Thread: How sharp do you like it?

Well, while we are all flexing our muscles let me jump in front of the mirror and pose!

I bought my first hone 27 years ago (a DMT plate that I still use today, actually). I began honing, grinding, Reprofiling, modifying, and improving on all sorts of sharpened steel things. The fact that I still have every diamond hone I ever bought, and they still work beautifully might demonstrate that I know what I'm doing and I take care of my stuff.

I have probably sharpened several miles of edge over the years including some pretty exotic super steels used in high end knives and competition choppers.

With all this "knowledge" of edge working, I scoffed at razor honers and their "sacred religion" just like some others. I tossed their advice to the side and restored three razors (with frowns, rust, and badly shaped bevels). I was able to repair them with ease and hone them back to a slight smile with ice uniform bevels that shaved my face as comfortably as any of my beautifully honed knives...which is to say QUITE uncomfortably!

I quickly figured that all these guys spouting about how comfortable and close their straight shaves were probably were not smoking crack, but rather were onto something I had not yet learned.

Behold!!! After over a quarter century I had NOT learned everything there is to know about honing...what a concept!!!!

Listen up. If you think you know everything...you are probably the biggest idiot here. This is not an insult, it's just an observation I have made over the years from talking to some of the BEST knife and razor makers over the years (notice I said MAKERS and not USERS). The best ones will always shut up and listen to almost anyone...because you never know where the next breakthrough will come from (and we all only have so many hours on this dirt ball...so if you can get help finding new destinations faster, it only makes sense to listen). That said...it doesn't take long to figure out who is sharing findings from doing good work, and those that are parroting what they heard from another "expert".

Again no offense. I like to think of myself as fairly humble...and fairly accomplished when it comes to working steels. But I'm never above believing that I can learn something new or improve my craft.

I'll use this opportunity to thank those here who have helped me (you know who you are)