So how do you test your scary sharp after sharpening?

I used to test using hair and cardboard for a while, but I would wind up with patches of hair missing on my legs and arms and it would look like I was molting. I did the fingernail tests for a while but I honestly was never able to gauge very well with them. Same with rubber band testing.

I've settled on paper for now even tho it's a test that will always favor an edge with some degree of micro-serrations for the bite, so I'm not thrilled with it as an assessment. This is my XM-18 sharpened after I rolled the edge pretty badly cutting wire...as a 'tactical' folder with a ridiculously thick blade and a thicky thick 45 degree bevel, it's not really made to be a slicer but I can still get it to have pretty reasonable scary sharp on an EP. For me, it is sharp when I can run the blade gently down the edge of paper and it takes a small stand off that is so thin that the sharp blade causes it to curl up.

So what do you do to gauge sharpness?

Shaving neighborhood cats.

Cutting the wings off of fruit flies.

Splitting atoms.

J/K! This is a good question. I too have done the hair shaving test on myself with the same "molting" appearance being the result. My FIL tests his by trying to slice a tomato. Honestly, I still think the shaving test shows how sharp a blade really is.

When I was a kid my uncle hand made me a skinning knife and polished and buffed the blade to surgical sharp.

I tested it out by folding a bedsheet over to 100+ layers and seeing how long it took to cut... first pull with almost no pressure went through all 100 something layers of fabric and how many ever layers of skin humans have before I noticed anything

Was glad I had 100 layers of bedsheets for all the blood!

Still mostly see if it treetops hair on the left forearm. When I start looking silly from the bald patch, I'll give my thigh hair a go where my shorts cover it. For final polishing, I like loosely holding a paper towel and cutting it. You can get a good feel for the edge by the resistance and how clean it cuts....of course there's always the 3 finger method of just pressing your finger pads on the edge to "feel" how it grips into your fingers. It sounds stupid and dangerous, but your nerve endings are pretty sensitive and good at making you stop before you cut yourself.

pitpawten said:

When I was a kid my uncle hand made me a skinning knife and polished and buffed the blade to surgical sharp.

I tested it out by folding a bedsheet over to 100+ layers and seeing how long it took to cut... first pull with almost no pressure went through all 100 something layers of fabric and how many ever layers of skin humans have before I noticed anything

Was glad I had 100 layers of bedsheets for all the blood!

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not possible. maybe you cut and stacked them?

pushcutting paper, good way to see if there are any dull spots along the edge, also pushing the tip through helps to see if it is sharp and even.

One of my thicker edge knives, an Emerson CQC15 around 35 degrees chisel edge, my thinner FFG spydercos will pushcut with far less pressure.

Left forearm stay pretty bare and patchy LoL

SHARP!!

alucard0822 said:

pushcutting paper, good way to see if there are any dull spots along the edge, also pushing the tip through helps to see if it is sharp and even.

One of my thicker edge knives, an Emerson CQC15 around 35 degrees chisel edge, my thinner FFG spydercos will pushcut with far less pressure.

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Now, that knife.....looks DAMN SHARP!!

I have NEVER, been able to consistently sharpen knives to a nice, clean, sharp blade. Every once in awhile, I get one really really sharp like I want it, but....not consistently. Although, I am currently using a Lansky system, the askasas stone that I have is not the best, it was about $20, and I would really like to get a Japanese water stone, but the one's that I like, run about $70-95, and I just cannot justify that kind of money with as tight as funds are, for a sharpening stone.

OOOppppssss I meant ARKANSAS stone....:-)

What do you guys use...NickZac and Alucard0822...a stone...system of stones...?

alucard0822 said:

pushcutting paper, good way to see if there are any dull spots along the edge, also pushing the tip through helps to see if it is sharp and even.

One of my thicker edge knives, an Emerson CQC15 around 35 degrees chisel edge, my thinner FFG spydercos will pushcut with far less pressure.

Click to expand...

The issue I am having with paper tho is that it isn't testing enough measures of sharp...especially when edges are getting a polish beyond 2000-3000 grit, they do great with paper but are almost useless with something like a tomato. But paper is a lot easier than a tomato so I've been doing mainly paper for practicality purposes.

