How to test how sharp your knives are

[Daddy Warbucks]

I believe the industry standard is to cut through a leather shoe. Failing that, a carton of frozen peas.

[scotchnrocks]

[ QUOTE ]
The Japanese samurai sword makers would test the sharpness of their creations by letting a small square of silk flutter down onto the upturned blade. If it cut cleanly through without fraying the silk, then it was sharp enough. You could try that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand the old ones also used a pile of dead bodies to test the properties of swords. A sharp samurai sword could cut cleanly through 6 bodies if I remember correctly.

[astroglide]

huh? it's sharp enough if it cuts the things you need to cut to your satisfaction.

[Blarg]

They used live bodies, too. I've heard numbers much less than six for a good sword, though.

[Ron Burgundy]

[ QUOTE ]
huh? it's sharp enough if it cuts the things you need to cut.

[/ QUOTE ]

No. If you can cut things, but need to use a forceful sawing motion it's dangerous and a lot of unnecassary effort. Many people think they're knives are sharp enough, but then they use a really good sharp knife and they had no idea what they were missing.

[Blarg]

Yup, a dull knife is the one that will cut you. You can't control a dull knife's movement they way you can control a sharp knife's movement. A dull knife can still cut you up pretty bad, though.

[canis582]

consumer reports likes chicago cutlery.

[Snafu'd]

[ QUOTE ]
Test it on a tomato.

[/ QUOTE ]

[astroglide]

i edited to say "to your satisfaction" just to ward off this kind of response but i was too late. if somebody has to use "forceful" sawing motions i would hope that they would think the knife or the sharpness isn't good enough. otherwise, "sharp enough". that isn't to say it can't be improved, but the phrasing of the question was off to me.

i wish i had a dollar for every time i hit a box to break the tape and already had its contents in my hands when somebody exclaimed DO YOU NEED A KNIFE I GOT A POCKETKNIFE RIGHT HERE YEP TRUSTY OLD POCKETKNIFE SHARP ONE TOO. i think guys are too obsessed with the ownership of knives and their sharpness.

[illeagle]

Do you hit tomatoes and loaves of bread with your fists to cut them up too?