Cutting sharpness measurement: a critical review

Despite the central role that is attributed to sharpness in the use of cutting instruments very little research has been completed which may be used in directly quantifying this importance. Regardless of the significance of sharpness a suitable scale for comparison of cutting instruments to cut specific or generic categories of materials has not been defined. Instrument sharpness may be perceived in various ways. Studies have related cutting sharpness to the profile of the cutting edge, the fineness and quality of the cutting edge and the forces required to cause cutting of the target material. Observations have been made in the literature on the substance of blade material, the rate of blunting and the level of material disintegration during cutting. Of related relevance is the manner in which the cutting instrument is used; is it being used to chop, slice, pare, plane or chip the material, is the cutting action continuous or discrete. This paper presents a review of the literature on the evaluation of cutting sharpness and existing specific and generic models for cutting sharpness. It describes components of the cutting process relevant to sharpness measurement and methodologies utilised for evaluation of their role.