09-07-2017, 09:43 PM
Well, here we are and thank you for the questions. Nothing but good things can come of questions that explore more exactly how BESS measurements are calculated. We are not at liberty to describe, fully, the cleaving qualities of BESS test media but can say this much without reservation; BESS test media is engineered to minimize, if not negate, the effects of blade geometry on the final measurement result. This begins with a test media that is only .009 thousandths of an inch in diameter. If no additional steps were taken to enhance the sever point of the media then common sense would tell us that once the media is severed to the mid-point (radius) that the media would fail due to the decreased surface area presented to the stress source (edge). Now we are talking about an effective sever depth of only .0045 inch, an exceedingly small impingement area. Bess test media is designed to fail well before the edge has reached a depth equal to the radius. With that, we have to stop in accordance with our BESS Universal agreements.
Using modern test media, we are unable to detect any measureable effect of blade geometry on a measurement result. This does not mean that some set of circumstances might not exist where blade geometry does effect the measurement and that is where the observations/conversations of folks like Steve G. and Grepper and Ken become very valuable. This is not a matter of ego but one of discovery and if an asterisk should one day appear next to the BESS scale then I think that Bernie and the board will bear up. To tell you the truth, we are very intrigued by the sharpness levels reported in single bevel edges. We do not doubt for a second that these edges are easily sharpened to that level because it is an edge commonly used in medical applications and we have seen reports of very similar successes before. Japanese woodworkers shave meter long wood strips so thin that they are translucent with this edge. We would like to understand why this is possible. We have little experience with this edge and intend to correct that deficiency in the coming months.
Once again, thank you to all of the participants in this thread.
Using modern test media, we are unable to detect any measureable effect of blade geometry on a measurement result. This does not mean that some set of circumstances might not exist where blade geometry does effect the measurement and that is where the observations/conversations of folks like Steve G. and Grepper and Ken become very valuable. This is not a matter of ego but one of discovery and if an asterisk should one day appear next to the BESS scale then I think that Bernie and the board will bear up. To tell you the truth, we are very intrigued by the sharpness levels reported in single bevel edges. We do not doubt for a second that these edges are easily sharpened to that level because it is an edge commonly used in medical applications and we have seen reports of very similar successes before. Japanese woodworkers shave meter long wood strips so thin that they are translucent with this edge. We would like to understand why this is possible. We have little experience with this edge and intend to correct that deficiency in the coming months.
Once again, thank you to all of the participants in this thread.