The 7 Levels Of Knife Sharpness EXPLAINED

[@OUTDOORS55]

What I used to The Sharpest Knife EVER⬇ (video on how coming soon) Stone 1→ amzn.to/4cPe0pC Stone 2→ amzn.to/3Ycc3yP Check the description for the strop compound Affiliated links As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

[@ravoniesravenshir3926]

You forgot the "No Sense" Edge, where it is so sharp and you don't even know you cut yourself sharp.

[@bodegavega]

I have a nice strop I got from Amazon and it has the green schmoo on it that came with the strop. Is it possible to strip that stuff off and re-schmoo it with the fine dimond compound or sprays? Or would it be too contaminated to even bother? I'm sure it would be better to start from scratch but I'm just wondering if that's possible. Thanks!

[@fiercefix]

Can I ask your thoughts on the self sharpening kitchen knifes the ones with the storage holder that supposedly sharpens each time knife is put away.

[@PuppetMasterdaath144]

intrusive thoughts iteration*

[@metern]

I want to see if it's possible to get a dubble hair whittling edge on an pice of Obsidian 😁.

[@KlerikerNero]

I can sharpen my knives from Level 4 to level 5.

[@randomizer1355]

me too! do you also sharpen on a whetstone and a belt sander?

[@ganjalfcreamcorn8438]

@@randomizer1355 i can get hair popping with my work sharp, but cant get a hair whittle sharp with it though. only takes like 4 minutes too. its a good tool.

[@ATruckCampbell]

My pocket knives are like 2, but my straight razor is about a 1.5.

[@ChaosWolfNinja]

😂🤣

[@randomizer1355]

well i sharpen as i says on a whetstone and beltgrinder and to remove the burr i use a leather strop or a felt wheel on my benchgrinder with polishing compound

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

“ You can usually spot these knife nerds for the complete lack of arm hair” Looks down at bald arms and chuckles, at least he didn’t mention bald lower legs 😂

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

To be fair, that little bare spot didn’t happen until halfway through the video

[@pettere8429]

Sporting a bald arm from checking my sharpening of the knives in the family holiday home kitchen at the moment. I have also heard this called "woodworker pattern baldness".

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

@@pettere8429 I thought working wood gave you hairy palms?

[@relishgargler]

Couple months back I was sharpening the kitchen knives while watching a movie with my kids. The oldest looks over and says “do you always shave your legs?” “Only when I run out of arm hair, kid.”

[@Onnabote]

If your lower legs aren't already permanently hairless from years of boot baldness, it's actually against the law to carry a shave sharp blade.

[@steve.b.23]

My late grandfather's gardening knife was somewhere around level 38, ie, about as sharp as an oil tanker.

[@canadapreston5452]

Get R Done edge

[@The23Anonymous]

Nice one 😂

[@tlange5091]

Tankers can somehow cut through wales though. Can your level 3 pocket knive do that?

[@ARatherDapperTapir]

​@@tlange5091Like, the whole country?

[@steve.b.23]

@@canadapreston5452 Huh?

[@drewrinker2071]

You forgot to mention, the excitement of the farmer when you give him a real knife and it's actual sharp

[@charlesmckinley29]

Better include a box of band aids with it.

[@lalli8152]

Its in my experience not like this because most farmers i have known do stuff like hunting, fishing, and such activities they need sharp knife for, but they obviously also know how to maintain sharp edge to do those things. The knives they tend to use in just not knife tasks are just cheap carbage that they have ton just laying around. Its sort of like knife nerds freak out how construction worker use the knife they have on them on the job site.

[@charlesmckinley29]

@@lalli8152 the beauty of a stockmans knife: 2 sharp edges and a goon blade.

[@lalli8152]

@@charlesmckinley29 In my country farmers what i see they use moras, and such style of knives same as construction workers over here the cheapest you can find from tha companies. Hultafors, and others make them as well, and they are like 2-5 euros pop so why would they care about them

[@John.Doe-OG]

and how quickly it becomes dull.

