How sharp is too sharp?

[captaincaed]

I notice a difference in tooth direction. I finish with the same sweeping strokes. Angles the teeth back towards my hand. Draw cuts bite much faster than push cuts, better for initiating cuts. But the technique to reverse that would feel so strange I can't imagine doing it.

 

[Benuser]

One thing is for sure.... my one and only desert island stone would definitely be a low grit stone!!!

I don't like the idea of having to perform daily maintenance on a coarse stone. It will considerably reduce the knives' life span. Deburring on a coarse stone isn't my favourite part of the sharpening procedure. I hope I have a piece of Blue Belgian in my pocket when landing on a desert island.

 

[Jovidah]

Weirdos. I'd rather have a functional satelite phone...

 

[nwshull]

I think when you take a knife to a grit where the edge is very sharp off the stone but does not last very long under normal wear and tear and it begins to require too frequent returns to stones is a problem. That's different for use case and user preference.

 

[Carl Kotte]

I’m in a ’How sharp is sharp enough?’ mind set. My personal answer: when the knife is fun and easy to use. I hardly sharpen my knives though (home user). I just use a ceramic rod for touch ups. Makes cutting fun and easy.

 

[Benuser]

I'm quite aware you at least know what you're doing when using a rod. For those who only want to avoid stones, here a little warning, though. Nothing as easy as creating an unwanted microbevel — or leaving a fat burr. What happens when problems occur: again, the rod. It looks so simple, it is not, but easily creates big troubles.

 

[Jovidah]

Actually there is one part where I think 'too sharp exists'... butchering / trimming. I notice that if I have a fresh off the stone hair popping razor sharp edge it's actually counterproductive since it just tears through everything without distinction. Last time I actually dug out a duller knife because it worked better.

 

[Luftmensch]

I don't like the idea of having to perform daily maintenance on a coarse stone. It will considerably reduce the knives' life span. Deburring on a coarse stone isn't my favourite part of the sharpening procedure. I hope I have a piece of Blue Belgian in my pocket when landing on a desert island.

I find @Jovidah's response to be brilliant

I also forgot to mention... you don't actually have a knife in the desert island hypothetical.... I was just choosing a low grit stone because they are softer... You could it as a pillow or something??



Ha! I know what you mean.... but this also goes back to pressure control. Still... even with naturals, I would prefer a fast washita than a super hard surgical ark.

I guess the point of the (silly) desert island thought experiment is to explore compromised decisions. I was just underscoring my preferences: you can do a lot more with the first 50-70% percent of the 'sharpness' progression than the last 10-20%.

 

[cotedupy]

I guess the point of the (silly) desert island thought experiment is to explore compromised decisions.

I'm afraid you're not getting a knife or a stone...

The point is actually to imagine yourself dying slowly of dehydration, hunger, and exposure, and then decide which 8 gramophone records you would want to accompany that. You are also allowed a book, though it must be the Complete Works of Shakespeare. No choice on that one.

 

[Carl Kotte]

I'm quite aware you at least know what you're doing when using a rod. For those who only want to avoid stones, here a little warning, though. Nothing as easy as creating an unwanted microbevel — or leaving a fat burr. What happens when problems occur: again, the rod. It looks so simple, it is not, but easily creates big troubles.

The possibilities of achieving poor results with a bad technique are deliciously endless: the rod (stewart) is no exception.

 

[Luftmensch]

I'm afraid you're not getting a knife or a stone...

The point is actually to imagine yourself dying slowly of dehydration, hunger, and exposure, and then decide which 8 gramophone records you would want to accompany that. You are also allowed a book, though it must be the Complete Works of Shakespeare. No choice on that one.

That is actually pretty close to my ideal desert island scenario.

Fortunately I have given this a lot of thought and I know what phonographs I would bring.... it would be the first 5% of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in audio form.


Said using my Sir Ian McKellen voice:

Be not afeard. This isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
I cried to dream again.

 

[cotedupy]

That is actually pretty close to my ideal desert island scenario.

Fortunately I have given this a lot of thought and I know what phonographs I would bring.... it would be the first 5% of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in audio form.


Said using my Sir Ian McKellen voice:

Be not afeard. This isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
I cried to dream again.

Excellent stuff! Caliban steals the play with that one.

Though Ariel has a look in too I think...

Full fathom five thy father lies
Of his bones are coral made
And those are pearls that were his eyes.
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.


[I've possibly slightly mis-remembered that, but I'm sure I've got the gist!]

 

[Luftmensch]

I've possibly slightly mis-remembered that, but I'm sure I've got the gist

If you quoted that 'off the dome'.... wow!

I did the lazy internet thing and

ctrl + c

Great play though. For some reason my school thought it would be a good idea to go through some of the Henry plays (why these ones and not the other more interesting plays escapes me)... I remember we were asked to memorise one of Henry's rousing speeches for homework:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
....

This was the only substantial Shakespeare passage I committed to memory. Years later, I have forgotten the majority of it.... yet I do remember being the only knob in the class who actually did the homework. I was somewhat humiliated that I was dumb enough to stick out like a sore thumb and have to repeat the lines for the class. The rest is pretty good

ctrl + c

...
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage:
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head,
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide;
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English,
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!

 

[ModRQC]

Just very simply: when you know it’s well done and still don’t like it.

Preference of tooth or stones, grits, steels, techniques, positioning in a progression, all can be discussed greatly but the matter of the question won’t ever be answered but by oneself.