Knives, Axes, Hatchets, Outdoor Cutting Tools

[Ken Anderson]

When shopping for axes, hatchets, knives, and other outdoor cutting tools, I constantly come across reviews from people who complain that they weren't sharp enough. This annoys me because, to the best of my knowledge, people are expected to sharpen this stuff themselves upon arrival. Depending on the person or the intended application, not everyone wants outdoor cutting tools to be razor sharp. Of course, we expect there to be an edge, but that edge shouldn't be fine-tuned by the manufacturer. Has that changed? Are we now expecting the manufacturer to decide how sharp our axe should be?

Perhaps I can see that in a knife, since most people want a fine edge on their knife, although I expect to sharpen a new knife to the edge I'm looking for. Nevertheless, people who don't know how to sharpen a knife still need knives. But, with axes and hatchets, that depends on what I plan to use them for. If I buy an axe largely to split wood and it comes with a razor-sharp edge, the blade will wear down more quickly.

 

[Von Jones]

Me, personally, I wouldn't want a blade's edge really sharp when I purchased it for fear I might hurt me, someone else, or something else in transport.

 

[John Brunner]

A razor edge is usually not a good thing for a work tool like an axe or a machete (or a lawn mower blade) because it chips easily, and then it don't cut very well. I don't think most people are very smart.

 

[Marie Miller]

Me, personally, I wouldn't want a blade's edge really sharp when I purchased it for fear I might hurt me, someone else, or something else in transport.

Can you please elaborate?

 

[Marie Miller]

Tools have purposes and should be used that way and maintained for that purpose. My kitchen knives are razor sharp and in a drawer with wooden spacers. Yes, we tried shaving with them. The garage knife drawer has every blade in a solid leather sheath. Axes and asssorted others hang on the gardening side of the garage.

 

[Marie Mallory]

For years I used a machete Jake made at work from an auto leaf spring.
I cut a lot of large vines,small trees with it.
Also a sling blade needs to be sharp too, dida lot of work with one of those as a child.

 

[Don Alaska]

I once had a landlord who had been a commercial fisherman and ran a fish market. For his work, he had truly razor-sharp knives. When he sharpened his wife's kitchen knives, he had a cardboard sign that he placed in the drawer "Caution Sharp Knives" so she would know not to touch the cutting edges of the blades. We had sharp knives in the days we butchered and managed moose meat. Some knives come sharpened from the manufacturer since the blade steel is so hard that it is difficult for users to sharpen them.

As far as axes and such go, the bevels are different than knives, and a splitting axe should not be terribly sharp, although a hewing axe for cutting down trees and shaping beams can be somewhat sharper. Mauls and wedges should be much less sharp. That is my opinion.

 

[Ken Anderson]

Yes, with knives, it can be nice if they come sharp but, at the same time, I don't get upset if they don't, so long as they will take an edge.

 

[Mary Robi]

When my nephew went into scouting, he asked for a certain Swiss Army Knife for Christmas, which I got for him.

Then he promptly cut himself so badly, he had to have surgery and wear a brace for quite a while.

I'll never buy anyone a knife again.

 

[Faye Fox]

Yes, with knives, it can be nice if they come sharp but, at the same time, I don't get upset if they don't, so long as they will take an edge.

My experience is knives or chisels that don't come sharp, usually won't hold an edge very well. Quality knife makers know how to protect a super sharp blade for shipment. I still keep my light weight camp axe very sharp, and one bit sharp and one dull on my double bit axe.

I still keep my broad hatchet sharp, even though I haven't used it in several years. I sold my broad axe after I sold my cabin and left the mountains. I kept it very sharp. A dull axe is good for splitting wood, but a maul made for the purpose is superior. I keep my kitchen knives extremely sharp. I find dull knives more dangerous than a sharp one. A dull knife cut is really ugly and hard to heal.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

When my nephew went into scouting, he asked for a certain Swiss Army Knife for Christmas, which I got for him.

Then he promptly cut himself so badly, he had to have surgery and wear a brace for quite a while.

I'll never buy anyone a knife again.

