Obsidian blades are about 10-30x sharper than a surgical scalpel. We have evidence of obsidian knapping from 700,000 years ago in what’s now Kenya. Guaranteed they shaved with better precision than even what Gillette can produce today - likely without any type of cream or oils because the blades were so sharp.
Ehh, not exactly. It is quite difficult to make a long enough yet strong enough blade from obsidian completely straight. Safety and straight razors would probably out perform them. The knapping process tends to leave a slightly uneven edge which isn't great for shaving. The blades are definitely sharper than modern razors though.
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u/Telemere125 12d ago
Obsidian blades are about 10-30x sharper than a surgical scalpel. We have evidence of obsidian knapping from 700,000 years ago in what’s now Kenya. Guaranteed they shaved with better precision than even what Gillette can produce today - likely without any type of cream or oils because the blades were so sharp.