Thread: Trying to get a smooth edge.

I have very little experience honing razors and years of experience sharpening knives. However, in the end no matter what it is, the 20/45x loupe is my favorite tool. My 60-100x microscope can just be annoying. All I use that for is spot checking for microchips and initially making sure a bevel reset has reached the apex of the edge on either side of the bevel. Otherwise, everything else is on the loupe. It's just a matter if know how to manipulate your light source to see what you are looking for.

Originally Posted by Sic4531

I have very little experience honing razors and years of experience sharpening knives. However, in the end no matter what it is, the 20/45x loupe is my favorite tool. My 60-100x microscope can just be annoying. All I use that for is spot checking for microchips and initially making sure a bevel reset has reached the apex of the edge on either side of the bevel. Otherwise, everything else is on the loupe. It's just a matter if know how to manipulate your light source to see what you are looking for.

Agreed with whole-heartedly.

Regards,
Neil

It's not a USB microscope - it's a $25K Olympus clinical microscope with an ancient digital camera. It's simply not designed for this application but I can assure you the optics are quite good - the camera is the weak link and the lighting of course...

-john

Well John, I guess it's like a chain - only as good as its weakest link... all the other things about stands, lights, holders, etc still apply, though.
Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Grazor

I was the same when I began. Now it is the opposite. Get better, smoother results with the straight. Can't go back. It really is something you have to stick with to get good results. A big factor, as already mentioned, is your razor shave ready.

Same here.

In the beginning, my control shaves with the DE were smoother than with my straights, but ultimately the shaves with my straights became even, or better than with my DE.


But just looking at the little time and effort it takes to get good shaves with a DE, it is easy to understand why DE razors became so popular and overtook straights as preferred shaving instrument.