What exactly do we mean by "shaving sharp"?

[jpm2]

Lol! I hope you don't mean curiosity made you try serrated....

Yeah that wasn't worded right... just meant for pe knife. Never tried serrated on the face, although there are people that seem to think it's as good or better than pe at everything.

 

[David Mary]

Sure, right after I see you on YouTube shaving that homely mug with your Bowie knife.

I don't remember claiming to shave my face with a Bowie knife (I don't own a Bowie knife). You're the one who made a critical comment about people claiming sharpening prowess without proving it with pics, and that when they do post pics, their work is not as nice looking as expected. And then immediately you made the exact same claim, also without pics.

So I just wanted to see a little:



Got some?

 

[Bluemantra]

I remember reading this in the Sharpness sticky up top and found it a good resource, http://knifegrinders.com.au/Manuals/Sharpness_Chart.pdf

 

[c7m2p3]

Unless you are using tools to measure the sharpness of the edge, all manners of describing sharpness is going to be subjective. When I talk about shaving I tend to think of it as removing arm or leg hair easily without having to make multiple passes and more than necessary pressure to remove the hair. That is generally my stopping point when that is achieved though I find that cutting reciept paper to be more effective if finding what point on the blade edge still needs work. Different grinds for different kinds but the takeaway is I would probably never expect my folding knives to pull double duty as a razor for my face or neck. That kind of sharpness essentially requires that the knife not be used for anything more taxing than shaving and my knives are more for the everyday utility of opening letters, boxes, food prep, etc and that kind of work is going to take that hair shaving edge and make it a working edge regardless of what ever supersteel you may have.

 

[BigShow]

 

[Wasty]

Over the last couple of years, my OCD regarding sharpness has changed.
I indulge in a bit coarser edges (~400grit stone), as the micro serrations have a wonderful bite.

All my knives must be able to slice a soft tomato on first contact.
If I need to poke it first with the tip, then they need a touch up.

The Armhair-Regrow-Itch times are over for me....

 

[000Robert]

I have always been afraid of sharp knives and blades.

I'm afraid of dull blades.

 

[David Mary]

I'm afraid of zombies.

 

[rhino]

In my meatspace experience, most people who say "shaving sharp" usually mean "hair scraping sharp." There is a significant difference between the two. What they consider shaving sharp requires a lot of pressure and scraping to remove the hairs. That's not really shaving in my book.

I like to get my knives so that they pop really fine arm hair with minimal or no contact with the skin. It's harder to do that than with coarse hair because coarser has has more for the edge to catch. I routinely do "touch-ups" (dry) on my face on spots that are itchy because a little bit of whisker is showing. I don't strop, so it's not really polished enough to get a clean shave on large sections, but it's sufficient to get the job done between real shaves.

When I was in college, I sharpened my SAKs with a black Arkansas stone that my dad brought home from the hospital. The pathologist used it to sharpen blades on his microtome, but when they went to disposable blades, there was no need for it. That stone polished sufficiently to shave face hair (dry) without discomfort, but the resulting edge sucked at cutting fibrous materials.

 

[3D Anvil]

As a rule, the absolute minimum to finish a straight razor is an 8,000 grit stone, and most who are serious about it go to 16,000 or higher. Those super finishing stones are not cheap by any means. They go for anywhere from around $300 all the way up to $4,000-5000.

I fairly often use a knife to shave the back of my neck, or spots I missed on my head.

I can regularly get knives shaving sharp (smooth shaving) free hand, but only once have I gotten to tree topping. Work in progress.

 

[Spats McGee]

When I was in college, I sharpened my SAKs with a black Arkansas stone that my dad brought home from the hospital. The pathologist used it to sharpen blades on his microtome, but when they went to disposable blades, there was no need for it.

My dad was a surgeon. He once sent our kitchen knives to the guy that sharpened scalpels for the local hospital. We went through a lot of Band-Aids after that.

 

[rhino]

My dad was a surgeon. He once sent our kitchen knives to the guy that sharpened scalpels for the local hospital. We went through a lot of Band-Aids after that.

My dad was a surgeon as well. And Filipino. His skills with a knife were . . . impressive.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I value my ears, so I shave with a BiC.

 

[Spey]

What exactly do we mean by "shaving sharp"?​

Less sharp than hair-whittling and/or tree-topping (by a fair margin in my experience, as "shaving sharp" can be had off 240-grit stone).

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I value my ears, so I shave with a BiC.

When I saw 'BiC' in your comment, I immediately thought of the BiC lighters. That's some disturbing 'shaving' imagery in the mind, right there.

I'm really hoping you referred to the BiC razors, which I had to remind myself they make those too.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I have shaved my beard with two GEC made Schrade pocket knives.

Not as comfortable as a razor shave, but doable.

Whittling a free hanging hair....

Occasionly I will shave a missed spot on my head while at work, when I notice I have missed a spot in a quick head shave in the morning!!

 

[rhino]

The Juranich family men used to demo the efficacy of their RazorEdge sharpening system and techniques by starting with dull axes, sharpened them, and proceeded to shave their beards with the axes.