That’s an excellent example of how sharpness testing can assist both the experienced and novice sharpener. For the experienced sharpener sharpness testing can be used to fine tune an edge, or to compare the affect of various compounds at different stages of sharpening. For a novice it shows the just what a compound is basically doing when honing.
Until I got a sharpness tester I had no concrete way to tell exactly what honing did as far as sharpness was concerned. When I got a tester I did a lot of experiments like that and found the answers to lots of questions. I don’t see how that understanding can be obtained without sharpness testing.
I like how you mention that you hone with one compound until the edge does not get any sharper. Other than the usual crude methods of testing like cutting paper, (or using your tongue?????), etc., I don’t see any way to obtain that information other than with a sharpness tester. Sharpness testing has also helped you to understand how micro beveling affects the edge. Most importantly, you can represent your results numerically rather than the usual blurting of supposition and blind declarations of “facts” that is so common in the sharpening world.
Great post. Very interesting.
Until I got a sharpness tester I had no concrete way to tell exactly what honing did as far as sharpness was concerned. When I got a tester I did a lot of experiments like that and found the answers to lots of questions. I don’t see how that understanding can be obtained without sharpness testing.
I like how you mention that you hone with one compound until the edge does not get any sharper. Other than the usual crude methods of testing like cutting paper, (or using your tongue?????), etc., I don’t see any way to obtain that information other than with a sharpness tester. Sharpness testing has also helped you to understand how micro beveling affects the edge. Most importantly, you can represent your results numerically rather than the usual blurting of supposition and blind declarations of “facts” that is so common in the sharpening world.
Great post. Very interesting.