My mother was the original "Old Wife" and she had all the tales. She told me that you never gift anyone a knife; it will 'cut' the relationship. Recently I gave my granddaughter a new set of kitchen knives for her apartment but I made her pay me a nickel for them.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

My experience is knives or chisels that don't come sharp, usually won't hold an edge very well. Quality knife makers know how to protect a super sharp blade for shipment.

I definitely agree about quality kitchen knives coming with a sharp edge. I've never been good at knife sharpening so I appreciate a keen edge.

 

[Faye Fox]

I definitely agree about quality kitchen knives coming with a sharp edge. I've never been good at knife sharpening so I appreciate a keen edge.

Have you tried one of those hand held rotary ones? I use one that has steel rollers first, then go to the fine stone one. I get a very sharp lasting edge on all my kitchen knives, including serrated, and even my scissors.

 

[Marie Miller]

Have you tried one of those hand held rotary ones? I use one that has steel rollers first, then go to the fine stone one. I get a very sharp lasting edge on all my kitchen knives, including serrated, and even my scissors.

All but one of my kitchen knives have Japanese edges. Stone and strap only!

 

[Beth Gallagher]

Have you tried one of those hand held rotary ones? I use one that has steel rollers first, then go to the fine stone one. I get a very sharp lasting edge on all my kitchen knives, including serrated, and even my scissors.

I have a couple of knife sharpeners, one is electric and one is a manual "pull through" type. They have both Japanese (Asian) and German/French (Western) blade options because I have a mix of German and Japanese knives.

 

[Faye Fox]

I have a couple of knife sharpeners, one is electric and one is a manual "pull through" type. They have both Japanese (Asian) and German/French (Western) blade options because I have a mix of German and Japanese knives.

I am surprised that not many know the difference in how a Japanese blade is sharpened as opposed to German. I wonder how many will search the internet to find out?

 

[Beth Gallagher]

I am surprised that not many know the difference in how a Japanese blade is sharpened as opposed to German. I wonder how many will search the internet to find out?

I'm sure that people who are serious cooks and invest big money in their knives will take time to find out how to care for them. A lot of those types have their knives professionally sharpened, though.

One of my pet peeves in the kitchen is a dull knife; it makes me crazy(er) so I like being able to quickly resharpen them. I'm not nearly as anal about my knives as I used to be; now I even put them on the top rack of the dishwasher... gasp!

My dad was an artist with a whetstone and leather strop. He kept my mom's carbon steel knives razor sharp in short order, as well as his tools. I'm pretty sure there was no "asian" or "western" angles to worry about.

 

[Faye Fox]

I'm sure that people who are serious cooks and invest big money in their knives will take time to find out how to care for them. A lot of those types have their knives professionally sharpened, though.

One of my pet peeves in the kitchen is a dull knife; it makes me crazy(er) so I like being able to quickly resharpen them. I'm not nearly as anal about my knives as I used to be; now I even put them on the top rack of the dishwasher... gasp!

My dad was an artist with a whetstone and leather strop. He kept my mom's carbon steel knives razor sharp in short order, as well as his tools. I'm pretty sure there was no "asian" or "western" angles to worry about.

I gave away my Case brand carbon steel butchering knives. I always kept them sharp. I still have the round fine grit stone that I used on them. I always wet it, something I haven't done in years. We just followed the angle, cut by the maker, on those old knives, no one cared about labeling angles in those days. I suppose that was racist, but we didn't know so no harm done.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

I gave away my Case brand carbon steel butchering knives. I always kept them sharp. I still have the round fine grit stone that I used on them. I always wet it, something I haven't done in years. We just followed the angle, cut by the maker, on those old knives, no one cared about labeling angles in those days. I suppose that was racist, but we didn't know so no harm done.

I remember several of my mother's paring knives would be worn down and skimpy from all the years of sharpening, but she kept using them. Occasionally my dad would have to put a new handle on some of them.

 

[Faye Fox]

I remember several of my mother's paring knives would be worn down and skimpy from all the years of sharpening, but she kept using them. Occasionally my dad would have to put a new handle on some of them.

I still have my moms favorite paring knife with a worn down blade and badly worn handle that my dad coated with epoxy glue to save it. Country folks were thrifty in those days.