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- Nov 16, 2002
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And I do!
I'll agree, but there are such things as people who don't safely handle knives above a given level of sharpness.
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Why do some people dislike a really sharp edge?
- Thread starter me2
- Start date
And I do!
I'll agree, but there are such things as people who don't safely handle knives above a given level of sharpness.
ThomB I have a hard time believing you have a dull knife at any grit. 
Mike a 120 grit?, thats even more impressive. I myself have a hard time figuring out what type of edge I want on my edc pocket knives. If I go coarser there is always a polished edge needed and when I go polished I wish I had a coarser edge. like so many have come to find out one type of edge isn't the best or sharpest depending on the task. Heck I think there was even one time that I wished I had a chisel ground knife, but that was only once.
Mike a 120 grit?, thats even more impressive. I myself have a hard time figuring out what type of edge I want on my edc pocket knives. If I go coarser there is always a polished edge needed and when I go polished I wish I had a coarser edge.
like so many have come to find out one type of edge isn't the best or sharpest depending on the task. Heck I think there was even one time that I wished I had a chisel ground knife, but that was only once. 
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2005
- Messages
- 103
When I was working as a firearms rep I traveled and sharpened for lots of customers I visited. One stop was a taxidermy shop and they always cut a bunch of cardboard to slightly dull the knives after I sharpened them. They tended to slip and poke holes in the hides more easily and frequently with the knives if the edges were freshy fresh and scary sharp.
Looker, what do you mean by "less sharp" for your hard contact knives?
One thing that holds true for me is when using a knife with very low resistance to cutting, the lack of feedback makes mistakes more likely. Its almost as if I need/expect a certain amount of resistance to feel what I'm doing. Imagine a knife that took no measureable force (say milligrams or less) used for wood carving, and the carver is used to a pound of force or more to make a cut.
One thing that holds true for me is when using a knife with very low resistance to cutting, the lack of feedback makes mistakes more likely. Its almost as if I need/expect a certain amount of resistance to feel what I'm doing. Imagine a knife that took no measureable force (say milligrams or less) used for wood carving, and the carver is used to a pound of force or more to make a cut.
Hi me2,
I keep several knives less sharp for various reasons, which just means theyre not sharpening with higher grits, polished bevels, or acute angles like my other knives. My hard contact knives (med-heavy cleaver and boning knife) are only used for breaking through, cutting around bones and joints, etc., so I dont go beyond utilitarian b/c the extra effort is lost after a few strokes. I actually sharpen the cleaver with an electric sharpener. The electric does remove a lot metal, but I figure its removing the edge that has already been compromised from hacking through the bones, and theres more than enough knife left to last me a lifetime. I also have a few of my older knives reserved for guests (and my sister in law) who like to help out in the kitchen, but are uncomfortable & inept using a sharp knife. Ill sharpen or dull them slightly against a wooden chopstick, so they barely slice paper. They can help and I dont have to worry about them hurting themselves.
I know what you mean by being able to feel the knife cutting. I tend to use the tip of chefs knife for small quantities of small items (garlic, shallots, mushrooms, etc.) meant for a paring or petty knife, but can only do so with knives that are sensitive enough for me to feel the tip. If knife feels dead, has a blunted tip or is too long, I have to switch to smaller knife. The reduced cutting resistance with knives that can fall through foods on their own was something that I struggled with initially. I had to unlearn those things that I did to make lesser knives work and learn to do nothing more with better knives than aim, steer, and prevent them from coming down too hard against the cutting board.
I keep several knives less sharp for various reasons, which just means theyre not sharpening with higher grits, polished bevels, or acute angles like my other knives. My hard contact knives (med-heavy cleaver and boning knife) are only used for breaking through, cutting around bones and joints, etc., so I dont go beyond utilitarian b/c the extra effort is lost after a few strokes. I actually sharpen the cleaver with an electric sharpener. The electric does remove a lot metal, but I figure its removing the edge that has already been compromised from hacking through the bones, and theres more than enough knife left to last me a lifetime. I also have a few of my older knives reserved for guests (and my sister in law) who like to help out in the kitchen, but are uncomfortable & inept using a sharp knife. Ill sharpen or dull them slightly against a wooden chopstick, so they barely slice paper. They can help and I dont have to worry about them hurting themselves.
I know what you mean by being able to feel the knife cutting. I tend to use the tip of chefs knife for small quantities of small items (garlic, shallots, mushrooms, etc.) meant for a paring or petty knife, but can only do so with knives that are sensitive enough for me to feel the tip. If knife feels dead, has a blunted tip or is too long, I have to switch to smaller knife. The reduced cutting resistance with knives that can fall through foods on their own was something that I struggled with initially. I had to unlearn those things that I did to make lesser knives work and learn to do nothing more with better knives than aim, steer, and prevent them from coming down too hard against the cutting board.
Ok, they're less sharp/less polished, not really what I'd call dull. FWIW, I have found highly polished edges at angles of 20* per side to take impacts pretty well, in terms of unintentional light contacts. I can completely understand the unwillingness to put in a lot of effort for an edge that is lost almost immediately. I use a belt sander for large blades, and can get polished razor sharp edges in about 5 minutes, not including rebeveling which is usually required. If I had to do it all by hand, I'd stop sooner too. My beltsander is on the fritz, so I had to sharpen my CS Panga machete with a file and hand stones and a strop, and it took about an hour, so I doubt I'll go through all that again unless I cant get the sander fixed/replaced. For close to the ground work, the edge just doesnt last.