[@magnusandersen8898]

I wonder how many outtakes there are, full of laughter over the ridiculousness of these impersonations of the typical farmer, and whatnot. I laughed way too much watching this

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

If you had seen some of the shit that farmers around here do with their knives, that really isn’t far enough

[@BornIn1500]

That farmer's edge makes sense and it's why they like partially serrated edges. Almost every farmer carries a multi-tool, but on the occasions that they don't, they do carry a pocket knife which needs to become their "multi-tool" in a pinch. If someone has never done farm work, they wouldn't understand. Farmers also usually only buy inexpensive pocket knives knowing the abuse that is coming its way. When I worked on a farm, I sharpened my knife on the coarse grinding wheel. Quick and dirty edges are good enough for that kind of work.

[@noranekonekomatagi3261]

Cows: I'd rather you steak me than try to cut my rope loose with that farmer's edge...

[@Goochgravysuppliers]

Were In at they just carrying box cutters, lmao. A utility razor can coast like 30 cents or less, and you can use the sharp spine for scraping rust and mud off stuff

[@BornIn1500]

@@Goochgravysuppliers yea I've seen some guys around me use folding box cutters.

[@Ver-wn6el]

Yeah I work on a farm and used to carry a 6in Bowie pattern, great for cutting strings off bales or cutting open bags or dressing stitching thread but when it's a 'dirty' job you find yourself reluctant to use a good edge so I just use opinels mostly and just picked up a svord peasant

[@Disnamesucksass]

If you need it a bit sharper ypu can always scrape it against a rock or concrete

[@GasolineBoots]

The “Tacticool” examples have me rolling 😅😂

[@MikeJ602]

Hell yeah. When he put the sword between his neck and shoulder was hilarious.

[@scottbennington2936]

AKA- the truck stop knife and sword set.

[@nerfherder4284]

The knife being held "sharp" edge on his jugular was the cherry on top! 😂

[@jiahaotan696]

The thing is, it's effing true. Which makes it even funnier.

[@johndonato3638]

For the win!!

[@helterskelter156]

I used to sharpen knives and straight razors professionally for nearly a decade, and a term that I often used for the sharpest of edges was “shave ready”. This term comes from the razor world, and implies that the edge is incredibly sharp, polished and refined to the highest of finishes. It needs to shave your face with zero effort, leaving it stubble free, and WITHOUT a razor burn.

[@KennyFlagg]

It’s been fascinating tapping into that world briefly when I got my hands on some decent quality (antique) straight razors. The nerds in that world hardly ever use the word sharpening and call the pros “honemeisters” which is interesting, but literally just splitting hairs in my opinion. Different skill set, for sure, but lots of overlap on what’s happening fundamentally as far as geometry/materials. Got my hands on safety razor blades to see the level of refinement I should be going for and I’m far away from stones with the grit level for the finishing touches.

[@agungh1670]

Never bought razor anymore for the last 2 years, i use a small skinner, hand forged, very well HT, no scar or irritated at all when shave my beard

[@scottcrawford3745]

I've had a few friends cut themselves shortly after I'd returned knives they'd given me to sharpen for them. The one friend called me, remarking that "I'd told him it was razor sharp" but he really didn't think that meant it was all that sharp... Then he cut himself, felt stupid about it,. and henceforth, asks for all knives I do for him to be "Stupid Sharp.". The other was a chef I'd go to his various restaurants he worked, and sharpen all of the general kitchen cooking knives. He gave me his prized Santoku knife out of his own knife-roll to do, which the Hitachi White steel rewarded me by being sharpened beautifully, and promptly nicked the back of one of his fingers without knowing it... after determining HE was the source of the little red drops everywhere, and removing himself from service, until he could get a glove on and bleach everything, He told me to "reduce the level of sharpening on the knives the general staff used, so he didn't end up with a liability nightmare with workplace safety....( but he wanted all of HIS personal knife roll done "THAT" sharp!).

[@Gfredriksson]

If it was hitachi #1 My favourite steel to sharpen hands down. Takes such a nice fine edge.

