What dulls the quickest?

coop1957

coop1957

Joined
Oct 22, 2002
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Yesterday I used my Benchmade Vex to remove about 30 Day Lilly plants from the yard. I used the Vex because it is my basic beater. I had just sharpened it the day before. To remove the plants I would cut the root just below the soil. Afterward I noticed how dull the blade had become. In my opinion soil will dull a blade faster than anything else including paper, cardboard, plastic, meat or soft wood.
What is your opinion.
 
Soil is pretty bad, the thing that makes it worse than others is that the particles are loose it's like stropping the edge only it strops the edge away, plus it dulls the whole blade not just the area you cut say cardboard with.
 
yeah, garden work like that takes alot out of a knife...may I suggest a cheap carbon blade like an opinel...a nice carbon blade might keep an edge longer, just be sure to clean thew blade and dry it good, maybe coat it with a light layer of oil too...
 
Get yourself a mora. It's what I use in the yard and it works great. It does dull quickly doing work like you describe, but it is VERY easy to get a good edge on again.
 
I think a sharpened tactical shovel is your best bet, just use a diagonal jab through the soil to just the roots, then left to remove the plant.
 
coop1957 said:
Yesterday I used my Benchmade Vex to remove about 30 Day Lilly plants from the yard. I used the Vex because it is my basic beater. I had just sharpened it the day before. To remove the plants I would cut the root just below the soil. Afterward I noticed how dull the blade had become. In my opinion soil will dull a blade faster than anything else including paper, cardboard, plastic, meat or soft wood.
What is your opinion.
Click to expand...

I suppose it depends on how much gravel or very small rocks the blade encounters in its trip through the soil. The more rock, the worse for the blade. An interesting question. Have to think some more.
 
Odd as it may seem, I found the best knife for working in the garden is a cheap "Rambo" type knife, the kind with a ball compass in the handles. It dulls quickly, but it sharpens easily, not to mention that you don't need a hair popping sharp blade for digging in the ground. Also the blade has a very good corrosion resistance.
 
Working out in the garden is bad for sure on the blade's edge, but I have found cutting paper or foil back insulation and carpet to be the quickest way to dull a blade....
 
I've been thinning out day lilies but I use a pitchfork to get up roots and all.Shake out the dirt and dump the lilies !! They'll grow back quickly .There's no sense in ruining a cutting tool !! Much of dirt is silica which is what they make sandpaper with . Yes it's abrasive !!..Silica will even wear carbides !
 
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