Thread: Dent on edge of razor

A thumb nail test will dull the edge. Use a thumb pad test for bevel setting. The thumb nail test is more for chips or lightly killing the edge.

I could not understand the TNT. I read an article somewhere, but could not understand how the razor should "feel" like

Originally Posted by eddy79

A thumb nail test will dull the edge. Use a thumb pad test for bevel setting. The thumb nail test is more for chips or lightly killing the edge.

Originally Posted by tarekrashid

I could not understand the TNT. I read an article somewhere, but could not understand how the razor should "feel" like

The TNT is a fine test to use AT BEVEL SET. Yes it does damage the edge slightly, but the damage is easily repaired with a few more strokes on the bevel setter before moving to the next stone.

The way that I teach the TNT is, I lightly joint the edge on a stone, then have my students preform the TNT and feel the smooth dull edge as they lightly draw the blade from heel to toe on a wet thumb nail as if they are cutting through the nail. Then I proceed in setting the bevel, stopping as the bevel starts to come in on PARTS of the edge. At this point it is easy to feel where the bevel is set, and where it is not. I have the students tell me where the dull places are to make sure that they are feeling the same thing that I am. I then continue setting the bevel until the whole edge feels the same.

This is very easy to teach in a mentor situation, but I think that you should be able to teach it to yourself using the same procedure. The hard part without a mentor is knowing where you are starting from. For example a very dull razor can take a long time to get the bevel set. The bevel is set when it is set, so the is no number of strokes or circles that will get you to where you can start feeling it. A beginner can easily get frustrated at this stage and convince themselves that 'the bevel is surely set by now' and move on to their next stone prematurely. Another problem can be poor honing technique where the bevel never gets properly set. One bad stroke can take many to repair. As I said, this is very easy to teach in a mentor situation.

I tell beginners to use every bevel set test they can TNT, TPT, reflected light and a loupe, etc. and see where they are getting correlation. Then pick the one that suits them best. For me it's TNT and light reflection, but I mostly use TNT.

Hi bluesman7

Thanks for the elaborate description.
I thick i get the TNT as the edge cuts in a bit.
I also have major issues with TPT. Can you link to to a good TPT Vdo?

Originally Posted by tarekrashid

Hi bluesman7

Thanks for the elaborate description.
I thick i get the TNT as the edge cuts in a bit.
I also have major issues with TPT. Can you link to to a good TPT Vdo?

I'm the wrong guy to ask about the TPT. I don't get a good read from it despite doing a one on one specifically on the TPT with Lynn at a meet. If I wanted to improve my TPT, I would work with a partially set bevel and try to get correlation with the TNT. I did a bit of this with Lynn and was feeling correlation, but without practice I've lost my calibration. I have not pursued it because I'm very happy with the read that I get from the TNT.

HI

TPT seem to be a bit hard to grasp.

Anyways I have honed/sharpened the razor, but I am not getting that smooth feeling. I have tried to follow Lynn's circle vdo several times down to the last frame, but I am probably doing wrong.

Really frustrating!

Originally Posted by bluesman7

I'm the wrong guy to ask about the TPT. I don't get a good read from it despite doing a one on one specifically on the TPT with Lynn at a meet. If I wanted to improve my TPT, I would work with a partially set bevel and try to get correlation with the TNT. I did a bit of this with Lynn and was feeling correlation, but without practice I've lost my calibration. I have not pursued it because I'm very happy with the read that I get from the TNT.

I found circles harder as a beginner especially keeping the razor flat while doing them and stuck to x strokes heel leading. You may find them easier to keep consistent. That and at 4k its going to take a bit of work so keep at i and you will get there

Originally Posted by Utopian

Your only recourse is not honing. The first step is to try stropping it out. Start on linen. Stop immediately if you are scratching or cutting the linen, but otherwise go ahead and do a hundred strokes. Then go to leather. Watch for scratching of the leather and stop immediately if you see it. Otherwise, do a hundred laps on leather. If you are lucky, and if the edge is fine, and if the ding was slight, then you might rescue the edge that way.

If you have to resort to honing, then start with back-honing to start to re-align the edge.

When I stumbled on this thread today, I read this with a lot of interest -- both the possibility of stropping a ding away, and also the "back honing" idea. I thought by this you meant using a hone (of whatever grit) and moving the razor spine first? Apparently I am mistaken, in that you actually meant to start with a high-grit stone?

You understood correctly first. Strop on the hone to straighten it out before trying to remove all the metal required to hone the dent out. This way you remove less of the edge and is less work

Originally Posted by tarekrashid

I could not understand the TNT. I read an article somewhere, but could not understand how the razor should "feel" like

It turns out that the thumb nail is a lot like heavy whisker and will "catch" on a sharp
edge. Most beginners catch on a thumbnail with too much pressure and that is not good for a fine edge.
Some old timers have a very light touch and like it as a test. The thumb pad also catches and if you use more than a
light touch will cut yourself. Thus a thumb pad test is is a good test for the razor, good for your thumb... well depends
on how light a touch.

I like what I call a wild hair test.
You can use a shed bristle from an old boar brush or raid the hairbrush of a dark hair
friend.

A hair or bristle will catch on a well set bevil it will skate and slide on dull.
After a good finish hone the same hair will just fall off the edge...
I can test the entire length of a blade by touching the last 1 mm or 1/8 inch
of the hair to the edge. A two inch hair lets me touch and test a dozen + spots
from toe to heel on a razor.
If you have gray hair like me use a dark background so you can see the grey hair (or blond).

Butchers will sometimes touch their edge to a chopstick or a hard plastic rod or cutting board edge to see if it catches.
A sharp kitchen knife will catch on a common wood chopstick.
For kitchen knives... a tomato, with the peel attached, or a green apple is a good gauge.
You should be able to easily cut into the surface by directing the knife with very little pressure and slight slicing motion.
Same for green pepper, skin side up should slice as easy as skin side down. A dull knife slides and skates
on green pepper or tomato skin.