Test for knife sharpness

[sailchef]

This thread reminds me of when I began working as a chef a gazillion years ago.

To test how sharp my knives were, I would show off by shaving the hair on my arm. They were mostly German carbon steel.

With todays stainless Japanese knives you could take your arm off if you slipped.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Not sure what you mean by that. You'd have to heat the knife to a white hot 1000F to re-temper it, and at least 200F to anneal it. And to sharpen a knife, you are not adding material, you are taking it away. Even with a stone. In the manufacturing process, the grinding is done on a machine with a belt, and then finished on a rotating stone wheel.

Great vid and it's interesting that they use a piece of foam sponge to test sharpness.

[GWN7]

I use my lansky sharpening system to hone the broadheads for my bow to the point where I can shave with them. During bowhunting season most of my left arm was hairless from testing.

[jyl]

Grrr. Cherry tomatoes are bouncing off.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jyl

Grrr. Cherry tomatoes are bouncing off.

Hahah. Maybe you need to use one of these?

[jyl]

The wrist rocket bounced off my blade too :-(

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Just don't see if your wrist will bounce off the blade.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by masraum

We should be shooting for this

These Videos are humbling.

[aigel]

LOL! Splitting hairs almost literally! How about COOKING something? Seriously, how sharp does it have to be for the average meal? PLUS - is that razor sharp edge going to last through cutting up a meal's worth of chow? Or in your daughter's case, through 50 people's worth of stuff?

G

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by jyl

Grrr. Cherry tomatoes are bouncing off.

With all those tomatoes you're cutting, I hope you like pasta, stew or pizza.

[jyl]

If I was actually cutting tomatoes, I'd be happy. So far, I have been giving tomatoes a gentle massage, maybe some friendly tickling, with my not-sharp blades. I'm the opposite of happy.

[gtc]

Holy crap... someone made some serious commission on that big boy.

Just curious, do you ever send them back for sharpening?

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Some run them down, but I have a big block of Cutco kitchen knives. They aren't the sharpest, but they hold an edge for a long time that is adequate for me.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jyl

If I was actually cutting tomatoes, I'd be happy. So far, I have been giving tomatoes a gentle massage, maybe some friendly tickling, with my not-sharp blades. I'm the opposite of happy.

LOL! I'm sure the tomatos are loving it unless they are calling out "metoo"

Blast from the past.

[GH85Carrera]

I have my grandfather's old butcher knife from when he worked the floor cutting up animals at Armour and Co. I can sharpen it to crazy sharp, and then I feel like I need to wear Kevlar gloves and long sleeves. It is scary sharp, and I almost always somehow just touch it to my skin and I am bleeding. For most of the cooking we do, just pretty sharp is fine.

When we first got married I sharpened all my wife's dull as heck knives. She was pissed as she would get cut just getting one out of the drawer.

[pwd72s]

Got tired of sharpening Cindy's kitchen knives...1970's vintage Chicago Cutlery, before they cheapened the steel. I bought her one of those electric diamond sharpeners...good enough for what she does. For my pocket and hunting/fishing knives, I use a arkansas oil stone mounted on a
recessed block of 2X4...makes 'em sharp enough to slice a held up piece of paper....

Most of those videos involve giving the knife an edge that won't last long...