Thread: Razor Examination with Microscope

Kent and Larry, good information! This helps a bunch. The external source of light Larry uses is going to help tremendously. Hope I didn't scratch my blade too much last night when I was thrashing around to see "something! anything!" with my new 'scope.

In the picture above, the lamp has a 100 watt bulb, which throws out a lot of heat. I bring the lamp in as close as I can for the best light, which necessitated another piece of equipment you might not have noticed. A pot holder! That's the pink object draped over the metal lamp shade. (Gives the whole scene a mad scientist look.)

Thanks gents! I've been thinking about getting that scope from Radio Shack based on what folks say here about it. Unfortunately I keep forgetting to swing by and pick one up whenever I'm near that store. I just went online and found it here:

Illuminated Microscope - RadioShack.com

On the left side where it says "other ways to get it" there's an option to have it sent to the store nearest you and you pick it up. I did that and it came back and told that the store had it in stock. I called and they indeed do have it. Pretty nice setup! 100x and lit up for $12!

Moving away slightly from obtaining the microscope to using it, when I purchased the scope I thought I would use it primarily for determining the sharpness of the blade. I've evolved into a slightly different set of criteria:

(1) How straight is the blade?
(2) How smooth is the blade?
(3) Is the blade burred?

(By burr, I mean a thin flap of metal at edge of blade that is bent over to one side.)

I use the HHT and other "thumb" tests for sharpness, and in actuality don't use the microscope much to check sharpness.

Indentations and knicks in the blade edge, even ones that aren't visible to the eye, are a killer on skin. Let alone the fact that that portion of the blade doesn't cut effectively. I use the microscope to check the entire length of the edge to ensure that it is straight.

When blades are honed and polished, scratches are left in the side of the blade immediately next to the cutting edge. As the finer abrasives are used, such as Chromium Oxide paste and Diamond paste or spray, these scratches become smaller. I use the microscope to verify that the blade surface is relatively smooth and free of these scratches. I am less sure of this fact, but believe that a good sharp edge, combined with a scratchy surface on the side of the blade next to the cutting edge is a chap-prone blade.

Finally, a blade with a burr from overhoning might cut hair just fine. I use the microscope to ensure the edge is not burred or anything other than straight, forming a vertical cutting edge. I detect burrs primarily by viewing BOTH sides of the blade. A burr ridge might be visible from only one side.

This topic deals with the use of the microscope, so will stop here. Another recent thread dealing with tests to determine sharpness is here...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/gener...tests-not.html

And, of course, this topic sharpness is a constant theme on this site as is expected!