[@peteypete9357]

If you were an RPG character, you'd be that late game blacksmith who's able to upgare all of the hero's weapons to their highest potential. At least you know you have job security if you were ever to get isekai'ed.

[@haroldbalzac6336]

@@peteypete9357 OP would be the reason RPG gear has lvl requirements

[@m20superbazooka49]

South east asian farmer here, bamboo is used for everything, so a machete is the only tool we use. Cuts through the whole bamboo across in 1 chop- Great. 2-3 chops- Good. Needs more chops but doesn’t break the bamboo to the nearest node- good enough. Cuts but breaks the bamboo- Go get some fine sand and take it to the whetstone.

[@grindcoreninja6527]

That honestly sounds incredibly interesting. I always helped my grandfather on his farm, but as an American, we grew mostly corn and soy. If you know how to record and edit, you could make some interesting content showing a form of farming completely foreign to a lot of people.

[@m20superbazooka49]

I have been through medical school now, my grandfather owns a lot of land, and we farm mostly bamboo, banana, sugarcane and a variety of rice, some fisheries, Mango, jackfruit, Pineapple, Olives and Agarwood .Father was a banker in the city so he was not very interested in farming, but we lived with grandpa so farming skills, I learnt from him. Good quality bamboo sells for a good amount of money per piece and they don’t need that much care to grow, just needs a place and stem cuttings and they grow at an astonishing rate. We used to sell truckloads of them but now environment friendly paper initiative has kicked us in the gut, paper mills don’t buy bamboo anymore. I learnt to make containers, fans, carpets, decorations, houses for animals, fence, fishing instruments out of them. I find the city life really depressing, cause I grew up in a farm, I hope to go back someday…. If I am a Hobbit, that is my shire.

[@Frostmozine]

@@m20superbazooka49 Is bamboo not eco-friendly? Last time I checked my backyard they grow from the ground

[@m20superbazooka49]

@@Frostmozine environment friendly paper means, “ No trees were harmed while making the paper”.

[@khakicampbell6640]

@@m20superbazooka49 That's so cool. Thanks for sharing! I just visited Cambodia and so many people living in the city say they'd prefer to be back in their home village, but sadly it's just too hard to earn a living there anymore.

[@bigflea11-ig8jr]

How can I be laughing twice in the first minute of a sharpening video? Thanks again for all your effort.

[@otobotrecords]

I concur. This was hell funny 😅

[@traal]

4:22 ”hair-popping” - shows clip of Poppin John and Nonstop, two of the greatest poppers in modern times. Legit. 😁👍

[@OUTDOORS55]

Glad you got that👍

[@TheScarletFoxReal]

@@OUTDOORS55funny thing there actually 8 levels (level 0) the same sharpness a doctor uses during surgery

[@ahmedejaz1125]

​@@TheScarletFoxReala scalpel is probably the same level as level 1.

[@slm5292]

Always informative but now 55 is actually funny. New studio, better lighting, and sound all looking "sharp". Well done Alex. Keep up the good work!

[@fulto1s]

Never realized how many categories of knife life I belong to. From 7-3. I am a bit jealous of 2-1, headed out to sharpen a knife or two

[@neiljudell1437]

Dude. You gotta be feeling better if you're producing funny shit like this!

[@brunobrendhan2740]

"You can usually spot these knife nerds due to the complete lack of arm hair" I can confirm that LOL

[@MarkkuS]

Love it. As a chemist, I feel like there should be an easy way to remove a burr. Like dissolve it in a pinch of acid. Touch of aqua regia, for example. Maybe I'll try it at work. Because no matter how much I watch your vids and a tiny bit of practice, I can't get my kitchen knives even to pull shave 😅

[@CarnivoreConservative]

Its the soft metal. It's very hard to sharpen soft steel

[@expensivefreeadvice8530]

If you have time, look up the Gillette patents. Edges are a bit beyond shave ready when new. The blade metallurgy combined with oxidation erodes the edge in a way that maintains shave sharp for a long time.

