Thread: Paper testing razors

Originally Posted by bigeasy1

Let me try again:
An earlier post from bluesman7, who was getting ready to reset the bevel and hone a razor, ended with

"Before dulling the razor for re honing I did slice a little paper with the razor in just off of shave ready condition.
That was pretty impressive."

I took "pretty impressive" as meaning he got a smooth slick cut. Certainly not the same as he will get after the bevel is set. I realized that with the intention of setting the bevel anyway, he could have learned more by pushing the envelope. He could have made more cuts, to see if he could detect from the paper, the damage that was accumulating from continued cuts.

I totally get what you are suggesting here and in retrospect I should have done just that.

I have a honing partner and we are often dulling edges re honing and mailing the razors to each other for assessment, so I'll have more chances to do this. I will be able to correlate the damage I sense with the cutting with what I see with my microscope. I don't expect to ever really use this test, but I don't mind learning more about it, and since I'll be dulling the edges anyway I may as well gain the experience. I will be doing my best to not damage the edge, just the way you would use it on the way towards shave ready.

I don't think you need to add any warnings to your signature, this thread is full of them, and a dull razor is not really the end of the world. Presumably anyone using this test would already have a dull razor.