Shop The Edge-On-Up Range

WHAT IS THE BESS SHARPNESS STANDARD?

The standard used to determine the sharpness of knives is called the BESS: Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale. This scale was developed by Mike Brubacher, owner of Edge-On-Up. He has a background in sense and test development in various industries.

In 2012 Mike started developing a standard that could measure the sharpness of knives and needles. The result is the BESS standard that was quickly adopted by professionals and enthusiasts as one of the most user-friendly test methods to determine the sharpness of a blade.

MEASURING AND TESTING SHARPNESS

The PT50 Series of Edge On Up Sharpness Testers give the user the ability to measure and quantify the level of sharpness of any tested edge. The systems work by measuring the force in grams required to cut through a standardized and calibrated test medium. The result is a number output on the display that can be used to compare the relative sharpness of edges.

Because a number doesn't say a lot without surrounding context a table was set created to make sure you can see how the score relates to the total scale. From 2000 BESS of an unsharpened knife to 0 BESS: Highest sharpness. There will be few knives that will come close to the 0 BESS. A double-sided sharpened razor is one.

Any knife that us sub 50 BESS is deemed razor sharp.

The sharper the knife, the less weight you need, the lower the BESS value. A lower score is therefore sharper than a higher score.

Read less