What do you consider to be "sharp?"

I sharpen freehand on my Sharpmaker stones and strop on the fine stones and a legal pad. Nothing very sophisticated. I've been able to shave without touching my arm, but I can't get them to push cut on the level that a lot of people describe.

The way some people describe push cutting, it seems like I'm far from sharp on those levels.
 
Regarding toilet paper slicing: I'm finding that its a rather interesting challenge to achieve that level of sharpness. Seems a more aggresive slicing edge does it better than a finer higher polished edge does.

STR
 
I'm typically fine with an edge that will easily shave arm hair and slice through paper smoothly all along the blade. one thing i have found though, is that technique plays a big role in a tests effectiveness. I can take a knife i just sharpened and slice ribbon after ribbon of paper off of a piece of notebook paper. I can then take that knife and hand it to one of my friends, and watch them struggle to duplicate my results. I tend to sharpen on a sharpmaker using all the stages, and after the flats of the fine stones, i am at a level i am happy with.
 
I am a new guy to this forum, but have been making and servicing knives for nearly 59 years. I know that many of you have more knowledge and maybe even more experience, because obviously I have only recently been invited to join and some of you have been here a long time.
Now, what is sharp. A stick will poke your eye out but you can't cut very much with it. A lot depends on what the use of the knife is to be, and the experience of the user. If you take a normal guy and give him a razor he will cut himself. I have a daughter that cut herself with a butter knife. I will not give her a sharp knife.
A rescue diver will tell you that he wants his knife to be sharp but he wants the burrs on it so that he can cut nylon rope with it.
A rancher that is castrating a few hundred head of young bulls will tell you that he wants his razor sharp and smooth so that the cut will heal back quickly. By they way many ranchers are using Super Glue to help heal the cuts as will.
The man that said no don't touch it, has a reason that he likes his knife that way. I use my normal use knives in lots of different applications and I need a different kind of edge on each. The knives I make for others I try to find out what they will use it for and also find out what they define sharp as. We don't all drive or need corvetts. Nor do we all need a civic. Let the knife fit the man. Just as knives are designed to do different jobs the man or women if they use their knives will figure out what they like and what they need.
I have also had Viet Nam vets tell me what they thought the perfect knife was to carry over there in the bush. Well, I spent also most a year in the bush and I needed 3 knives. I needed each for a different reason. If I was told that I could take only one, it would have been really hard for me to decide. Because when you run into heavy brush or have to clear an LZ so a chopper can come in then nothing makes easy work like my W-49 Western.
If I was going out on a patrol by myself, then I would want to have my Pal rh 36. If I was going to the E.M. club for a steak then all I needed was my Buck pocket knife.
Know what you customer will use it for and what he wants as far as sharpness and you will have a happy customer.
It is a macho thing to say my knive is sharper than your.
I have used almost every device designed to shapen knives. I currently am using the wheels, but we will see how that goes, as I am getting a little shaky here lately, but they will put an edge down. I do not like the gadgets, I believe that they are made just to get us to spend our money. And I am guilty of spending it, because some guy makes it look so easy. I was quick to buy the Linsky system. I used it one time and it was all I could do to put it back in the box unstead of just throwing it in the trash. Any one want a linsky for a good price?
Well that;s my story and I'm sticking to it.
"If ya wanna dance, ya gotta pay the fidler."
 
STR said:
Regarding toilet paper slicing: I'm finding that its a rather interesting challenge to achieve that level of sharpness. Seems a more aggresive slicing edge does it better than a finer higher polished edge does.

STR
Click to expand...

I've never been able to do that with one of my knives. OTOH, like harlangspencer said, I try to sharpen based on what I really cut. I don't use my knives for cutting toilet paper. I just let my cat shred it for me.

The stuff I cut 90% of the time is fairly tough... nylon zip ties, cardboard, and electrical insulation in a warehouse... stems and small branches around the yard... fuzz stick for fires, rope, and other camping-type stuff.

So I like an edge that is consistent down the length of the blade and that will do the work and hold up as long as possible. It's not as thin and polished as some like and I'll never slice free-hanging toilet paper with it, but it does shave and push cut or ribbon slice phone book pages. And for my real world needs, the blade cuts and cuts and cuts and...
 
I reprofile all my knives to approx 30 degree primary bevel with a DMT x-coarse and coarse diamond stone, and then sharpen on the Sharpmaker using medium & fine rods to create a 40 degree microbevel. When the knife will push cut paper (like copy paper) with ease, and shave or pop hairs I am happy.

Pretty standard I suppose, but it works great for me and doesn't take too long.

I have been sharpening for about 2 years, and I think the Sharpmaker is just about the greatest thing ever. I am getting better at freehand, and I do my reprofiling that way, but the Sharpmaker allows me to get my edges sharp quickly and easily as long as the primary bevel is correct.

For serrations I usually use a DMT coarse serrated sharpener if needed, then the Spyderco Profiles. I will often finish on the Sharpmaker fine or ultra fine rods with a few passes to get that push-cutting polished edge just right.
 
if my knife can effortlessly shave the tiny soft hairs on the backs of my fingers, then it is sharp enough for me. I will admit to getting lazy and letting my knife get dull enough that it can only scrape hairs from my arm.
 
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