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by denton-scratch 976 days ago
> razor-sharp is over-rated except for skinning, wood planes and chisels

Razor-sharp is quite useful for razors. It's much safer to shave with a razor-sharp razor than a dull one.

1 comments

Well, yes, and my straight razor is that sharp. Kitchen knives no and certainly not hatchets or axes.
Razor-sharp knives are safer to use than dull ones. Earlier today I was invited to a dinner by a family member, and she cut her finger, because, in her own words, she had to apply some force to cut an onion and she lost control of the knife (seriously, the f*king onion. It's ridiculous and I blame her husband for being lousy at sharpening). Cutting with razor-sharp knives requires almost zero force applied, which means you can focus on precision of movement, not strength.
Occasionally a newly sharpened knife when you've only seen dull ones can be dangerous too. If you have only ever encountered dull knives, you get used to the "press and wait til it breaks through and slams uncontrollably" to the point where you can mostly* get by, but you're not as used to safe handling when just getting ready to cut.

Sharp is still safer in general!