I guess that’s what it is!

Speaking about sharpening, I’ve discussed various aspects in the ‘Tipsy Edge Special’ and the ‘hibishugyo’ blog. But when I actually tried it and organized my past experiences, it became clear to me. It’s all about achieving that ‘almost perfectly straight edge’ for the best cutting performance. I believe even the cut surface would turn out neater.

Ultimately, I think if you make the edge completely straight, it loses its ability to cut effectively. In other words, it loses its bite, and instead of cutting, it starts to feel more like splitting. While blades like the blue steel with a water quench or the white steel with a water quench can maintain their sharpness even when brought close to a straight line, I wonder if that’s the right approach.

When the edge loses its bite, it seems to take more effort to get it cutting well again. I can’t seem to put it all together neatly right now, so maybe next time…

hibishugyo

• 2008-06-16