The other issue is paper really doesn't speak well to a false edge. I've started using a loupe in addition to feeling for an edge that isn't aligned...any idea what could best test that?

johnnyb2 said:

What do you guys use...NickZac and Alucard0822...a stone...system of stones...?

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I use the EdgePro Apex that uses Japanese Water Stones in combination with polish tape...the stones cut and reset, where as the polish tape realigns, reduces microserrations, removes false edges and oversharpening, and reduces microchipping. The polish tape is where you get the serious finishing...it's so good I stopped stropping and steeling because the tape accomplishes the same task with greater consistency. The grits I use are 120, 200, 400, 600, and 1000 for the water stones, and 2000 and 3000 for the polish tape...sometimes 5000 but when you get to that point, believe it or not that a knife can be TOO sharp and the lacking of microserrations may actually make finesse cutting more difficult. The pic I attached shows my Hinderer with the polished blade, versus the ZT0777's blade that is yet to be polished...its visibly striking.

I am by no means skilled with sharpening...yet my knives are so sharp that when you cut yourself you don't realize it or you assume the cut is around the calibre of a paper cut as you feel almost nothing. Two weeks ago I sharpened a friend's ZDP-189 Endura and I cut part of the tip of my thumb off...I did not realize it until I saw the pool of blood on the carpet. The knife in the video I linked is a Rick Hinderer XM-18...it's built to be as tough as a folder can get, but at the expense of slicing due to a thick blade, and a grind that favors tip strength over finesse...the angle on that knife is also very, very thick for added strength...all of this comes at the cost of slicing. So the amount that can slice despite being a poor slicer speaks to the EdgePro's abilities.

Free-handed sharpening is great but difficult to do...plus, if you have an EdgePro, you remove variance in angles and other than perhaps the Wicked Edge, nothing is as consistent. Also, anyone can master it quickly. While the EP is the golden standard for knife geeks, it is expensive and beyond what most will spend on a sharpener. The Spyderco SharpMaker is an excellent lower-cost alternative. Lansky makes a few decent products, but IMO they are inferior to the SharpMaker and cost more. The biggest gains of the EP over others are that is takes multiple additional steps to ensure the angle of sharpening is known, correct, and consistent, plus you have got a wide range of the finest of stones that are going to bring nothing but the best of results. Once one gets competent with whatever sharpening methods they use, factory edges are all going to be dull...the first thing I do with a new knife is sharpen it.

I would also say that the SharpMaker is the easiest system to learn and master...it comes with an instruction booklet and a DVD and at it's price, its arguably the best product for people not looking to sink a car payment into the sharpener.

I test on the palm of my hand like a ****ing boss.
This one was sharp.




Sent from my fire using smoke.

Dupe

Not that there is any single definitive test , but paper is accesable , and what I use.

There was a guy that had a small trailer that he would set up outside at gun shows. When he was done sharpening a knife, he would filet a piece of fishing line with it. And he didn't do it like you would a fish laying on a cutting board. He would let the line hang from his hand, and then proceed to filet the same piece four or five times in the same spot. He called it stupid-sharp.

occbrian said:

I test on the palm of my hand like a ****ing boss.
This one was sharp.

Sent from my fire using smoke.

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I've had a few of those. You at first never realize how deep they are...like you cut yourself, you are like "phew, that could have been bad" and for a few seconds you don't see blood and then flap of skin opens up, the adrenaline wears off, it hurts like a mofo, and the blood starts gushing and you are like "what the **** have I done?".

I now have a pack of QuikClot Combat Gauze, a few trauma pads, a CAT, and a pressure bandage in the same bag my EdgePro is in, all with small pre-tears on the packaging to make accessing them easier...with the CAT configured for 'self-usage'.

My hands are covered in scars and there are so many scars on the tips of my thumbs that my iPhone fingerprint sensors do not work and when I did a SSBI the people at OPM were like 'WTF are you doing?'

Ah , be careful around sharp and pointy things ?

johnnyb2 said:

What do you guys use...NickZac and Alucard0822...a stone...system of stones...?

Click to expand...

harbor freight 1x30 belt sander
3m trizact or silicon carbide grinding belts to repair and sharpen
leather belt green compound on the smooth side, rough side to clean the polish and final strop. I work on the spot just above the guide for grinding belts, and on the flat section supported by the guide for the ouside of the leather belt, then use the rough back of the belt to clean the edge.

