Loss of sharp...over time?

[Chuck James]

I sharpen a stainless steel Spyderco until it is effortlessly push-cutting thin curved ribbons of paper. Since I'm sharpening several knives in a batch, I don't use this knife immediately, I put it in the drawer. Two months later I want to carry it...but find it no longer push-cuts cleanly, as it did months ago.

I live in a dry desert climate so moisture isn't an issue. The knife has been folded and the edge has not been knocking against anything.

Is this my imagination? Or is a loss of sharpness actually happening over time, in the absence of any other dulling mechanism?

Yes...you are losing it.

[Cycletroll]

^^^^^This^^^^^

[anomad]

I have observed reduced sharpness overnight with carbon steels like 1095. I live in a humid climate without air conditioning. Oil is your friend. I have seen it with 8cr13mov too. Corrosion being the obvious culprit. I have an old Temperance that came with a smokin' sharp factory edge, still good. Not sure why I am hanging on to that one?

[kodai78]

In science, a hypothesis might begin with an observation. Such as “the knife I sharpened became less sharp (or dull) over time”. Then to test whether this was actually the case, one would find an objective way to measure sharpness. Other scientists would then be able to repeat that testing in attempt to confirm the validity of the experiment. The belief or perception of the original observer is not confirmed by others agreeing with the observer. It just means the group has a shared hypothesis. I don’t believe that changes in the knife blade would be measurable overnight but that’s just my opinion. Until someone tests this hypothesis it’s just an opinion. After testing it could be true, or false, or the test could be inconclusive. Even a test confirming the original hypothesis would have to be repeated by a second tester (preferably a skeptic) before it could be seriously considered.