New, out of the box knives vary wildly in sharpness. There is absolutely no standard or expectation there. This is true for cutlery and other types of knives as well. I think there is some consistency with within brands/models, but other than that there is little if any consistency.
As an example, check out this subwoofer knife review:
"The TM1's factory edge has an average BESS 'C' sharpness of 342. "
http://bessex.com/forum/showthread.php?t...46#pid4346
or this one:
"The Sliverax's factory edge has an average BESS 'C' sharpness of 186.
http://bessex.com/forum/showthread.php?t...31#pid4031
I think 150 is a good general sharpness. The thing to understand though is that if you take a freshly sharpened 150 edge and chop some potatoes the sharpness will probably be 200 or greater. It does not take long. Try it yourself. Sharpen a blade, test the sharpness and then chop some carrots and onions. Then check the sharpness again. I think you will be surprised.
In fact if you sharpen a blade and just let it sit overnight, it will be duller the next day... by up to 40 points! You don't even have to cut anything. Check this out:
http://bessex.com/forum/showthread.php?t...84#pid3684
I'm not saying that for some purposes such as gently slicing sashimi or experimenting with cell splicing that you might not wish a sharper edge. A 100 edge glides through a kumquat and feels magical. The only problem is that cool feeling is very ephemeral and probably not worth the extra effort for general use cutlery. Umm... that's just IMHO.
A 100 edge, or even a 150 edge is very thin and rolls quickly. Especially if it is a polished edge, it will soon start to ride on the skin of tomato or broccoli or onion, etc. I think 150 is a good balance. It's really sharp and at least has some durability. Again, that's just my opinion and you may very well feel differently and like some other level of sharpness. The only way to really know is to experiment.
As an example, check out this subwoofer knife review:
"The TM1's factory edge has an average BESS 'C' sharpness of 342. "
http://bessex.com/forum/showthread.php?t...46#pid4346
or this one:
"The Sliverax's factory edge has an average BESS 'C' sharpness of 186.
http://bessex.com/forum/showthread.php?t...31#pid4031
I think 150 is a good general sharpness. The thing to understand though is that if you take a freshly sharpened 150 edge and chop some potatoes the sharpness will probably be 200 or greater. It does not take long. Try it yourself. Sharpen a blade, test the sharpness and then chop some carrots and onions. Then check the sharpness again. I think you will be surprised.
In fact if you sharpen a blade and just let it sit overnight, it will be duller the next day... by up to 40 points! You don't even have to cut anything. Check this out:
http://bessex.com/forum/showthread.php?t...84#pid3684
I'm not saying that for some purposes such as gently slicing sashimi or experimenting with cell splicing that you might not wish a sharper edge. A 100 edge glides through a kumquat and feels magical. The only problem is that cool feeling is very ephemeral and probably not worth the extra effort for general use cutlery. Umm... that's just IMHO.
A 100 edge, or even a 150 edge is very thin and rolls quickly. Especially if it is a polished edge, it will soon start to ride on the skin of tomato or broccoli or onion, etc. I think 150 is a good balance. It's really sharp and at least has some durability. Again, that's just my opinion and you may very well feel differently and like some other level of sharpness. The only way to really know is to experiment.