[@Binaryfarto]

Agreed! Something akin to the process for chemically sharpening fish hooks.

[@westcoastwarriorsarchive7929]

if your kitchen knives are cheap it might be they just cant.

[@ExtantFrodo2]

some of the early atomic force microscopes made their single atom tips this way. Put a tungsten wire with a small weight attached to the end, dangle it into your etchant, as the etchant makes the wire thinner it gets easier to stretch from the dangling weight. Judicious attention to the timing and wire thickness and all relevant factors is not required because the process is self terminating. Once the wire is thin enough to no longer support the weight, the attached upper part retracts above the surface of the etchant. Nearly perfect atomic point achieved! Can someone out there devise a similar method that would work on a line (like a blade) instead of a point?

[@MusicalWeasel]

I can consistently get to level 2, thanks to tips from you and others over the last 8 years. I love your content pal keep up the work, I think you're the only channel I'm subbed to that I ACTUALLY have the notifications turned on for.

[@charliep1098]

This is real. Exept I’m behind you. Can sometimes get a hair whittling edge

[@tarbucktransom]

I use a strop without any compound. I have a really easy time getting to popping sharp, but never really get hair whittling. Think that's the main separator?

[@Longshothawk]

As a farmer I can confirm your assessment. It's why I started watching your channel.

[@OldTantoGuy]

Awsome Alex! Glad to see your unique sense of humor taking over your videos again. I really enjoyed this one... even though I actually am an actual farmer... (and cannot dispute your claims therein).

[@MrZylix-6]

This is why I take Handicraft and Protective Polish to preserve my most used knives. Upgrading to a higher tier for purple sharpness is a great help too.

[@BananaDragonLord]

Pathetic. Real Hunters use Bludgeoner + Mind's Eye and take that knife all the way to red sharpness

[@UriMegaConnor]

why not mind’s eye as well?

[@mrwannabeblacksmith8831]

Love monster hunter lol

[@haqvor]

Also known as hand tool pattern baldness. I have a mild case on my left wrist...

[@RoterDrache35]

8:13 : you're a youtuber.

[@tahiel1945]

0:13 ness is real

[@ahmedejaz1125]

Lol

[@anoxxmous7809]

he called us out

[@steeledickmann1672]

The hopping around poking a peice of 4x4 is what sold this for me. Totally accurate.

[@GoodPotatoes]

I found this channel about 30 minutes ago and I'm blown away. Hours of trying to figure out how to sharpen knives, trying out whetstones, pull through sharpeners, and honing irons, and this wonderful man has proven through experimental method everything I could want to know about this subject. And it's presented in an interesting, informative, and thoughtful way. I'm giving this man money, *searches for his patreon and my wallet* Fu**ing amazing.

[@floraly88]

I follow your channel for a while now, and this is the best and at the same time funniest video so far. There have been many moments where I was actually laughing out loud.

[@masoncarriker2255]

00:18 I thought that was the moon

[@Rangerthelonewolf]

Lmao

[@thenamestails7152]

Can you do part 2 - theoretically possible, but not practically? E.G. level 0 - atom thin (such knives won't even cut because they're so thin they'd go in between atoms without breaking the bonds), level -1 - atom splitting etc.

[@claymournesden8705]

Please make more videos with this style of light hearted witty humour. I loved it!

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Man, too bad you don't have a merch store. This would make for such a cool poster to hang in the workshop!

[@bobnewkirk7003]

Happily a level 5 enjoyer, however learning to and being equipped for a

[@luciusirving5926]

I love those first 30 seconds.

[@lvtuba]

That text at the end. Hahhaha

[@flaviodasilva2022]

The "Tacticool" was awesome.🤣

[@CristiNeagu]

7:16 Bro... you went there 😂

[@FrancisSims]

I'm loving these edits, and from the look of things, you're loving putting them together 😅

[@imgadgetmanjim]

That was one of the funniest videos I think you have done. Enjoyed it a lot. Thank you. I can get down to level 3 freehand and partly because of your videos and recommendations for sharpening stones. I don’t always get there but sometimes 😮. Appreciate you.

