[bryceh12321]

Can you give me a link to the sharpest knife/knives that you know?































What company makes the sharpest knives?































What kind of steel makes the sharpest knives?































thanks

[Wild H]

I've always been happy with my Heinkel knives. They weren't cheap, but they hold their edge for a long time after they are sharpened.

[jamesdean240]

All knives are 'sharp' when they're new. The question is the knife's ability to retain that edge and to be sharpened successfully once the edge is gone. I own MANY knives of various configurations; my favorite is a Spyderco. Gerber, Buck, and Kershaw are also great knives that come with an edge and will hold that edge (unless abused) for a good while. All of the knives mentioned will also take an edge very well, provided you know how to sharpen a knife properly. The steel to make the blade for good quality knives is mostly high carbon stainless steel these days (440 stainless). Ceramic is also getting some good reviews, though a little pricier than the 440 which I prefer.

[Casey B]

the sharpness of a knife isn't about the company that it comes from, or even the steel that it's made of, you could buy a knife that's worth 10 dollars and have it sharper and keep an edge longer then a 500 dollar knife, it's how you maintain and sharpen that edge that will make a difference of either being able to cut a piece of paper with just the weight of the blade, or barely being able to cut butter.















Ray Mears is one of the influential names in the idea of using a knife, since you need a sharp knife to survive in the wilderness.















here are some videos for how to properly sharpen a knife and some funny ways to finish the blade off to have that ultimate sharpened blade potential and some handy ways to handle your knife.















[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQN4jcXDjbE[/url]















[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a2Jm3pkXqk&feature=related[/url]

[Master T]

Bob gave the correct answer to this question. Obsidian is known to be the sharpest objects on earth. It is basically a natural form of glass that is created from the super heated magma from a volcano. Oddly enough, it is said that the ancient Aztecs dabbled in surgery to cure certain ills and they used obsidian to make incisions. (Some Spanish explorers even wrote of the Aztecs performing surgery on the eyes with obsidian!)































As for more practical knives that I am familiar with. I can tell you that some of the sharpest knives I have encountered were made by Cold Steel. Another affordable brand of knives that are sharp and can be made sharp are Case knives from Bradford, PA.

[dca2003311@yahoo.com]

Schrade Brand " Uncle Henry Model "

[durden351]

Benchmade has a reputation for having really sharp knives out of the box.































As the other posters said, steel makes the difference. When buying a brand name, you're buying a design you like but, most importantly, you're showing faith that their process for selecting and treating steel is going to be of a good value.































Typically, stainless knives are used because of their resistance to corrosion (and they're pretty). The tradeoff is that stainless isn't particularly hard in comparison to high-carbon steels, and to take and hold an edge, the steel has to be hard.































Most of us think of all steel as "hard". It IS, but some steels are harder than others. Think of it like this. Try and "sharpen" a piece of styrofoam and then sharpen a piece of plastic. The plastic sharpens a lot better because it's strong enough not to deform as it takes an edge. Same thing with steel. If it's hard, it can withstand taking an edge and holding it in abrasion.































That's overly simplistic, I admit, but it's reasonaby accurate.































A trade off to a steel being hard is that hardness generally brings brittleness. The knife may take and hold a wonderful edge, but it could chip or break easily.































Some of the best and sharpest knives you'll see are made out of old metal files. File steel is REALLY hard, and it's a booger to put an edge on one. On the other hand, it will hold that edge way better than a stainless knife. Just don't go prying with it.































Oh, and just to throw in a curve, not only do you have to look at grades of steel, but you also have to look at hardness and HOW it was hardened. D2 is a tool steel that can be dead soft, into the 60's Rockwell (VERY hard for a knife), somewhere in between, or case hardened (just hard on the surface of the blade).































Most brand name knives will be just fine for general duty. If you have to bet your life on a knife, though, it's worth putting more investigation and investment into.































I find Benchmade and Spyderco to inhabit my pocket more than about any other knife. I hear Cold Steel is really good, too (been around forever). And, even though it may be a fluke, I've carried a "no name" tanto for about 15 years as a sheath knife. Whatever steel is in it, it's great. It's razor sharp and stays that way no matter what I seem to cut.