Thread: TNT after bevel setting.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

That went a lot better then I expected. I half expected to be brought up on blasphemy charges.


Now would a TNT detect a wire edge??

Really ????

The TNT is one of the most recommended tests for after a Bevel set in fact it works very well before you even start..

It also helps smooth up the edge after a bevel set if you do a few TNT's rather then a light Killing/Jointing/Downstroking of the edge on the stone then do a few more light laps to bring the edge back, before moving higher..
It detects so many issues very quickly ,and after you get used to it pretty darn accurately..

And yes it will HELP fix a wire edge, but as you practice more and more you will get them less and less


Use every test you can get to work for you, some work better then other for YOU, but learn them all and use them all until they are second nature

Yeah, the TNT is a good way to find faults in a blade that you can't see, especially if you don't have a loupe. Quite amazing what you can detect through the thumbnail. Depending on condition of razor, will use this method. It is a lot faster than peering through a periscope every 5 minutes. When you can't feel the nicks and bumps any more and your bevel is near set, it breaks down the fin making the edge less serrated. That is something you will feel at the shave test. Never had a problem with a wire edge.

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.