[@nerfherder4284]

I can often get that fresh out of the box edge....when it's fresh out of the box 😂

[@Spurioushamster]

Farmers knives are actually put to work, and maintaining a razor sharp edge takes time that they don't have

[@coreylorance418]

Yo the music at 1:04 actually kinda rules. Does this make me a tacticool bro???

[@zehuion5128]

What is the name of the song?

[@wrandy593]

​@@zehuion5128sandstorm- darude

[@symons666]

Spot on with the "Farmers edge" my old boss on the farm had a knife so dull, it was quicker to cut with a stone !

[@DroggeIbecher]

i have a theory: achieving hair whittling edges is not just about the steel but also about the hair. i learned from my barber that the shampoo i use (the solid type) makes it harder to dye hair, since it seals the scales on the hair itself. so i assume that this makes harder to whittle my hair than maybe someone elses. funny video though :D you once mentioned that you make your own stropping compound. would you mind showing us how?

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Possible. Back when I still had hair, my barber also warned me against that Vidal Sassoon shampoo that was popular at the time. My hair was already thinning, and apparently that shampoo was _not_ helping, since it closed the scales, which prevents oxygen from making it in there or something along those lines; not sure anymore, that was like 25 years ago.

[@ganjalfcreamcorn8438]

i agree 100% thin hair will be harder to whittle since it bends away from the blade so easily. easier to catch the apex if its coarser hair. that might be why i can get hair popping sharp easy, but cant get my knife to whittle my hair.

[@martinbugge6220]

Haven't watched your channel for a year or so, feeling that i learned what was necessary from you about knife sharpening, and obtaining other hobbies. - This popped up on my feed, and you have really improved on your editing and comedy (Biden was gold). I was very much entertained. Thank you very much! Please keep doing this, and have a great day!

[@Szeniel]

Can't wait for another tutorial

[@brunobrendhan2740]

Alex, I could manage to achieve the Hair whittling edge but it can be lose very easily, just after slicing a papper a few time it already can't cut the hair. It's that normal? My knife is a Sanrenmu 9008 SANDVIK12C27

[@user-zn7cq7jt7o]

Hi Alex, I have a video idea: try an assortment of different diamond compounds. Here are some I can list off the top of my head, jende, techdiamond tools, gunny juice, and your compound and see which performs the best, all preferably 6 micron. But I know jende doesn’t have 6 so maybe try 9 micron. Well anyways that’s my idea, have a good day!

[@jarredallen]

im blacksmith with specialty in making knives and scissors. I have 4 levels of personal guidelines about sharpness for what utility it's going to be used in. level 4: gardening edge. level 3: kitchen edge. level 2: meat processing/butchers edge. level 1: barbers edge.

[@DaryooshF.Sh.P-vq6mu]

I have been authorised by all Gods of Knives to honour you as Prophet of Blades. May all your efforts and enlightenments to be cherished through all current and future knife enthusiasts on the earth. 🍻🔪

[@kcgunesq]

I really enjoy this channel and really loved this video. Why, I don't know. While I have some better and more expensive knives, the knife I use 99% of the time for anything that isn't food related is a $30 Lightning OTF. The scales are beat to hell, it won't sharpen enough to shave (at least, I can't) and it really has no great attributes except for a very satisfying one-handed open. But it opens envelopes, Amazon packages, Christmas gifts, twine, zip ties, and most other things I frequently need to cut.

[@JackShen]

To achieve level 7 sharpness, is to achieve spiritual transcendence.

[@sebastianorozco9564]

I started almost at the end of last year on sharpening knives, and to be honest, I only try to make the edge be "good enough" because I don't have the right things to do it profesionally, so I only use my folding sharpener whenever I can and try to bring back to life some knives or folding knifes from some relatives or friends, I really appreciate you made this video, because this teached me that I don't really need to make it as sharp as a double edge razor, but at least good enough for daily kitchen use or for some precise miniature jobs. Once again thx for sharing this, God bless you man

[@heni63]

:DDD That was good! 😆 So good characters too!

