knives no longer shave I will strop them back and once that no longer works I will take it back to a stone.

So what do you all consider to be a dull edge and how to you maintain your edges?
 
If the whole edge doesn't reflect light like a mirror (from head on) I usually leave it alone. My main EDC I can stand it being a little dull since I have a small nailclipper SAK with a hair-splitting main blade I can use if I need something really sharp.
 
I agree with jideta for my pocket knives. My wood carving knives are dull when they no longer leave slick, shiny cuts on the wood. My kitchen knives are a little more complicated since I use carbon steel knives for cutting meat and stainless for fruits and vegetables, in either case it's more a sense of feel than anything visible. My goal is to only return to the stones once or twice in a year so I use a steel on everything several times a week and alternate between a steel and a ceramic rod on my chef's knife.
 
Different levels of "dull":
It has difficulty slicing a peeled, ripe banana.
It can't slice or peel a tomato, or cut a grape.
It can't whittle a feather stick.
It can't whittle/carve a point on a pencil or "emergency" tent stake.
It has difficulty peeling a critter.
It has difficulty, or can't cut a plug a chewing tobacco off.
.
 
Ultimately, it's dull - or at least time to sharpen - when I feel it is. Subjective, but reality.
When I hear tearing, when my kitchen knife doesn't just zip through everything effortlessly, when the cuts aren't as clean as I'd like.

Undoubtedly to a non-sharpener my knives aren't dull when I do touch them up. But my knives, my stones, my time, my standards.
 
Sharp is really a relative term. For what I like to edc, I like to check it's sharpness by slicing thru thin receipt paper every day or two, and it doesn't slice well, then a minute or two on strop or Sharpmaker always does the trick for me.
 
dull is once it doesn't slice paper
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and can't shave hairs
 
000Robert said:
When it isn't getting the job done it's time to sharpen it up.
Click to expand...

This is my view as well. Your knife is your tool, and whenever the tool fails to perform to your expectations you sharpen it to make it better.

There is no static point on the continuum that reads “beyond here your knife is sharp”. It is all subjective, and the more acute the edge the more susceptible the knife will be to wear.

N2s
 
afishhunter said:
It has difficulty, or can't cut a plug a chewing tobacco off.
.
Click to expand...
It has been a long time since I heard that term. Was not aware they made chewing tobacco in plug form any longer. Been years since I saw it on the shelf
 
I know this sounds dumb, but I usually strop my edc for some “after work therapy”. It kind of helps me relax a bit. So I do that more often than I probably need to..... it also depends on how much I used my knife that day.
I use a Sharpmaker and strop. I only hit the stones once in awhile. I am still learning.
 
I check the edge with my thumb. Then visually inspect it. If I feel a sharp edge and the edge looks clean it’s good enough.

If it feels a little off I’ll strop it.

If it feels dull but the edge looks good I’ll touch it up on a fine stone at a slightly higher angle.

If it’s dull and I know I’ve used it hard, I’ll go medium then fine stones for a sharpening. If there’s a chip or rolling for some reason I’ll do a full reprofile.
 
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