It takes some skill and practice, but I can fix and sharpen a nicked blade like new in 5 minutes, and with less than $100 in equipment that is useful for other projects. Touchups to sharp knives take seconds. I'll use 120grit to shape a damaged edge, 220-400trizact to sharpen, and 15micron silicon carbide to hone, or touch up if it won't strop back or I see light reflecting from the edge.

I hold the angle I want to sharpen to and practice pulling the knife against the belt before turning it on, always edge trailing the direction of the belt. Turn it on, and use several passes with light pressure, you can see on the edge where the grit is hitting, too low near the edge, too high near the blade surface, or just right across the width of the bevel. I do about 5 light passes at a time on each side till there is a definite burr along the entire edge. Once the knife has been sharpened once on the belt, it has the light convex edge formed, and it has to be pretty bad off to use the corser belts. After the edge has been shaped with the trizact, I use the mylar backed SiC belt, there is much less flex, so it keeps the convex shallow, and leaves the edge with a frosted look and slightly toothy, with a barely noticeable, but even burr along the edge. The leather belt polishes the burr off, and leaves a nice polished edge razor sharp, the rough side cleans off the polishing compound, and buffs it.

To touch up, I try to use the leather belt first, most of the time the edge will come back to razor sharp as it straightens the edge. If not, then usually a few passes with the SiC belt will straighten it out.

Figured my manix2 XL was a bit hammered, so I nerded up and took a video just now. This is my "working knife", when I have bags of concrete to open, rope or wire to cut, and carboard to shred, it is my blade of choice. If anything happened to it, I would buy another one immediately. The roughly 35 degrees inclusive edge and FFG blade is a good compromise between slicing and toughness for me. I haven't sharpened it in months, and the edge has some rolling, chipping, and small nics, so figured I would grind out the defects, sharpen, hone and strop it back to perfect. Took just shy of 10 minutes while trying not to sound like an idiot, normally it is much faster.

alucard0822 said:

harbor freight 1x30 belt sander
3m trizact or silicon carbide grinding belts to repair and sharpen
leather belt green compound on the smooth side, rough side to clean the polish and final strop. I work on the spot just above the guide for grinding belts, and on the flat section supported by the guide for the ouside of the leather belt, then use the rough back of the belt to clean the edge.

It takes some skill and practice, but I can fix and sharpen a nicked blade like new in 5 minutes, and with less than $100 in equipment that is useful for other projects. Touchups to sharp knives take seconds. I'll use 120grit to shape a damaged edge, 220-400trizact to sharpen, and 15micron silicon carbide to hone, or touch up if it won't strop back or I see light reflecting from the edge.

I hold the angle I want to sharpen to and practice pulling the knife against the belt before turning it on, always edge trailing the direction of the belt. Turn it on, and use several passes with light pressure, you can see on the edge where the grit is hitting, too low near the edge, too high near the blade surface, or just right across the width of the bevel. I do about 5 light passes at a time on each side till there is a definite burr along the entire edge. Once the knife has been sharpened once on the belt, it has the light convex edge formed, and it has to be pretty bad off to use the corser belts. After the edge has been shaped with the trizact, I use the mylar backed SiC belt, there is much less flex, so it keeps the convex shallow, and leaves the edge with a frosted look and slightly toothy, with a barely noticeable, but even burr along the edge. The leather belt polishes the burr off, and leaves a nice polished edge razor sharp, the rough side cleans off the polishing compound, and buffs it.

To touch up, I try to use the leather belt first, most of the time the edge will come back to razor sharp as it straightens the edge. If not, then usually a few passes with the SiC belt will straighten it out.

Figured my manix2 XL was a bit hammered, so I nerded up and took a video just now. This is my "working knife", when I have bags of concrete to open, rope or wire to cut, and carboard to shred, it is my blade of choice. If anything happened to it, I would buy another one immediately. The roughly 35 degrees inclusive edge and FFG blade is a good compromise between slicing and toughness for me. I haven't sharpened it in months, and the edge has some rolling, chipping, and small nics, so figured I would grind out the defects, sharpen, hone and strop it back to perfect. Took just shy of 10 minutes while trying not to sound like an idiot, normally it is much faster.



View attachment 98223

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1) you're a nerd

2) If you ended up cutting yourself somewhere in that video your views would fly through the roof.

If it cuts you just looking at it it is sharp.