Testing blade sharpness with paper?

[Mark Rainey]

. And feeling the edge with my fingertips .

If you want to test your blade before using it, that is the best test. If you lightly brush your finger across the blade edge & it snags your skin you are sharp. The fingernail test is almost as good, especially if it really sticks sliding down the nail.

[Stanley Powers]

Here's a silly little thing I've been meaning to ask about...... Do any of you test sharpness by cutting paper? If so, can you please describe to me what you do?

I can sharpen well enough to take shavings on pine end grain and to pull shavings with my smoothers that are 0.002" thick. But I haven't figured out the paper test. I've tried credit card receipts, notebook paper and even paper bags. The paper will not cut by just pushing the blade into it - the paper folds, etc. And I dont think Im supposed to use a slicing motion to start the cut.

How do you folks do it?

Thanks,
Fred

It simply is a measure of sharpness. Not only do I try to cut the paper using the push method ONLY, but I look at the edge of the cut for ragged edges which would indicate a duller cutting edge. If that occurs, back on the power strop it goes. Sharpening is a matter of seconds this way.

[bridger berdel]

I don't cut paper or thread to test sharpness. I do sometimes shave wrist hair, especially during a demo to better illustrate the effects of honing and stropping. In the shop, not so much.