Thread: The bevel under magnification (pictorial)

Canvas strop @ 200x mag
Whole edge is getting burnished & a tiny micro bevel -like appearance is normal at the right angle in the right light



Leather strop @ 200x
Not perfect looking but cuts armhair very smoothly. Shave test was acceptable but not optimal for me.
A little tweaking with the finisher i.e. 4-5 strokes during the shave got the desired results.
Haven't added any pics of that final edge as there was no obvious change under the scope to my eyes.
Just goes to show the shave test is the ultimate test but magnification is a great aid especially in early to mid stages.

Very interesting! thanks for putting this together. Usually i dont really see much in high magnification pictures but here you can actually see the progress, well done!

Thanks for your time and effort on that post! That really does give me an idea of what is occurring when honing and what to look for.

Very helpful to see these photos to help understand some things to look for throughout the honing process. Much appreciated!

Oz,

This is a really good post and I think it will help a lot of members. Pretty labor intensive, thanks for the time and effort!!

Howard

Thought I might add some random pics as the thread goes.

Here are 2 finished & stropped Puma edges. This level of shininess at the edge is acceptable & both razors tested perfectly as you would expect from Pumas.

The edges however look totally different . First looks rough & even has a microchip yet the 2nd looks smooth.
So as I hinted before the shave test is still the best test. & yes I did clear the microchip.

"You can't judge honey by looking at the bee." Thanx Bo Diddley.

Great work. Will be very helpful. Cheers Oz

I just remembered I did a similar pictorial on a damaged Iwasaki a while back. It's in the "Advanced" honing forum but a bunch more pics for those interested.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...e-restore.html

Oz, on the microchip - how much does that register on the "ignorance is bliss" scale? When is a microchip an issue, and when is it just a natural part of an edge? (under sufficient magnification the whole edge looks chipped, right?).

Take that one in your first photo as a case in point. Left "untreated", what would be the ultimate outcome with that in terms of shaving?

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Oz, on the microchip - how much does that register on the "ignorance is bliss" scale? When is a microchip an issue, and when is it just a natural part of an edge? (under sufficient magnification the whole edge looks chipped, right?).

Take that one in your first photo as a case in point. Left "untreated", what would be the ultimate outcome with that in terms of shaving?

James.

On the IIB scale I'd give it a 9.8.
I believe a microchipped razor can be a big issue for those with sensitive skin especially if there are so many chips the edge looks like a Spyderco.
Chips visible to the naked eye should be gone but if they'r only visible at 200x you can easily get by. As you say under sufficient magnification an edge can look pretty rough. I think it was Verhoeven ? that showed stropping can improve microchips. Generally if I can barely see them at 8x the razor may shave quite well but I will remove them if possible. The steel often determines if it is possible. With rusty old steel a compromise is best case scenario sometimes.

The first pic shows the edge is folded over as well as chipped so this will result in a scratched strop &/or face. It was also close to half the size of the bevel so not reasonable to expect improvement on the strop.