# Are there blades sharper than razors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613 "2005-12-01T20:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/1 "2005-12-01T20:39:12Z")
If so, are they significantly sharper? Can they be easily acquired by consumers? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/2 "2005-12-01T20:43:27Z")
I believe certain surgical blades are so sharp that the last step in the manufacturing process is to actually blunten them microscopically, otherwise they’d cut tissue _too_ cleanly, resulting in a longer period of bleeding. I don’t think the average surgeon’s scalpel is terribly difficult to acquire, and I’d say it’d be sharper than a razor. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/3 "2005-12-01T21:00:45Z")
IIRC Obsidian blades have single-molecule edges, and are much sharper. Diamond blades are used for some microscopic work, and are sharp enough to cut a cell in half. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/4 "2005-12-01T22:28:30Z")
> [@Muad'Dib](#): > > Are there blades sharper than razors? Yes. > [@](#): > > If so, are they significantly sharper? Define your level of significance and I might be able to tell you. > [@](#): > > Can they be easily acquired by consumers? Define “easily”. You can buy them freely and legally on the internet for about $5.00 if that is what you mean. They are not available at the local mall if that is what you mean. If you want to go really crazy you can splurge a coupleof thousand bucks for a knife maker and go crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/5 "2005-12-01T23:36:07Z")
I’ve purchased several Swann-Morton scalpel blades for hobby projects (they cut EPP foam extremely effectively). I can confidently say that they are signficantly sharper than even the best razor blade. They come in various shapes and sizes and are available for about $0.20 each through just about any medical supply outfit (online or otherwise). ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/6 "2005-12-01T23:48:55Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > I can confidently say that they are signficantly sharper than even the best razor blade. Are we talking about just saftety razor baldes here, or razors? Razor blades vary a lot in quality, as do razors. But it’s hard to imagine a scalpel being much sharper then a well honed razor. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/7 "2005-12-02T00:01:49Z")
If you want to define “sharp” as “able to make extremely fine and precise cuts” have a look at the ones used for eye surgery. They’re made from chips of diamond. If you’re just looking for a generic “10 blade” (the classic broad rounded tip) those are cheaply and easily obtained though any number of medical and first-aid supply houses. And yes, much sharper than razors as they come to a narrower angle at the tip - they don’t need the durability of a razor blade as they’re normally not being used to cut through hair. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/8 "2005-12-02T00:20:48Z")
An obsidian or glass blade is sharper than any surgical steel (glass blades are used in some types of specialized surgery) and can be made easily. Step 1: aquire a block of glass Step 2: drop on a rock Step 3: pick up pieces _very_ carefully. My old archaeology professor (an expert flint knapper) use to buy art glass by the pound at a local shop for his obsidian-working demos. The resulting blades in red, yellow, blue, etc. were very pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/9 "2005-12-02T00:40:14Z")
> [@Hello Again](#): > > An obsidian or glass blade is sharper than any surgical steel (glass blades are used in some types of specialized surgery) and can be made easily. > > Step 1: aquire a block of glass > Step 2: drop on a rock > Step 3: pick up pieces _very_ carefully. > My old archaeology professor (an expert flint knapper) use to buy art glass by the pound at a local shop for his obsidian-working demos. The resulting blades in red, yellow, blue, etc. were very pretty. I have only rarely seen glass that breaks into blade like shapes. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-blades-sharper-than-razors/333613/10 "2005-12-02T01:09:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I have only rarely seen glass that breaks into blade like shape Ok: step 4 repeat 😃