I've had this pop up in my mind yesterday when re-reading the Prologue "To Kill" of WoK. What if a shardblade, either a dead one (the ones that take 10 heartbeats to summon) or the ones that are still alive (such as Syl) were to cut through only 1 centimetre or 2 through the skin or an arm, for example.
Let's set up an in-universe scenario: Kaladin summons Syl as a scalpel and, on a willing Radiant that can then restore whatever was damaged, cuts through only partially. Would it be different if the scalpel were to penetrate the skin from the tip, or if it was more like an incision ?
I already asked this question on the 17th Shard discord, and someone said that it would probably kill the nerves. If that is how it works, then the answer would be that the cut would make the person only lose feeling wherever the shardblade cut through, not the entire limb.
Additionally, it's very early on established that cutting through the neck kills instantly. What if the neck is only cut halfway through ? Only a quarter through ?
I don't know if this question has ever been asked, for I'm sorry if it has been.