EDGE RETENTION/ROLLING PART II

[Bud]

Good stuff Mr. Knife Grinders. I sort of like this "working edge" thing that you speak of. I like it because I think that's the sort of edge most people end up using most of the time. It seems like from all the things we have seen with the SET results or Mr. Grepper cutting carrots or just letting the knife sit out overnight that an extremely sharp edge lasts a very short period of time. A sharp edge seems to last about two weeks in my kitchen and then I start noticing that things just aren't falling apart as easily as they used to. Two weeks after that I start thinking about sharpening my knives. That's about the time my wife starts complaining so maybe a month later I finally get around to a mass sharpening event. I always test before I sharpen just because I'm curious. They'll range anywhere from 350 to 650. Then back to 170 or so after sharpening and the cycle begins again. My carry knife edge is a different story. It might be OK from anywhere between an hour and three months depending on how it get's abused. 

I used to have a Sharp Pad in the kitchen and it definitely stretched the life of the edge but we both got lazy and it ended up in a drawer. Now it sits in my shop and I use it there sometimes for burr removal or just dinking around experimenting. There isn't much doubt in my mind that there is a place for a steel or a strop with knives that are being used daily. I think that everyone, including me, are just to lazy to use them. If you have a Kally or other good sharpening method it's just too easy to sharpen again. Who cares if you're wearing your knife away quicker than need be? A brand new Victoranox is only $30.00 or so.