Thread: can someone explain bevel test

explain first the sharpie test .i cover blade edge with sharpie and then do how many laps before looking again because after a few all the sharpie is gone but i dont believe the bevel is set persay..

And also the reflection off edge of blade. both of my blades have a thin white line at edge. pro honed one and self honed one....


I did look, but i dont like the search engine here.... how can a newb be certain the bevel is set without a microscope. i do have a loupe.

Does it shave arm hair ?

yes, but so does my vegtable pealer, and somehow i dont want to shave with that either

First the sharpie test is just to make sure that the entire edge is getting equal contact time and that the striations are reaching the end of the edge. However even using magnification you cannot tell if the two edges are meeting with this test. Thus the reason for the second test.

The second test is done under a bright light under magnification with the edge pointing towards you. As Euclid and utopian say often on this the striations from the side may look like they are getting to the edge but they may not be. A set bevel will look like a perfect "V" but an unset bevel will look like a "U" with the bottom flat or possibly rounded. Because of the sharp point of the "V" you will not see any reflection when looking at the edge straight on. But with the "U" or with microchips you will see a reflection of the bright light either in the form of a line or spots when you cant the blade around trying to find that reflection sweet spot. However you have to be careful that you are not mistaking the reflection from one side of the bevel as an unset bevel. What I did to alleviate that false read I took one blade that I was shaving with and compared it with a blade that I wasn't using at the time. The one that I wasn't using I passed over a shot glass to dull the edge. And when examining the two edges it was unmistakeable which one had the unset bevel.

Hope this helps

Many good youtube videos on bevel setting a straight razor.

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