Thread: Is This Over Honing

Yesterday I had a look at one of my razors through a loupe, and noticed a few spots that looked like very very small chips. Through a 20X loupe, they were still very small (micro-chips maybe). I did 40 passes on a FeOx pasted webbing strop, wiped the blade down and then had another look through the loupe. I expected to see those micro-chips all gone. What I saw instead were more micro-chips than before. Could this be an example of over honing? My guess at what was happening was that the edge was already so thin that it was fragile and brittle. Has anyone else experienced this. As a fix I did 5 passes on CrOx and then just 5 on the FeOx. That left the edge looking much better. The razor gave a close shave with very little irritation, but the slightest bit of pull. Any recommendations on using FeOx? Can you visually see over honing through a 20X loupe?

I don't think you can overhone with a pasted strop; nor do I believe that either paste material can cause, or remove, significant chipping that can be seen at 20X.

I guess I should point out that I'm not saying you are wrong, I just have not experienced that kind of chipping with my limited experience with pasted strops. As a percentage of the total width of the bevel, how big are the chips?

I was just thinking that with all the modern technology now available to us that our forefathers didn't have I sometimes feel we have created a world of overworry exemplified by concern over what might be micro chips on an razor's edge. Magnify anything and even the straightest of lines and smoothest of surfaces start looking like the craters of the moon. I feel we worry too much about what didn't seem to concern our parent's and their parent's. I don't recall reading anything about old time shavers getting very concerned about an edge's condition other than saying, simply, if it isn't shaving, hone or refresh it.

I'm no expert, by a long, long, country mile when it comes to honing and refreshing an edge. I don't find the HHT or similar to be indicative of anything other than it cuts, or doesn't cut hair. Magnifications upward of 100 that a few feel is necessary for edge achievement leave me concerned for their mental health. I follow a basic honing pattern, judge at the end of the routine via a, again different that norm, dry thumbnail test. If I'm satisfied by what I've come to identify as a decent edge I go to crox, linen leather and then shave as the final test. If the thumbnail doesn't feel right I'll go back to the stones and repeat until it does. Primitive, I'm sure, in the eyes of many, but it sure works for me and my face.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Magnifications upward of 100 that a few feel is necessary for edge achievement leave me concerned for their mental health.

I regularly use two microscopes. Should I make an appointment with a therapist?

Originally Posted by Utopian

I regularly use two microscopes. Should I make an appointment with a therapist?

Only if he is qualified in micro-therapy.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I don't think you can overhone with a pasted strop; nor do I believe that either paste material can cause, or remove, significant chipping that can be seen at 20X.

I guess I should point out that I'm not saying you are wrong, I just have not experienced that kind of chipping with my limited experience with pasted strops. As a percentage of the total width of the bevel, how big are the chips?

As a percentage of the bevel, these would be maybe about 5% in size. Very small. Just noticeable at 20K. Your thoughts?

Originally Posted by Slurryer

Yesterday I had a look at one of my razors through a loupe, and noticed a few spots that looked like very very small chips. Through a 20X loupe, they were still very small (micro-chips maybe). I did 40 passes on a FeOx pasted webbing strop, wiped the blade down and then had another look through the loupe. I expected to see those micro-chips all gone. What I saw instead were more micro-chips than before. Could this be an example of over honing? My guess at what was happening was that the edge was already so thin that it was fragile and brittle. Has anyone else experienced this. As a fix I did 5 passes on CrOx and then just 5 on the FeOx. That left the edge looking much better. The razor gave a close shave with very little irritation, but the slightest bit of pull. Any recommendations on using FeOx? Can you visually see over honing through a 20X loupe?

You were most likely looking at a different part of the edge, that just happened to have more chips. You can mark a spot with a Sharpie to find the same spot in the scope. This will make your comparison a bit more accurate.

Did you just take if from the hone before stropping? I certainly hope is was a bad section of steel.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I regularly use two microscopes. Should I make an appointment with a therapist?

If you use one for each eye and are hoping for stereo, then yes an appointment may be warranted.

Skip the paste, at least for now. Take them back to your finisher and touch them up. See if that removes them. It probably will not but I would still start there. If it does not remove them, then drop down to the next lower hone and then finish again and see what happens.

I don't think you actually stated how much you honed the razor before using the pasted strop, and on what hones. If it was me and I was concerned, an 'easy' fix is to simply take it back to setting the bevel stage (i.e. pyramids on a Norton 4/8 or similar) followed by something like a Shapton 16k. At lest that would solve the problem if it was overhoned and too fragile and edge.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I regularly use two microscopes. Should I make an appointment with a therapist?

Just make sure he or she is straight shaver.