What do you consider dull?

What do I consider dull?
Court shows on TV.....


Most knives in other peoples' houses.
Generally, I touch up an edge before the blade gets dull.

It's not that I have some super ESP that lets me know - you just get a feel for that kind of thing as you get older.
Somebody above mentioned, "feel". Plus 1 to that. When the knife feels like it's working a little too hard, that tells me a swipe or three or four on the Sharpmaker will do the job.
 
I use the Coke test..... I frequently buy cases (24 packs) of Coke and cut the top off to conveniently feed them as needed into my frig. When the cutting becomes sluggish, it's time to sharpen that knife.
 
I have ocd about edges.

I tend to give a few passes per edge of what I am carrying that day. I touch up edges on a sharp maker very frequently. I like to keep a shave at the lightest touch in either direction edge on all the time.
 
I generally check the edge with my thumb. Then there's the traditional Japanese practice of tageshigiri, using the bodies of condemned criminals to make prescribed cuts, although that is generally considered not politically correct these days:D.
 
For me it's if it can't cleanly cut basic things such as envelops from the mail, cardboard, trimming plants in the yard, and any other typical EDC use. From there I typically start with a loaded strop. If the edge is too far gone then it goes the SharpMaker. If it's so bad that the SharpMaker is not enough then it's time for a real sharpening either freehand on my water stones or my Gen3 Wicked Edge.

This is my recipe for my folders but when it comes to my Japanese kitchen knives then it is a ceramic honing steel on weekly basis. If more work is done then they are touched up with my water stones.
 
This is pretty dull, but the dullest mine get are when they will know longer cut standard PVC pipe insulation.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, this stuff is almost exactly the same as a pool noodle but thinner.
So yeah, I'd say if your knife won't easily cut through a pool noodle, it is very dull.
I usually touch up whatever knife I'm carrying regardless of whether it needs it or not.
If whatever knife I'm carrying is already sharp, I just do a few passes on a fine ceramic stone from Spyderco.
If truly dull, I use the other side of the same stone with CBN (like coarse diamond stone) until there are no more
visible burs, chips, or rolls and then maybe smooth the edge a little on the ceramic, but I like a coarse edge.
 
What do I consider dull? For me it is more that they're never sharp enough. Or that I'm not getting them there.

I mean they are, but then they're not.

I enjoy sharpening and knife geometry. It fascinates me and I could easily fall down a very expensive rabbit hole. I buy knives, of all types, with a large inclination of how it sharpens, if I have the tools/skills, and it's geometry.

Honestly, for EDC, I can get away with pretty mediocre edges. I'll hand someone my carry knife an they'll comment on how sharp it is but I know it really isn't that great. That's not meant to sound arrogant just that so many folks are used to truly dull knives that anything with a working edge seems really sharp. By and large most spots on the edge will shave arm hair and catch my nail but I can feel the spots that are waning. It doesn't mean the blade can't perform EDC tasks, just that I notice it.

Now, in the kitchen, that's where I get really interested.

Knife skills in the kitchen aren't just impressive but absolutely can change the dish. I'm paraphrasing here but Murray Carter said something to the effect of there are cuts you make to throw things away and there are cuts you make to keep things. Say what you want about Murray but I like the sentiment. I don't have slick Japanese knives and, for whatever reason, have still not delved into water stones but it doesn't stop me from striving to see what I can do with what I have.

Case in point...
Yesterday I saw this video of a very nice, PM steel Japanese knife. The effortless cutting and especially the garlic dicing are awesome.

I couldn't stop thinking about it all day. So after dinner and dishes and cleaning up, I tuned up my gyuto to see what I could do.

Vertical slices
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Dice - Shoulda made another horizontal cut
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I was pretty happy with that. You can get a lot out of stuff that doesn't cost a lot.

Again, I sincerely hope this doesn't come off as chest beating. It can't be further from that. There are so many people on here that are so much better at sharpening than I am. Light years better. I'm always learning and trying and often failing. I screw up a lot and am not that great of a sharpener.

I guess my point is that, for me, my mindset is it's never sharp enough. That drives me to learn. If I can get it sharp enough to begin with, I can maintain it or bring it back.
 
I tell people this if I hand the knife to them:

It's very sharp- shaving sharp.
Pretty sharp- just sharp in general.
Kinda sharp- has some hang ups, but still bites quickly.
Dull- pressing against something/almost using a saw motion to get get it started.

Same system applies to other tools as well (drill bits, files, shovels, etc)

Just so they kinda know what to expect. Most people I would hand a knife to has general knowledge of how a tool works in those adjectives.

Anymore I'm pretty good at keeping them the first 2. Stroping makes all the difference imo. Saves a ton of time later.
 
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