BESS Values vs Conventional Methods of Assessing Sharpness

[John_B]

I would venture that few of us have invested in the instrumentation to accurately determine a BESS value after sharpening. I was wondering if anyone has a chart that correlates BESS values with more practical sharpness tests. My test range from duller to sharper is currently copy paper, magazine paper then news print. I, however, have no idea what BESS vales these real World test correlate to. What are other things you use for consistently testing sharpness.

What would be ideal is a list that a knife at this value will cut this but if it is a higher values it will not. Perhaps not even to the exact BESS number but to their categories:
I like Wootz's categories at the lower end as well if there are tests other than BESS that correlate.

Severely rolled edge
Moderately rolled edge
New high end cutlery
Utility razor blade
Double edge razor blade

[cbwx34]

He has a report here you can get an idea...

http://knifegrinders.com.au/Manuals/Sharpness_Chart.pdf

[John_B]

I think I need to spend more time on Wootz's site. I had not seen this PDF.

Thank you

[Ken S]

Here is a chart from the "B" in BESS, Mike Brubacher. Be sure to watch the videos on the BESS related edgeonup.com website.

BESS testing provides a standard method of sharing accurate measurements. It is particularly useful for sharing this data. I have used BEsS for several years and find it quite useful.

If you click on number ten of our most replied topics on the forum stats page, you will find more on BESS testing.

Do not miss Wootz' work.

Ken

[John_B]

Ken I do not see an attachment.

[Ken S]

John, oops.......

Here is the link.

http://edgeonup.com/Library.html

Ken

[B Sharp]

First Post
I was surprised that someone had finally quantified "sharp".  I started in the sharpening hobby as a quest to find out how sharp is "sharp".  I haven't gotten all the way there yet but I get a little closer with each knife. 

With a good hard high carbon steel blade, I can get to whittling curls of hair. For production sharpening if I don't get to treetopping I missed the correct bevel and I start over.  I suppose sub 50 is my standard.  I have been running a Tormek for quite a while, having worn out 2 SG stones.  Not broken, not damaged, but actually used up.  The only piece of kit I use other than the stock SG 2000 is a barber's strop.

The most challenging cutting test I have done is a newspaper chop.  One full sheet of newsprint chopped all the way across with one fast chopping stroke.  Without a very sharp edge you will tear the paper.

I am looking forward to sharpness advancing to where the BESS scale is obsolete.  Everybody will be getting blades sub.01 and we need another scale.