Woodworking Tool Sharpness Levels

[johnlucas]

I'm new to this forum and using a BESS tester but I have been woodworking and turning for 35 years.  I turn a lot, like almost every day.   I have just started testing some turning tools and my plane blades and chisels.   the included angle of the blade affects the sharpeness readings a tremendous amount.  Getting an edge that is 25 degree included angle down to 150 on the BESS tester takes a lot of work.  Fairly easy to get them into the 200, 250 range.  Some of my carving tools are down to 130 but they have edges that are 20 degrees or less.  My turning tools usually are 35 degree or thicker included angles.   I sharpened one gouge that is 35 degrees on a 180 CBN wheel and then honed it with a 600 grit diamond hone.  It read about 300 or so but I may be wrong, haven't looked at that chart for while.  It seemed noticeably duller than my kitchen knives but then it is designed to cut wood rotating at 2000 rpm which is a lot of surface feet per minute and will dull a 25 degree edge pretty fast.  In fact most of my tools are 45 to 55 degrees and designed to remove a lot of wood quickly. 
      I haven't measured one of my plane blades.  Will have to do that.  They are quite sharp as far as woodworking tools go.