As far as the average Joe is concerned, any decent knife made of reasonably good steel will do the job. For most people the difference between high performance steels is basically academic. Not so when we're talking about the more discriminate user, however. Even a relatively minor difference in hardness or wear resistance can have a significant impact on performance when you use a blade regularly.
I'm actually thinking it might be just the opposite.
Take my wife for example. She'd continue to use that dull Kabar blade until it's sharpness resembled that of a butter knife (she does that with kitchen knives); whereas, I will notice that its gotten dull and take the Sharpmaker to it......Ken
I can't really speak for Tom, but I'm thinking what he meant was not that you wouldn;t be able to tell whether the blade was dull or sharp, just that it's difficult for the average user to accurately compare different steels of relatively the same caliber. In fact, that's the point I was trying to make too. Now, for a metallurgist or a knifemaker? Different story. Some people can make a valid and accurate comparison though.....I suppose, but I sure can;t. I mean, just when I think I can, I realize I can't do it honestly.