Thread: Paper testing razors

The notch on a knife blade is properly termed a Spanish Notch. There are quite a few variations. Practically, as noted, it simply ends the edge for sharpening. There are other historical myths too, the truth is probably lost. They get in the way when cutting cordage.

Ok, so it is 2am again. I know many of you have no interest in the pics below. Most here know that beyond bevel set there is little need for testing.

Disclaimer: Not everyone can do this, including many well experienced honers. It has the potential to roll an edge. You may need two more passes on your bevel setter if you attempt this after setting bevel. This is not posted here to belittle any edge test method, nor to promote this one. It is posted here because a number of people here have professed a belief that it cannot be done. Actually some have professed that as being fact.

The below pics were taken at 500X. I marked the edge with a red paint pen to be able to get the same section of edge. the approximate width of the pics is 1mm. I only shave about half of the face that most do. I will attempt to mark each as I go, but they will be posted in this order
shave ready edge
after single paper cut
after 3 cuts
after 5 cuts
after shave
after 5 more cuts
cheek after shave
edge of sliced paper
factory paper edge
pic of type of paper cut and scraps.

shave ready edge

after single paper cut

after 3 cuts

after 5 cuts

after shave

after 5 more cuts

me, first cheek finish

edge of cut paper

factory edge of paper

paper I use, and scraps


Any Questions?

Forgot to mention. Note that paint has gradually worn away. Paper is abrasive. Glad my steel was harder than my paper.
Cheers

Well done, I liked the post with information and the pictures. From time to time, and especially when honing a razor for the first time, I use the same method with paper

Thanks for posting the pics. I'm not sure you aren't getting some damage there. The photos show a darker spot near the edge where you are cutting the paper even after the single cut. Doing the math and using the scale from the electron microscope photo, his damage looked to be about 3-4 microns from top to bottom - on your 500x scope that would work out to ballpark .059" - .078" in your image if it was the same size as his. That dark spot at the edge sure looks pretty close to that, even in the first photo of the single paper cut. You may well just be repairing the edge enough by stropping post-paper-cutting to get a shaveable edge. I think it's not possible to say for sure at that level of magnification though.

Originally Posted by eKretz

Thanks for posting the pics. I'm not sure you aren't getting some damage there. The photos show a darker spot near the edge where you are cutting the paper even after the single cut. Doing the math and using the scale from the electron microscope photo, his damage looked to be about 3-4 microns from top to bottom - on your 500x scope that would work out to ballpark .059" - .078" in your image if it was the same size as his. That dark spot at the edge sure looks pretty close to that, even in the first photo of the single paper cut. You may well just be repairing the edge enough by stropping post-paper-cutting to get a shaveable edge. I think it's not possible to say for sure at that level of magnification though.

Thank you for your observation. I am not sure I see the spot you mention but I do see a spot slightly below the edge, very near the paint. It doesn't seem to reach the edge? The red paint was to help me get the same spot, but as it wore away actually caused me to move the razor to the right. If you notice in the first pic after a cut, there at two small x's caused by glare, in the V left when paint was lost. Those x's can be followed thru the pics to better judge a single spot from one pic to the next. I expect if any stropping had been done Changed them to some degree. You may also notice that the pic from after the shave seems a little dull. I can only assume my very light wiping did not remove all soap film, but by the last edge pic, after 5 more cuts, the entire bevel seems much cleaner.

You will notice I did not attempt to evaluate the pics before. Figured I would leave that to viewers. But, I thought I did mention, and now realize I did not, NO stropping was done anywhere in this process. The shave after 5 cuts was delightful, but I could tell at the end of the last 5 cuts, another shave would not fair as well without stropping.
Thanks, Cheers

Yeah, as I noted, it's pretty tough to tell at this magnification level. The reflection of the edge near the apex looks different to me from the first shave ready shot and the post-paper shots afterward. And that's about all we have to judge the damage at that scale. Now whether that's actually edge damage or just lighting I can't say - that's why I mentioned lighting previously. Regardless, if you got a shave after the paper cutting without stropping the damage isn't catastrophic. If you'd say you couldn't do more than that little bit of shaving though without stropping, there definitely was some damage done. I would still recommend folks should be hesitant to try that after bevel set, lol.