How to achieve less than 100 bess?

[Dutchman]

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I'm 78 and not and not nearly as quick as I once was.
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Yes, I know that, I'm 84 and experience it every day 

[RickKrung]

... and not and not nearly as...

... and repeating yourself... 

[DT]

I'm forgetful too.  🤭

[tgbto]

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I'm 78 and not and not nearly as quick as I once was.
...

Yes, I know that, I'm 84 and experience it every day 

As one of my favorite Star Wars characters once put it : "I may not be as young as I once was, but I'm older."

[WimSpi]

I often read about the unreliability of the BESS method. I want to write something about that.
In my previous work, I had to make or interpret many meteorological temperature measurements for the construction industry.

Comparing these temperatures is only possible if everyone uses the same measurement protocol. The most important ones for outdoor temperatures were:
- Measuring on a 10 x 10 meter lawn.
- The (calibrated) thermometer should be in a white ventilated hut, 1.5 m above the lawn and the door of the hut should face north.
Only then can you compare measurements with directly each other.

What meteorologists have done is to apply this measurement method worldwide as much as possible.

What I see with grinders in YT videos is to show that the BESS method is flawed because the results are always different. That is meaningless. So can meteorologists with their temperature measurements.

If you use the BESS method only for yourself, then how only to apply and interpret your own measurement protocol properly.

If you want to compare with others, you do need to know if "the others" are measuring in the same way. In fact, you have to indicate that in the presentation of your measurement results.

[DT]

I agree, the BESS tester results can be as good or as bad as a person wants to make it. The best technique, for me, is honestly.

The leather wheel that I ordered from Germany came yesterday. I'll let you know how I like it. 

I use the BESS tester and I also cut paper.  I cut thin paper.

I lay the knife in my open palm and cut horizontally not vertical.

I've cut paper like this enough that I can pretty much tell when a knife is sub 100 BESS.

Cutting paper is less hassle than using the BESS tester and if the blade has a nick, cutting thin paper will catch on the nick where the BESS tester could miss the nick.

[Ken S]

I have been an occasional BESS user for many years. In fact, my oldest BESS tester, the model KN-100, predates the current models where the knife is lowered by using the hands. With the KN-100, the knife is held by the tester and pressure is applied by adding BBs to a container attached to the shaft above the knife. Anyone who finds using a current BESS tester to be "a hassle" would certainly find this older model to be a major hassle. However, it is also extremely accurate and eliminates human error.

I had not studied the edgeonup.com videos in quite a while. Studying them again made me realize that those who criticize BESS testing are probably basing that criticism on outdated information.

A BESS tester is not inexpensive. Anyone willing to invest in one would, in my opinion, be well advised to study the instructional videos on edgeonup.com. in order to get full benefit from their machine. The edgeonup team, like Tormek, are continually innovating.

Ken

[John Hancock Sr]

If you use the BESS method only for yourself, then how only to apply and interpret your own measurement protocol properly.

If you look at standard tests then they are repeatable objective and remove any possibility of human error. The BESS tester is advertised as an "industrial" tester, which is false advertising. It is not repeatable, objective and certainly does not comply with the ISO standard ISO 8442-5:2004.

Having said that, the BESS testers are a useful indicator of approximate sharpness for your own satisfaction.

[Crabnbass]

IMO the BESS tester is incredibly useful for judging your own results and not necessarily anyone else's.