[@aimansyahmidzulkhairy909]

I've been sharpening knives since I was 11, I'm 21 this year and I'm proud to say I can get to level 2 and 1 with most knives if I chose to. 10 years of working to that level I have to say, it does almost make me clinically insane...😅

[@S85B50Engine]

Is there any xacto-like blades or similar small blades that are actually sharp? Because for fine cutting Xacto blades feel like they are not sharp enough to the point where they feel unsafe to use.

[@pauljs75]

Does Testors still use carbon steel for their hobby knife blades? Because at one point I had an old one from some model kit that seemed to fit your description. Only thing is, it will start to rust if there's any humidity in the air. Also such a blade is on the brittle side to obtain hardness at a cheap price-point, so don't even think of prying anything with it.

[@S85B50Engine]

@@pauljs75 xacto blades are not for prying, I was thinking about cutting those foamcore sheets when making models for example. Because regular Xacto blades feel like they are not sharp enough (to the point of feeling like I need to put an unsafe amount of force)

[@oneeyeman6258]

"I need an extra tine on here". OMG!! 🤣 Well I'm sure no farmerr has ever actually done that. But I'll bet lots of them have cut roofing shingles with knives! That scene actually hurt to watch.

[@robohippy]

Well, this makes me wonder how much better a woodshop tool would cut as in a plane iron that has been sharpened to 16000 grit and then stropped....

[@Flux000]

Probably dramatically better - for the first cut. Then about the same😅

[@robohippy]

Well, not a metallurgist, but we use A2 for most of our cutting edges. I believe with the sharpness testing, the edge is sharpest for the first couple of cuts, then they dull a bit, but still make a lot of good clean cuts for a while after, depending on what you are cutting and of course, edge geometry. I am wondering if there is such a thing as "too sharp" for kitchen knives...

[@user-ve3fz3bm7z]

propably the same, but a plane iron is a thousand times easier to get right than a knife since you only have to hit one bevel, the flat back is almost cheating

[@nerfherder4284]

Glad you are feeling better, I am really enjoying the humor and the knowledge., even if it is mythical.

[@Christopher_Giustolisi]

shaving sharp has always been good enough for me, since I don´t shave.

[@SlowJoefromBako982]

As a farmer…you’re 100% correct! My favorite knifes have the tip broken off and dull as a paint scraper

[@bevinmodrak4997]

Please no political commentary. I love your channel but won't stick around if that persists.

[@cintage]

Especially when for the term „nuts“, the other guy would have fit much better. I‘m already gone.

[@D00MTR33]

I like how you mentioned that whiddling a hair is easier in one direction vs another. Going against the hair grain is a true test because it doesn't get caught by the "splitting" of the hair. And its about technique too, because a lot of the time the knife just wants to cut straight through the hair. You can have a whittling edge, but not whittle hair because you can't get the hair to not cut through. Try whittling the same hair a few times, now thats hard.😂😂😂 I gotta go, my 15 minutes of Internet access are up. Back into the padded room i go, haha...hahaha!!! Thousands spent on sharpening supplies, but it was worth it!!! Hahahaha!!!

[@kraklakvakve]

Wow, savage. No wonder Biden withdrew.

[@sasines]

Your sense of humor is great! Really enjoyed this one.

[@MechAdv]

For me, a working edge is when I take a dull but not damaged knife, raise a burr on both sides with my naniwa 600 stone, and then strop it with compound. Takes 2-3 minutes and it produces a hair popping edge that push cuts through coarse materials aggressively, but won’t make super fine slices in the kitchen. Kitchen knives get the 600-3000-8000 progression and then a loaded strop for that edge that just passes through the onion like it’s not even there. Haha

[@kennethlopez9677]

This video is both educational and extremely funny! Thank you!

[@moondawg1439]

Just fantastic! Bravo! Most fun I’ve had in education in decades. Great job.

