Thread: How sharp is sharp?

No doubt the 1K stone does 95 percent of the sharpening as well as flatten the bevels and produce a straight edge. The other hones polish the bevel by removing the deep 1K stria with progressively finer stria and a less serrated edge making a smoother shaving edge and possibly adding 1-2 percent of sharpness.

When I began experimenting with paste several years ago, my theory was, if the stria was finer the edge would be straighter, less serrated and smoother. I was after the elusive squeegee smooth shave.

I thought if one removed all the visible stria, (at 400X magnification) the edge would be straighter and smoother… and it is, up to a point. But it also thins, lengthens and sharpens the edge somewhat, perhaps that elusive 2-3 percent. Some blades can take it, some can’t.

You can test this yourself fairly easily. Chrome, Cerium, Ferrous Oxide and High grit Diamond and CBN will remove all visible stria from a bevel. So will fine metal polish, MAAS and Semi Chrome, as well some others. The Oxides will take many laps 2-300, Diamond and CBN less so. Metal polish about 2-300. Depending on your level of polish with your finishing stone, it may take more or less laps.

You can make a 12 X 3 in paddle strop from 4mm Craft Foam or Foam Core Poster board or fine weave Nylon Strapping for a hanging strop and some metal polish.

This is also a good test of your honing. My goal in honing, after bevel setting, is to remove the stria of the previous stone with each progressive stone. 4k removes 1k, 8k removes 4K.

If you polish out the stria, you will see any deep stria you did not remove, as the finer stria is removed first. That deep stria will result in a microscopic chip at the edge.

Now I am not saying, you do have to remove all the stria to get a good shaveable edge, this is just an experiment.

What I found is stropping to this extreme also can, on some blades sharpen/polish the edge to an uncomfortable level, for me causing weepers and uncomfortable harsh edge. The only paste/spray that does not cause this is CBN, it will remove all stria.

So while pasting is done for comfort, too much or to excess can go over the line.

Try it, see what happens. At the least you may learn something about your honing technique.

If you can achieve excess, you can dial it down to a level that is best for you. You do not have to strop to this level to get a BBS shave, you just have to get the edge to a level that works for your face, however that is for you.

Let’s face it 99 percent of my shaves are “Get out the door shaves”.