Edge Retention/Rolling Test Stand

[grepper]

Yup.  That's the problem with edge retention testing.  It gets very complicated extremely quickly.  I think that general edge retention can be tested for, but, and the reason I keep using the term "real-world", is exactly what you say; edge retention is only really measurable in the environment and under the stress conditions that that the blade will be used in.  

It gets so complicated so quickly that it almost seems a futile pursuit, but that leads to doing nothing.  Maybe the answer is that it's only worth bothering with if testing is specific to the use of the blade.  I don't know, but that would not surprise me.