Thread: Moving up from 1K...............

Anything is possible but if you're getting that stressed about it, get someone to assess the razor.

"On the start of bevel setting on my Norton 1k I could for the not get the edge to pass a not only the hanging hair test but the arm hair test."

If this is what you really mean here, I wonder why you'd expect better testing results at the "start of bevel setting". I rarely go down to 1K to set bevels, although there are times when it is required. I check to see whether I am getting or have a bevel by 10X magnification under bright (desk lamp) lighting. I may check the bevel with the TNT, but then it's back anyway to the !K because that test can be rough on the bevel. I don't get much success with testing on arm hair, but if I feel I do have a proper bevel, I move on through the stones, and only gauge progress when I get to 8K and above. My HHT results start to work weakly at 8K and improve as I go up from there.

Originally Posted by tinkersd

The thing that really stumps me is when you use the marker test at the 1K level and it completely removes all the marker from top to bottom and I still get no response when trying to shave my arm hairs

The marker test is not a test to see if the bevel is set. The arm hair can be (assuming you have it calibrated and know that a properly set bevel will cut your arm hairs as well as how it will cut).

The marker test will tell you if the bevel runs to the edge of the razor on both sides, but it does not tell you what actually happens at the edge. Ideally it will be like this \/, but it could also look like this \_/ and you would still remove all the marker. That is where an actual bevel test comes in. Personally, I use light reflection in addition to TPT. The \_/ shape will reflect light back at you if you look straight down at the edge, and leftover secondary bevels on the edge side of the bevel you are working will show up by reflecting light at a different angle from your new bevel.

Now I'm not saying that you have a \_/ situation going on, just that that is one possible case in which the MMT will not fail and the bevel will not be set.