I finally took that old timer's advice on my knife sharpening

Had a guy with 30 years in the Gulf tell me I was ruining my blades by using a pull-through sharpener. He made me sit down and learn how to use a proper whetstone at 15 degrees. After three tries I got a cut so clean on a rope it sliced like butter. Has anyone else had to totally re-learn a basic skill because some veteran called you out on it?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyl391mo ago

The real test is if you can shave arm hair in one pass without bleeding.

alicemurphy1mo ago

Three times I've tried that challenge and three times I've ended up looking like I got in a fight with a cheese grater. My arm looked like a crime scene by the time I gave up and just went with the two-pass method. Is there a secret trick to it or is it just one of those things people say to sound tough? I swear the people who brag about it must have arm hair made of spider silk or something.

logan5251mo ago

Yeah but is shaving your arm hair really the ultimate test of a knife's edge or is that just some weird internet gatekeeping thing? I mean I get that a sharp knife should be able to do it, but I've had blades that sliced through paper like nothing and still couldn't get a clean shave because of how my arm hair lays down. Half the time people bragging about that trick are just flexing that they have less sensitive skin or hair that grows in a certain direction. Honestly, I think the whole arm shaving thing has become more of a performance than an actual useful test for a working knife.