Thread: Fin: fact or fiction?

Well, I just came across this thread. I have not read all the posts but I do have an opinion.

1. There is no burr formed when honing with the traditional alternating side stroke. I have never felt one nor seen one in the microscope . An over honed edge is not a burr. It is simply so thin that it bends easily. If honed any further then the edge starts to disintegrate. The first person to post a pic of this was David Uthe on the Yahoo SRP forum a number of years ago.

2. The "fin" is simply the bevel and very edge of the blade. It has a scratch pattern on it that resemble the "fin" on a fish. It is no more complex than that.

Just my $.02,

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Well, I just came across this thread. I have not read all the posts but I do have an opinion.


The "fin" is simply the bevel and very edge of the blade. It has a scratch pattern on it that resemble the "fin" on a fish. It is no more complex than that.

Just my $.02,

Your 2cents is worth a million dollars Randy.

And may i say BINGO!! This is precisely how I think of it.

************************************************** **

I'm gonna keep straight razor shaving/honing how I've been doing it all these years as it works for me, and I don't need to find out any further info on whether a razor has a fin : fact or fiction etc or not.

It shaves me well / I hone it well.

Need I do any more? Some of you guys have too much time on yer hands lol.

Originally Posted by Kees

Fin=bollocks

How can a piece of fin that gets realigned by stropping lightly be strong enough to cut hair after hair when you shave???

This is exactly the kind of tone that makes an intelligent discussion about the physics of sharpening and cutting nearly impossible.
If you look at the edge under magnification, you can actually see how the edge sustains damage from preforming a shave. I find "light" stropping ineffective to bring the razor back up to shaving par. It does require an amount of friction (or draw, for those who prefer another term).

Originally Posted by poona

Your 2cents is worth a million dollars Randy.

And may i say BINGO!! This is precisely how I think of it.

************************************************** **

I'm gonna keep straight razor shaving/honing how I've been doing it all these years as it works for me, and I don't need to find out any further info on whether a razor has a fin : fact or fiction etc or not.

It shaves me well / I hone it well.

Need I do any more? Some of you guys have too much time on yer hands lol.

"Fin" means "end" in French. It is also a word that is found in Dutch texts about razors. Almost by definition, "fin" means "the very edge". I don't believe that the fin has a Y-shape, but let's not throw away a good term with that notion.

You don't need to know how an atmospheric engine works, in order to drive a car.
I'm sure there were people that felt Isaac Newton was waisting his time. I think, by making it a poll, this thread was more about starting a controversy than about sharing viewpoints in a constructive manner. I regret that.

Happy New Year to all,
Bart.

This from a brochure that came with my Norton water stones. Could it be a FIN ?

Originally Posted by Bart

"Fin" means "end" in French. It is also a word that is found in Dutch texts about razors. Almost by definition, "fin" means "the very edge". I don't believe that the fin has a Y-shape, but let's not throw away a good term with that notion.

You don't need to know how an atmospheric engine works, in order to drive a car.
I'm sure there were people that felt Isaac Newton was waisting his time. I think, by making it a poll, this thread was more about starting a controversy than about sharing viewpoints in a constructive manner. I regret that.

Happy New Year to all,
Bart.

Didn't realise it was a French word. Ta for the info.

atmospheric engine workings - you need to know how they work to fix them. In the case of the 'fin' on a razor - it is of no value to me in my humble opinion. I already know how to fix them :P

I guess it comes down to how much you're passionate about razors to really delve deep into the physics of metallurgy. It may be of more value to the likes of the boys who are now making their own razors, I dont know? :-)

Wish I had the skills to make my own :-(

Happy New Year to you too Bart. May 2009 be a good one!

What I object to is the idea that the fin is a separate structure from the bevel. To me there is only the bevel which extends all the way to the edge. To me that is the fin. But that is an entirely American definition.
I do thank you for providing the European definition. Maybe we should adopt that?

A burr is a consequence of a specific honing method that can be seen and felt with ease when sharpening various tools like plane blades, knives and chisels.
I do not believe that we develop a burr on razors when we hone using the standard alternating side honing stroke. I have never felt one. It may be possible to develop but I do not see a purpose in it.

A wire edge , on razors, is a consequence of excessive honing and is actually an edge/bevel that is to thin and is disintegrating.

OK, time for my second cup of coffee,

Originally Posted by randydance062449

A wire edge , on razors, is a consequence of excessive honing and is actually an edge/bevel that is to thin and is disintegrating.

OK, time for my second cup of coffee,

I had the impression (before this thread started) that the wire edge you refer to was what people meant when the said a fin. Enjoy your coffee .

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I had the impression (before this thread started) that the wire edge you refer to was what people meant when the said a fin. Enjoy your coffee .

That is the part of the problem, i.e. definitions, terminology.
The lack thereof causes a lot of confusion.
Bart has made a most interesting contribution with the French definition of "fin" as being the very edge of the blade. It would be interesting to see what the German and English definitions are.

Time for me to go to the workshop,