Thread: TNT after bevel setting.

Sorry maybe I didn't word this right. I mean TNT after bevel setting and while doing post 1k work..

I never use it after the 1k.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Sorry maybe I didn't word this right. I mean TNT after bevel setting and while doing post 1k work..

Now that is a whole different thing

You could it is your honing

But honestly the gross issues that a TNT picks up should have been eliminated by the end of the bevel set protocol..

The micro chips that may come up at the high levels of honing would be very tiny and I doubt many TN 's would feel them
Overhoning / wireedege / burr should really not be an issue after some practice so again you shouldn't really need a TNT for that either

Then again there are some out there that swear by Cutting Tomatoes and Cutting Paper so there are some ideas out there that I think are pretty "Out There" but if it works for you it is your steel to hone away...

I've been honing my own razors now for about 4 years, from re-honing razors in good shape to modest restoration. I never use any kind of "test" of sharpness. I have a pretty fixed progression up the hones, and since I use the same hones, the same process, I have a pretty good idea of how far each stage takes the razor. I also have learned to assess the feel of the razor on the hone, the way it moves the slurry or water on the stone, even the sound it makes. I know that sounds mystical, but seriously, no sharpness "test" will duplicate what the razor does on your face. I've learned more by honing, shaving, then honing a little more, and finally developing a sense of when I've done enough to a blade. I suspect that most of the experienced hands here also don't rely on all these "tests" even though they might do them out of habit, or tradition, or just for fun. But the knowledge you've done it right comes from your hands, eyes and ears, and then your face.

The TNT is really the only test that I use when setting a bevel. I do TPTs sometimes to gauge how for out a bevel is, but the TNT tells me if the bevel is set or not. If I had to choose between using a loupe or a TNT to find defects, I'd choose the TNT hands down. I've had blades that look great under a loupe but I still feel defects with the TNT. A blade may seem to shave leg hair from heel to toe, but still have a 1/4" or 1/8" section that's not set. After the bevel is set I make it pretty and the next test is the shave test.

There's a Dovo video on YouTube that shows a woman setting a bevel and then running it over a piece of horn(I assume doing the same thing). It's got me thinking about how much I'm actually feeling with my left thumb and how much I detect with my right hand.