[@rickbremmer3838]

Hey! I’m what you’d call a “farmer” and I resent your statement, now take it back!😂😂 Non of my knives are dull, I need my knives to be sharp, I raise bison and I do use my edc and skinning knife to process animals we harvest for clients. If and yes I do use my edc as a scraper when fixing equipment, they get returned to shaving sharp that eve or shortly after. A dull knife is a dangerous knife…a sharp knife can also be dangerous 😂😂. Great video! Keep em coming.

[@pyrkol]

I have not watched your channel for quite a few years, and just tripped back on in. Impressed about how the creativity and quality of videos has come along. Really curious and entertaining stuff at the same time. Congrats!

[@danz1910]

Just watched that channel for the first time yesterday and I had to come back watch this video again. ''looks like I need an extra tine on heeeere''

[@markrowland1366]

Snap off blades camr in in 1958 from a a Japanese company trying to sound Swedish, Olfa. The handle held four spare Olfa blades and cost more than any other. Every part was smooth and comfortball to use. The shock came when the first blade lasted some eight times longer. Three weeks before snapping off a single blade. I struggled with other's dull blades. When the Olfa blade started to drag, I snapped it off.the five blades could last me a year. The pack of fifty blades I bought at a garage sale will last past retirement. Always have the sharpest and always feel proud I bought that handle. Olfa.

[@user-tp7yq2mo4p]

"hE wAs A dEmOn" 😂😂😂 bunch of future scientists and astronauts like gramama raised 😂😂😂

[@deee1979]

Alex is like the Jesus of knife sharpening…..and video editing.

[@dusty111]

I usually use a field sharpener with a diamond plate and get my pocket knives up to shaving but never hair popping sharp. It's good enough for me and easy/quick to do, only takes a few minutes per knife. S35VN, 14C28N and ARRPM9 are my most commonly used steels

[@StitchesLovesRats]

I didn't think there was a sharpness above "hair popping" razor sharp. Thanks, I like to learn things.

[@ccfrankenstein7363]

My dad could always free hand sharpen knives to shaving sharp it was the coolest thing. I never could freehand sharpen. I suck at it. So when I found a sharpening rod guide system on Amazon for $30 I had to try it. The only junk part of the kit was the block holding the rods together so I made new ones and ordered diamond plates from China to sharpen my knives on it. I can finally sharpen blades to shaving sharp easy. I have achieved hair popping sharp with a D2 blade but I went up to 2000grit and it was a mirror polish. I love the guide rod systems. I also made a motorized leather strop. I sharpen all my fillet knives on my setup now. I really like your videos. Lots to learn

[@thefeatheredfrontiersman8135]

I can get most of my knives to level 6.... But I'm learning to get my straight razor to level 7. Right now it's a matter of enough grit progression. I need more stones than I have. And there is so much more that can go wrong when you're attempting that sharp That picture of our so called leader was the funniest thing I've seen all week. I needed that Alex. Now go start a straight razor honeing series!!! Please!!!

[@zionpsyfer]

An easy way to get a straight razor to Level 7 (farmer's edge): Use it to dig in the garden. 😁 Disclaimer to others: Joke, don't ever dig in dirt with your straight razor, even if it is in a stainless steel.

[@auronx]

OH MY GOODNESS, @01:26, APEX BLING IN THE BACKGROUND LETS GOOOOO! That was VERY much unexpected but thoroughly appreciated. First time I've seen your video. Subscribed for sure.

[@Yupppi]

In my house there's like four levels. Unsharpened/ceramic tier, kitchen knife sharpened by me, straight razor sharpened by me and sharpened by someone who knows their job.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... there are* like four levels

[@MrSanemon]

Because I work with leather I tend to strop even high quality razorblades out of the box and throw them at some polishing compound. It's no joke that razors aren't the pinnacle of sharpness, not even close.

[@RANGER73CPT]

I love the ALMOST subliminal dig at jo, of the "jo&ho" administration!!!

