I was recently given a Swedish Mora Knife – a prized knife by those involved in bushcraft. After noting that the blade was carbon steel, I knew that I had to use it to create fire by striking the back of it against flint. Yep! it works. But then I noticed that it is REALLY sharp, and I tested it by shaving some hair off of my arm… and thought, perhaps this might be sharp enough to shave a beard. So, I grew a short beard and proceeded to shave! I wished that my grandfather was alive to coach me on that, but I proceeded gingerly, using aloe vera as a shaving gel. I learned to find the sharpest regions on the edge, and adjust the angle of the blade to the direction of the hair growth. It was rough going at first, but I succeeding in finishing half of my beard, knowing that what works on one half would work on the other. But like Crocodile Dundee… a twin blade works much easier! The photo was captured from the video that I took to document the occasion
Wow! I love my Mora. That took a lot of guts to shave with it. Can’t wait to see the video! You have inspired me to try. Thank you!
Years ago, I knew a lumber jack, who stropped his axe to a shaving edge. We competed to shave with our axes. It worked. A bit clumsy, but good steel will take a shaving edge and still be useful for hewing, if not splitting.