Thread: How fast can you kill an edge?

Glen thanks for that nugget of information about two stages to stropping. I have found that it's my weakness, and the variable that has the most effect on edge (for me) - even more that honing. I'm very focused during honing and pay attention to every detail, but somehow I feel like I don't have the control during stropping.
So I (and maybe the OP) should dial back and just try to "do no harm" until those skills can be "honed".

Anybody do a study of this then? The only thing I can say is ive finished blades on .3 micron lapping film and the edge didnt last more than 3 shaves. .3 film on granite surface plate. 1 micron film lasted for weeks on the same blade. Sheffield steel. I got 5 shaves off .3 film on a modern TI.

[QUOTE=gssixgun;1179977]

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Simplify...

Razor honed to Med high grit lasts X shaves

Razor honed to Higher grit lasts Y shaves


Theories and Logic are fun for discussions, But would rather hear the facts on this one.. that I am not even tossing in the Comfort issue on this, just talking pure "durability" and "longevity" of the edge

Ok, I will do simplified then I will put the thread Down and back away slowly, I can see that this one has the potential to get heated

First everyone has a. Expectation of how sharp their edge needs to be for comfort, so this. Whole thing is kind of moot, a 12k person will want a 12 k edge I guess, and someone who can shave with a blunter razor will make a sharp razor last longer than thosse that need a really sharp impliment.

Here goes:
If sharpness decrease were drawn as a curve, with the top being say a 50 k edge sharpness, I would expect that the curve would not be linear but that the decrease would be proportionally faster closer to the top of the curve, getting slower as you worked down through the edge sharpnesses. Darn that probably is no better.
A 50 k edge might stay 50 k for a shave, by which time it might be 30k equivalent, it might stay 30k for 2 shaves then be 20k equivalent, 20k for 3 shaves etc, but when you get down to 8k it might stay there for weeks. That is more concise and closer to what I mean.
PLEASE NOTE times are made up, they are not based on anything they are just to illustrate my point, so no quibbling about how long a 20k edge lasts.

Sorry Ed,

But your "Proportional Sharpness" interpretation is not what was said here..... Not that it wasn't an interesting Theory but not quite what was being discussed, In fact it would more go to prove that starting with a "Sharper edge" it would last longer IRL....

Originally Posted by bill3152

. If you finish on an 8k it should last longer than say a 12k as the "teeth" are smaller and will break off and bend easier than larger teeth. .

Originally Posted by bill3152

Every thing that has grit will leave teeth. The smaller the teeth the more delicate they are. The more refined an edge the more delicate it will be.

Originally Posted by bill3152

The only thing I can say is ive finished blades on .3 micron lapping film and the edge didnt last more than 3 shaves. .3 film on granite surface plate. 1 micron film lasted for weeks on the same blade. Sheffield steel. I got 5 shaves off .3 film on a modern TI.

Originally Posted by razorguy

Absolutely right! And this is also useful in understanding the higher the grit of hone, the more delicate the edge will be. In other words, a razor honed in a super fine grit will lose its edge faster than a razor honed with a "reasonably" low grit.

Originally Posted by bill3152

Anybody do a study of this then? The only thing I can say is ive finished blades on .3 micron lapping film and the edge didnt last more than 3 shaves. .3 film on granite surface plate. 1 micron film lasted for weeks on the same blade. Sheffield steel. I got 5 shaves off .3 film on a modern TI.

No offense but maybe your honing media or skills are a factor ? Even my newb customers with coarse beards get at least a month out of a Nakayama Asagi edge. .
I don't you nor do I use films so it's just a WAG on my part.

Been honing razors long ?

When I started honing I used to find short lived longevity to pasted strop edges but I'll bet my bevels weren't up to par in those days either.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Sorry Ed,

But your "Proportional Sharpness" interpretation is not what was said here..... Not that it wasn't an interesting Theory but not quite what was being discussed, In fact it would more go to prove that starting with a "Sharper edge" it would last longer IRL....

Double darn, you've drawn me back in, I can see your point, and dont want to argue as you are getting an apache, but one post by bill said the edge didnt last more than three shaves, but he doesnt say what the edge was actually like after three shaves, was it unusable of just unacceptable to him, and if so how sharp is acceptable to him ie if an edge beyond say .5 micron lapping film is too blunt then of course the blade would become unacceptable very quickly.
But as stated I am not arguing as I can see your point regarding my theory, and in hindsight it does lend itself to the other side of the argument.

No disagreement from me on that note Ed, A drop off in overall performance is exactly what causes one to put a razor back on some type of abrasive...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

No disagreement from me on that note Ed, A drop off in overall performance is exactly what causes one to put a razor back on some type of abrasive...

Its just. Question of how often. Thats it I am saying no more :-)

A question of how often vs the grit.. not just how often, welcome back in

The comfort level which you stop at is not a factor, I realize that you are trying to inject it into this, but that is not part of the discussion above

Read post 24 once again with just the quotes

Originally Posted by onimaru55

No offense but maybe your honing media or skills are a factor ? Even my newb customers with coarse beards get at least a month out of a Nakayama Asagi edge. .
I don't you nor do I use films so it's just a WAG on my part.

Been honing razors long ?

When I started honing I used to find short lived longevity to pasted strop edges but I'll bet my bevels weren't up to par in those days either.

I'm honing since October. But the same exact razor lasted 3 weeks on 1 um film. The edge I'm talking about didn't get any paste. .3 micron al/ox film on granite surface plate. The same for the 3 week tazor but 1um film.