[@Owens_Racing]

As an amateur free hand sharpener I was able to get a hair whittling edge at the end of my run. I sharpened nearly every knife I could get my hands on. I’ve lost my muscle memory and can’t hit the those edges as well. This has got me wanting to get back into the groove. Awesome video as always. Love the channel and it’s content.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

I sharpen my knives using a 8" bench grinder with a plywood wheel. Bench grinder I got from horrible freight, on sale, when they changed brand names from Hercules to Bauer. I liked the blue color. Has variable speeds.

[@TubeOzaurus]

Masterpiece of the man. Well, now the show must go on... to the attaining of one molecule cutting edge. Strap up!

[@resurgam_b7]

Haha! This was a lot of fun 😂 I can consistently achieve a hair popping edge if I put the effort in, but so far, a hair whittling edge has eluded me. I need to level up my knife sharpening nerd skills!

[@bidenisdog8294]

As a dairy farmer, I couldn't agree more with your description of a farmers' edge.

[@oTEMPE5To]

Level 1-2 is about where I go. I believe there is a level 0 too which I hit on steep edges and straight razors. You can't whittle from either direction because it just pops the hair in half (this is what I get from some safety razor brands but it could just be my hair) awesome video!

[@michaellee8815]

“Following the North Star, headed south” really got me hahahah

[@foome36]

Very enjoyable! The humor in this one definitely carried it! Looking forward to the top-secret NASA tech in the next one to weird out my weirdo knife firends. Hope your recovery is coming along :)

[@ryanleong5071]

Can you list the Steels for the hair whittling edge

[@randy-9842]

Alex, this was both hilarious and informative! I'm still chuckling ... especially at (ahem, I mean _with_ ) "nerd Alex" !! I'm definitely stuck at the level 4 (on my best days). Seriously looking forward to your "next" video about the double hair whittling video. We must have the same taste in movies/tv shows even if I can't even come close to your skill with knife sharpening. Ten thumbs up on this one ... or it would be if I hadn't lost a thumb testing my sharpest blade while dragging it behind a tractor.

[@Redhulksmash]

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL I'm the tactic cool guy. I been buying knifes for a while and I don't know how to sharpen. I just get a new knife or just keep useing the dull knife. This is one of my favorite video LOL.

[@kori4386]

Team working Edge all day

[@bryceborcovsky8979]

I'm sorry but I'm a farmer in New Zealand and I carry and use a knife daily and I refuse to use it improperly as I keep it sharp. We have other tools for prying, opening drums and weeding. My knives are very sharp as I do a fair bit of home kill on the farm. So I need sharp knives for that. I have never been able to make a knife hair whittling sharp but as far as I am concerned this edge is unnecessary for most applications in which you would use a knife. I like your videos and follow your channel and have picked up a lot of useful tips from your videos Keep up the awesome work 👍

[@RafaelSValerio]

'will.it.chop.a.brick..in.half' lol I lost it there

[@munkee59]

As someone perpetually stuck at "knife guy" level of sharpness, this video was one of the funniest I've seen.

[@trefod]

Inspired by your videos and tired of paying for having my kitchen knives sharpened, I bought the stone you recommended and made myself a strob. Just removed most of the hair from my arm with the two dullest practise knives from my spare drawer. I am over the moon, so thanks for lessons. Can't wait for this to become muscle memory as I go through more of my knives and ending with my favorites. I am gonna slice food like a maniac soon ;-)

[@Iron_Sights99]

I acquired an old WWII Cattaraugus 225Q that I repurposed as a hunting/outdoors knife, proud to say that I keep it between a 5 and 4 on pretty much any given day. I don't have good enough skills (or equipment for that matter, just an old whetstone that is is pretty rough condition) to get it any sharper than that, but that sucker takes forever to dull even with the constant use. Maybe someday I'll be motivated enough to get a new whetstone and try to hone in on a reliable 3-grade sharpness

[@rofferdal]

Cool. I think I can sharpen to level 4, and that is enough for me.

[@adainpass]

Thank you for saying that the working edge is good enough (if you are not in to the knives and just want to cut stuff :) )

[@danz1910]

I'm 45 seconds in and laughing my ass off. I think I'm gonna love that channel