Thread: Safety tip -- chipped edges

I've come across a few threads where people were advocating for shaving with a blade that has a visible chip. Today, I learned better and wanted to share the experience with you gentlemen.
I had a blade with a major chip (polishing accident) that I honed down on the 180 before going to the 1000 and then the Norton. By the time it left the sand paper, the chip wasn't visible to the naked eye. I know, I should have done a thumb-nail test, but I never felt the necessity for it. The blade came close to being shave ready so I gave it a shave test to see where we stood. Then I noticed a red line along a surgical scar. That got me freaked, so I took the edge under the microscope (another thing I should be doing more of) and lo and behold, there was a slight dip where that chip was. That's been fixed but I'll hone the razor tomorrow.
This brings us to the following lessons that I've learned and wanted to pass on:
1) Never shave with a chipped edge, no matter who tells you it's ok. (Unless you like scratches on your face)
2) Always inspect the edge with the thumb nail test and the microscope (if you have it). The $10 hand-held one was good enough for me.
3) No matter how many of them you come across and how good you get, there's always something new to learn or an old lesson to re-iterate.
Be safe gentlemen!

Ilija,

Thanks for the important lesson. It's a shame you had to learn it the hard way and I hope that others, especially some newer users take it to heart.

Thanks for the sympathy Steve. On a good note, the scratch wasn't deep and it went over an existing scar.

Glad my wife doesn't read these posts...all the scars, cuts, blood, she would go nuts.

Kind of like Josh's huge razor he shaved with from Christmas - almost calling 911 - that would be my wife!

I think the posts saying its OK to shave with chips referred to really small microchips in the razor. To shave with a razor with visible chips is an invitation to pain and suffering. You can get away with a tiny chip or two but it doesn't take that much effort to take those out so there is really no excuse not to do it. So what I really mean to say is your correct.

I agree with some of the sentiments expressed here. TI's are especially prone to micro-chipping because of the hardness of the razor. I've learned this the hard way.

I don't know if it's just my Norton or if all Norton 8k stones are especially prone to chip TI's but that is the case I think. I've honed many a razor on my Norton 4k/8k using both sides to their full efficacy. Whenever I hone a TI on the 8k side though you can feel the edge getting hung up on an inclusion or something on the surface. Then when you look at it under 100X magnification you can see chips that weren't there after the 4k side. Very strange. I've taken to using the 4k side only when honing a TI then I move to the bottom of a Swaty then to the top of the Swaty. This seems to work rather well.

Shaving with micro-chips can be rather painful and may not necessarily cause red lines but rather mimic plain old shaving irritation or irritation from a soap one is allergic to. People should periodically inspect their blades with a microscope to ensure that they are straight and chip-free. This goes a long way towards shaving comfort. Hope that helps.

Regards,
EL

There are plenty of threads that go something like this:

Shaver: I have a blade with a chip in it, but it seems to work fine.

Chorus of Voices: DON'T USE IT!

Somebody: If it works for you, I say go ahead with it.

It's really not safe to use a razor with a chip, unless you really, really want to be a blood donor.

I think the lesson about the microscope is a valuable one, though, since you actually intended to hone out the chip, and it just didn't go far enough. Sorry about the cut. Hope it heals up allright.