How sharp is sharp???........Evolving expectations...

[dbcad]

I blame Spyderco's material choices for the malady I've developed As I've been getting better at making the bevels meet in the middle with precision my expectations and standards for what sharp is have correspondly increased :eek: Materials like VG-10, ZDP, S30V, CPM M4 etc. make it easy to fall into this progressive condition.

I am not satified with an edge now unless the making of it has pushed my limited skill and tools to the limit I feel this is a chronic condition :eek: Getting an edge sharper and sharper is analogous to a mathematical limit approaching zero :eek:

This is a nutty condition However it does bring some tangible results :D Very sharp or "nutty sharp" is a very enjoyable result :D

Anyone else have this affliction???

[chuck_roxas45]

Yeh, me too. :D

[Evil D]

Lately i've been getting away from fully polished edges and playing more with toothy lower grit edges combined with low back bevels. Much of the "how sharp can i get it" comes from how perfectly i can refine that toothy edge and remove any and all traces of burr.

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

toothy lower grit edges combined with low back bevels.

This is what I like...

[CombatGrappler]

My only similarity is that I have limited skill :o

[Jazz]

We are a sick lot, aren't we? I like a fine toothed and stropped edge on most knives, a very fine and polished edge only on carving knives, and my chef's knife gets a fine edge with the burr left on. I steel it all the time and go a year between sharpenings. All my Spydies get the steel when they need it, and sharpened occasionally. If I can cleanly slice paper it's fine. My Spydies have to shave, too. Chef's knife has to cleanly slice paper and tomatoes. If you can slice tomatoes, you're good for everything else.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[Let Us Slay !]

My recent acquisition of a strop has taken this condition to the next level...

[IceCold]

I used 24Lb copy paper, and stropped my paramilitary 2, and I started a push cut. Tilted the paper up with the blade below, and let the paper go with its own weight, it continued to push cut itself for a few milimeters until it flopped over. About half a second.

But thats my extreme Sharpness test I strop all my knifes to this benchmark standard. Self push cut under its own weight even if its just a few mm that what a loose sheet of paper will do on its own in half a second until it bends over and stops.

Keep in mind I only started aquiring and owning knives til 2012

The CPM S30V Blade on my Leatherman Charge TTi is what started everything Until I realized I needed high quality CPM S30V blades from Spyderco.

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq13 ... C00141.jpg

[Ankerson]

Sharp enough to get the work done at hand usually. :)

[JB3]

I like to see how far I can push an edge on a new steel that I haven't tried before .... sometimes I go a little too thin and they chip out or just get weak.
So I'll end up going back and micro bevel at a slightly steeper angle and it's all good again.
I've also been trying some "toothier" edges lately.
Gettin' polished, steep, hair poppin' edges is cool ... Different edges for cutting different materials.

[arjay18]

Sharp enough to get the work done at hand usually. :)

+1

[razorsharp]

I consdier this pretty sharp :)

[video=youtube;dZWqEsINxkA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZWqEsINxkA&feature=plcp[/video]

I carry my para coarse and caly polished. para has a steeep mirror back bevel :)

My coarse edges are sharpmaker medium edges, I refine the teeth without abrasive (denim) and then strop a few timesw a side with a diamond loaded strop (0.5u, less is more)

[Brock O Lee]

toothy lower grit edges combined with low back bevels

I like these too...

Quick and easy to maintain, and they stay sharp for a long time with my typical use.

Have I overcome my sharpening OCD? Maybe not quite yet... I still can't stand edges with visible chips and rolls.

[Evil D]

My playing with low grits has to do with Cliff's and a couple other members opinion that about a 400-600 grit edge will yield the best edge retention. What I'll typically do is polish out the bevel completely to about 30 inclusive and then micro bevel with a 600 and I've found that it does indeed seem to last longer especially when cutting cardboard. On some steels like my 20cp I take the bevel way down to about 20 inclusive and use a 30-35 micro.

[kbuzbee]

I'm with you Charlie. Those edges look great, by the way!

Ken

[Evil D]

I consdier this pretty sharp :)

[video=youtube;dZWqEsINxkA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZWqEsINxkA&feature=plcp[/video]

I carry my para coarse and caly polished. para has a steeep mirror back bevel :)

My coarse edges are sharpmaker medium edges, I refine the teeth without abrasive (denim) and then strop a few timesw a side with a diamond loaded strop (0.5u, less is more)

I've only taken a few of my edges to that point, and only about once per knife because for what i use them for, that sort of edge is wasted on the first cut and then that level of sharpness is lost along with all the work that it took to get there. Still i think my 600 grit edges will whittle hair if i just have a steady enough hand to do it.

[mikerestivo]

I may be the only heretic here on this topic. I don't enjoy sharpening. I like carrying and using, but sharpening is something that I have to (not want to) do. As such I don't put a lot of effort into it - I mostly do touch-ups to keep an edge rather than letting an edge get really dull. I sharpen enough to get a good, working edge and that's it for me.

I do like the look of a highly-polished edge, especially on a blade with a good patina. And I don't knock those that like to sharpen to a keen edge. Just not something that I am willing to do at this time.

[razorsharp]

I've only taken a few of my edges to that point, and only about once per knife because for what i use them for, that sort of edge is wasted on the first cut and then that level of sharpness is lost along with all the work that it took to get there. Still i think my 600 grit edges will whittle hair if i just have a steady enough hand to do it.

Takes less than 10 minutes for me if my edge is steep enough, that 20incl didn't hold up and it has a micro at 13-15 dps. Almost as sharp, and holds an edge much much longer

[Cliff Stamp]

...that sort of edge is wasted on the first cut and then that level of sharpness is lost along with all the work that it took to get there.

The sharpness should last longer than that, I would really guess you are over stropping heavily and/or leaving a burr. It also doesn't take Travis any length of time to get to that point, it isn't the 30-60 minute process that you see on a lot of video's. However his skill level is fairly high because he has pretty high tolerances for sharpness, i.e., he would get a knife to smoothly slice newsprint almost accidentally just while forming the bevel before he started to sharpen the knife.

[Evil D]

The sharpness should last longer than that, I would really guess you are over stropping heavily and/or leaving a burr. It also doesn't take Travis any length of time to get to that point, it isn't the 30-60 minute process that you see on a lot of video's. However his skill level is fairly high because he has pretty high tolerances for sharpness, i.e., he would get a knife to smoothly slice newsprint almost accidentally just while forming the bevel before he started to sharpen the knife.

Yeah i was exaggerating of course, but i do tend to wreck edges rather quickly. Part of the reason it takes me so long is a bit of OCD i'm sure.