[neilep (OP)]

Dear Sharp Looking Gals and Guys,

Here's a razor blade;

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

Careful !!...Ouch !!..ewe might want to put a plaster on that !

razor blades are my old time favourite beard cutting shaving blade orientated sharp thing !

But, how wide is razor blade edge ? what cutting implements are even sharper ?...I don't mean laser things I mean real cutting things that do not need turning on and off !

[ukmicky]

Apart from you its probably a needle

[another_someone]

What about paper, or in certain cases, broken glass or diamond cutters.

[DoctorBeaver]

I remember my dad having a Rolls razor. It had a triangular blade that he used to sharpen on a leather strop. How does the strop work? Can leather really grind away steel?

But to add my halfpenceworth to the question, I'm sure I remember reading a while ago that someone had produced a scalpel the edge of which is only 1 atom thick. I'll see if I can find a reference sometime when I can be bothered.

[paul.fr]

a blade of grass

[paul.fr]

But to add my halfpenceworth to the question, I'm sure I remember reading a while ago that someone had produced a scalpel the edge of which is only 1 atom thick. I'll see if I can find a reference sometime when I can be bothered.

Hay Doc, i think that was on TNS radio show.

[JimBob]

Actually, the proven sharpest object is freshly broken chert or obsidian. The edge has been shown to be about one molecule thick.

See http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9798/Sep10_97/surgery.htm
 

[DoctorBeaver]

But to add my halfpenceworth to the question, I'm sure I remember reading a while ago that someone had produced a scalpel the edge of which is only 1 atom thick. I'll see if I can find a reference sometime when I can be bothered.

Hay Doc, i think that was on TNS radio show.

You could be right

[another_someone]

a blade of grass

Actually, I think this almost comes under the classification of broken glass.

I believe I remember hearing somewhere that grass creates small crystals of sharp silica on its surface for protection (although it also occurs to me to wonder what the optical qualities of this might be).

[lyner]

The Rolls razor had a stone and a leather bit. The stone was for getting a good shape to the blade and the leather was for finishing it off.
When you hone a razor on a leather 'strop' you stroke the blade and 'burnish' it. Rather than 'grinding' the edge, you move a few molecules of the metal across the surface, over the edge, extending it with a new, thinner bit. Very little material is actually lost from the surface in this process. Metallic bonding allows this - remember from school - metals are ductile and malleable blah blah.
When you sharpen a chisel / plane, you need a stronger edge than on a razor and, having cut into the edge with your grinding stone, if you want the best edge, you are supposed to wipe your palm over (not along!) the edge to break off the tiny ragged overhanging bits and clean up the edge. An old carpenter showed me this and it works well.

[DoctorBeaver]

Arigato for that info, centaur san

[neilep (OP)]

Apart from you its probably a needle

THANKS MICHAEL

LOL !!!...I am the king of slobs !!..I hate suits !!.....and if you're referring to IQ..I'm as blunt as Ayres rock !!

[neilep (OP)]

What about paper, or in certain cases, broken glass or diamond cutters.

THANKS GEORGE.

Would Paper really be thinner than a razor edge ?....hmm...perhaps a diamond cleft could be sharper !..

[neilep (OP)]

I remember my dad having a Rolls razor. It had a triangular blade that he used to sharpen on a leather strop. How does the strop work? Can leather really grind away steel?




But to add my halfpenceworth to the question, I'm sure I remember reading a while ago that someone had produced a scalpel the edge of which is only 1 atom thick. I'll see if I can find a reference sometime when I can be bothered.

oooooh !!!..I have not read further down the thread  yet......the anticipation of whether ewe were finally bothered to look up the scalpel is overwhelming me !!.....and the way you word it makes me feel so very special !!

[neilep (OP)]

a blade of grass

THANKS PAUL.....Hmmm a blade of grass eh ?.....I have to say I would be surprised if so.......but ewe never know !!....hey !!..I can make a mean ear piercing whistle with a bade of grass !!

[neilep (OP)]

Actually, the proven sharpest object is freshly broken chert or obsidian. The edge has been shown to be about one molecule thick.

See http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9798/Sep10_97/surgery.htm
 

Woooo !!..that is like well cool !!....and the link leads to piccy with a non-typical looking scientific bloke too !! [] []

[Karen W.]

Apart from you its probably a needle

THANKS MICHAEL

LOL !!!...I am the king of slobs !!..I hate suits !!.....and if you're referring to IQ..I'm as blunt as Ayres rock !!

 And I am the Queen of sheba!

LOL No fair Michael stole my comment! LOL~