Thread: How sharp do you like it?

Smooth and sharp are really not one and the same. They are interrelated but they are not synonymous.

Sharp is how close you can make the two sides come together. Smooth is related to the topography of those two sides. Yes, I think the latter will improve the former but that doesn't mean they are the same thing. It is possible (and indeed not uncommon) to have a very smooth razor that will not shave anything because it is not sharp. An extreme example - breadknife a razor and then run it over a CrOxed strop for 1000 laps and see what you get.

Yes, I understand the point - a "good" edge is a good edge. Why bother with these distinctions? The reason is to draw attention to the idea that bevel setting is the foundation. So many new users just want to know about the finishing stones or pastes as the way to get a good shave off a straight. I (and others) have been watching it over and over for the past 7 years on this and other forums. Frustration always ensues because in effect they are trying to create, say, a violin by using sandpaper directly on a tree.

So we highlight the difference between sharp and smooth to help people visualise the honing process, and hopefully make them understand that without the grunt work (bevel setting for sharpness) they are doomed to failure on the higher polishing grits (smoothness).

James.