Thread: Blade Chips

I do use a microscope but I only check 2/3 sections of each side and not the whole length .
I'm trying to get away from microscope usage because of time issues.
I have to hone all of my blades and my brothers.
This easter im gonna hone up a storm

Have you checked for the chips direcly after honing?
The reason I ask is that I have found that sometimes microchips show up after stropping that were not there after honing. This only happens occasionaly but caused me to pause and try to figure out what is happening.
I tend too blame the cause on the steel being too brittle but I have also wondered if agressive stropping isn't partially to blame.
I came to an understanding that a gentle very light to no pressure is very good at the end of each hone in progression. and especially on the finishing hone.
I think this gentleness pays dividends on the strop as well.
I used to strop at a pretty fair pace and have slowed down considerably after recognizing a slap as the razor is turned to change direction.
Now i I think every slap was the blade hitting the strop with excessive speed and force. This causes the very delicate edge to bury itself much farther than necessary into the slight cushion that the leather strop offers.
Bend that delicate edge back and forth enough times, even a tiny bit, and it will fail.
I have slowed my stropping pace and keep in mind to do a gentle flip and I beleive I have a smoother and better edge regardless of the quality of the steel in the blade.

Originally Posted by Galaxy51

Have you checked for the chips direcly after honing?
The reason I ask is that I have found that sometimes microchips show up after stropping that were not there after honing. This only happens occasionaly but caused me to pause and try to figure out what is happening.
I tend too blame the cause on the steel being too brittle but I have also wondered if agressive stropping isn't partially to blame.
I came to an understanding that a gentle very light to no pressure is very good at the end of each hone in progression. and especially on the finishing hone.
I think this gentleness pays dividends on the strop as well.
I used to strop at a pretty fair pace and have slowed down considerably after recognizing a slap as the razor is turned to change direction.
Now i I think every slap was the blade hitting the strop with excessive speed and force. This causes the very delicate edge to bury itself much farther than necessary into the slight cushion that the leather strop offers.
Bend that delicate edge back and forth enough times, even a tiny bit, and it will fail.
I have slowed my stropping pace and keep in mind to do a gentle flip and I beleive I have a smoother and better edge regardless of the quality of the steel in the blade.

That is an excellent point.
I was sure I checked my edge after honing and I do strop at a very fast pace, 50 linen then 100 leather.

You may also want use your microscope to check your edge after each progression on the hones and see if you dont have a hone problem or need to change the way you use the hone.

Originally Posted by JOB15

I do use a microscope but I only check 2/3 sections of each side and not the whole length .
I'm trying to get away from microscope usage because of time issues.
I have to hone all of my blades and my brothers.
This easter im gonna hone up a storm

I'd reverse both of those points. First, I wouldn't try to get away from the scope but that choice is yours. There's information you can get from it and it's more likely to help than hurt. And I would also take the time to check the entire edge. There could be places along the edge not making good contact with the stone and you'd want to be able to see that.

Info ????

Shapton Progression ??? GS or Pro's ???

The stropping is a great test, however the other direction, if the edge is to fragile to stand up to the linen and leather it is way too fragile for beard hair...

Hart, needs at least 1 layer of tape they are designed that way, the older Harts which yours should not be, needed two layers.. A double micro bevel is a cute trick to solve chipping too

Tape and angles are figured using 3M 700 Electrical tape



Many of the newer razors are just chippy, Hart, Wacker, Revisor, the C135 TI's, so they tend to take a bit more finesse to get them S_M_O_O_T_H

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Info ????

Shapton Progression ??? GS or Pro's ???

The stropping is a great test, however the other direction, if the edge is to fragile to stand up to the linen and leather it is way too fragile for beard hair...

Hart, needs at least 1 layer of tape they are designed that way, the older Harts which yours should not be, needed two layers.. A double micro bevel is a cute trick to solve chipping too

Tape and angles are figured using 3M 700 Electrical tape



Many of the newer razors are just chippy, Hart, Wacker, Revisor, the C135 TI's, so they tend to take a bit more finesse to get them S_M_O_O_T_H

I have the Shapton glass stones. 1K-4K-8K-16K , I follow the Lynn Abrams method and then do 10 mins on my Shobudani Mizu Asagi.
My hones are beyond flat, I use an Atoma 1200 and always tape the spine.
I do remember in the past having the same problem with my hart, so I re honed it with less circles and strokes and it came out fine.
Instead of 30 circles in a direction I tend to do 40, and so on ..
I dunno whats wrong with me

Thanks for your all your advise.
I sorted the problem out .
Basically you need to really understand each blade and how to treat them.
I'm sure you all know this anyway.
The problem is im dealing with so many different blades, Dovo/Issard/Hart/Customs.
I just have to understand each blade and not cut corners..