Ok, Jim. We need to agree on a definition of 'sharp'. When I talk about a sharp knife, I'm talking about a good edge made by sharpening with a stone by hand, in fairly short order. I'm not talking about a machined edge that can split atoms. Truely dull knives are dangerous because you need to use excessive force to cut, and may in fact end up breaking or crushing rather than slicing. Do I want my knives as sharp as some specialized tools? No. Do I want them sharp enough to cut, unlike many peoples kitchen knives? You bet! One of the gifts I give my friends is to sharpen their kitchen knives whenever I use their kitchens. Knives should slice otherwise you just have a splitting tool with a short handle.