What is a sharp knife to you?

Steel130

Steel130

Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Messages
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Ok I have had about three hours worth of time touching my knives up freehand on the Sharpmaker stones. I am happy when I have the knife sharp enough to push cut receipt paper, or shave arm hair without effort. But I know some can get knives insanely sharp, so is my standard of sharpness pretty low on the spectrum?
 
I can't even get my knives close to hair-shaving sharp. Consider yourself lucky.
I guess I'll have to shell out the money for a sharpmaker after all.
 
I like my knives to get at least hair whittling sharp.

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The sharpmaker is nice I use the flip side for freehand I am by no means good yet. Richard J suggested 3M wet dry sandpaper and glass. Might save you some money and you can finish your knives in 3000 grit.
 
Push cutting thin paper is a good measure to go by. I require all my knives to atleast shave hair though.

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I'm happy when I can get hair shaving sharp, I know some people can get out sharper but if its popping hairs effortlessly its usually sharp enough for anything I'll use it for
 
I've never seen anything sharper than Hair whittling sharp- I don't understand what could be more
 
I used to shave my forearms, but after it started looking silly (my forearms), I went to push cutting paper. That's
good enough for me.

Haven't shaved my face in 30 years, but if I did, I think I'd use a razor...
 
I have a hard time with my Scrapyard Scrapivore sharpening it freehand compared to a Spyderco Tenacious. I kinda thought thats because the Vore has alot more belly to the blade and I am still a noob?
 
XanRa said:
I've never seen anything sharper than Hair whittling sharp- I don't understand what could be more
Click to expand...

There are degrees of hair whittling sharp depending on the hair used. A knife that can whittle coarse hair may not necessarily mean it can whittle finer hair. So I guess that you're right technically speaking.
 
5.56 said:
If it cuts you when you look at it. :D:p

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That looks unnatural lol

All my knives are hair whittling(skin too :P) sharp and it's simple to make them, and keep them that way- but I still don't see how it can really be sharper....
 
XanRa said:
That looks unnatural lol

All my knives are hair whittling(skin too :P) sharp and it's simple to make them, and keep them that way- but I still don't see how it can really be sharper....
Click to expand...


Well, if you can get to push cutting wet TP...
 
I was thinking about a sharpmaker but went with a set of japanese waterstones. I am by no means a good sharpener and before those, I had gotten a few knives to the point that they could shave some hairs off my arm, but now that i have been using the stones, they all get hair shaving sharp. I can tell that the blade profile and probably to some degree the steel have a lot to do with how sharp a blade will get. The sharpest? My moras, and it's not even close. They shave off every hair they come into contact with. I think it is the scandi grind.
 
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