From: sheldon@XXXXXXXXsopris.net   
      
   "Good Soldier Schweik"  wrote in message   
   news:of39n8l51c3ri1uk6vpt2grkggk4ar08oj@4ax.com...   
   > On Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:38:11 -0600, "Sheldon"   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >>   
   >>"Greg Wormald"  wrote in message   
   >>news:greg-18EFBB.10030521042013@news.internode.on.net...   
   >>> In article ,   
   >>> "Sheldon"  wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> Awhile back I bought a sharpness tester. I can't find it and wanted to   
   >>>> find   
   >>>> another. It was a black rod about the size of a pencil. You held it at   
   >>>> about   
   >>>> a 45 degree angle and placed the edge of the knife on the rod, using   
   >>>> the   
   >>>> weight of the knife only, and see if the edge would bite or slide off.   
   >>>>   
   >>>>  I think I got this thing from a company that made knife sharpening   
   >>>> angle   
   >>>> guides, but that's a guess. Anyway, I know lots of ways to test for   
   >>>> sharpness, but I'd just like to replace this cheap gadget.   
   >>>   
   >>> A cheap plastic pen, or a fingernail work well.   
   >>>   
   >>> Greg   
   >>   
   >>Thanks. I realize there are about 100 ways to do this for free, but I did   
   >>find the gadget at Razor-Edge. I would bet a round Bic pen will probably   
   >>do   
   >>the same thing. Thanks for the idea.   
   >>   
   >   
   > I'm confused. What does this slim plastic device tell you? does it   
   > somehow measure a degree of sharpness?   
   > --   
   > Cheers,   
   >   
   > Schweik   
      
   The gadgets that actually measure how much pressure it takes to cut   
   something cost $1000 and up. This is just a plastic rod. You rest one end on   
   a table while holding the other end up at about 45 degrees. Holding the   
   knife straight and parallel to the table you rest the blade on the side of   
   the rod using only the weight of the knife. If the blade is sharp it will   
   bite into the rod and hold. If the blade is dull the knife will slide down   
   the rod. You can measure the sharpness all the way down the blade and see if   
   any portions of the blade need more work. You can increase the angle of the   
   rod making the test more difficult. I guess you could give the edge a score   
   based on the angle of the rod. I have no idea what the rod is made of, but   
   it gives you a simple go/no go test without slicing up today's paper or   
   removing the hair off your arm.   
      
   Here's the product   
   http://www.razoredgesystems.com/products/testers?page=shop.produ   
   t_details&flypage=ilvm_fly2_grey.tpl&product_id=9&category_id=8   
      
   BTW, I'm in no way connected to Razor-Edge Systems.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)