Thread: Edge Picture at 100X after Chosera 1K Stone

Hi Everyone,

This is a follow up to my previous post #6 when I "jointed" the edge and started over using only very light X strokes on my Ralf Aust razor. Although there were no reflections on the edge and the bevel appeared to be "set" under the microscope, the razor shaved "just ok" after progressing through the 5K, 8K, 12K naniwa stones, 20K Gokumyo, and then stropping.

Just for the fun of it, I went ahead an "jointed" the edge again just to see if I could do better, because I remember this Ralf Aust shaved better after I purchased it from SRD about a year ago.

I decided to give Lynn's method another try as he demonstrates in the video using naniwa stones, only this time I used VERY LIGHT PRESSURE. Here are the results all at 100X magnification:


1K Chosera with 40 circles light pressure



1K Chosera 25 X strokes light pressure



5K with 40 circles light pressure



5K with 40 circles no pressure


5K with 25 X strokes light pressure


8K with 10 X strokes



12K with 10 X strokes


20K Gokuymo with 25 X strokes


Strop X 60 Laps



In conclusion, the razor now shaves much better with the above sequence using Lynn's approach than when it did when I was using only light X strokes. I think the explanation most likely is that the bevel was not completely set in my first trial and the extra 20 X strokes I did on the 5K until the razor shaved arm hair really well (compared to only 5 X strokes previously in the first trial).

However, I can still see a little bit of a "toothy edge" in the above photo, and I had a similar "toothy edge" even after on the previous trial when I used only very light X strokes and no circles:

The above photo of the Ralf Aust looks especially "toothy" when I compare it to two of my other razors below:

Livi Grilletto honed by SRD - shaves fantastically


Filarmonica 14 Barbas Duras NOS factory edge that shaves fantastically, I have shaved with this razor about 20 times and it has only been stropped.



The Ralf Aust with it's toothy edge shaves close now and really does very well, but not quite like the Grefetto or Filarmonica.

So I am thinking if I could get the Ralf Edge to look like the other edges, it might shave even better.

Here are a few remaining questions.
What do I need to do to get and edge like the filarmonica or the Grifetto? Seems that no matter what I do with the Ralf Aust, the edge is going to be "toothy".
Is the "toothy edge" the reason the Ralf Aust does not shave as well as the Filarmonica and Grifetto? Or is it a difference in the steel used in the razor?

Any comments and suggestions are welcome

I am concerned that you are not reaching the edge, as there does not appear to be much if any improvement as you progress up the grits.

As it shaved from SRD, IT was good , so it will be the man honing it, you. Have you honed them before to your satisfaction? Are you doing something different? How are your hones lapped,? It could be lots of things, like are you new to honing, most of us new guys don't get it as well as the more experienced guys do,, I guess more will come along to answer you, but no, if done right it shouldn't be toothy, Tc

Maybe you have blank razor which was not tempered and this is your problem... but I can tell this steel is no good for shaving...

Originally Posted by proximus26

Maybe you have blank razor which was not tempered and this is your problem... but I can tell this steel is no good for shaving...

I don't know what you mean by a "blank razor," but Vivaldi pointed out that he bought the razor from SRD a year ago and it shaved better at that time. If the blade had not been tempered, the steel would have been much harder than a normal razor and Lynn or Don would have noticed it when they honed it.

How can you tell that the "steel is no good for shaving?"

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

As it shaved from SRD, IT was good , so it will be the man honing it, you. Have you honed them before to your satisfaction? Are you doing something different? How are your hones lapped,? It could be lots of things, like are you new to honing, most of us new guys don't get it as well as the more experienced guys do,, I guess more will come along to answer you, but no, if done right it shouldn't be toothy, Tc

Tcrideshd,

Yes, I am new to honing and I have never tried to hone this Ralf Aust before now. However, I purchased it new from SRD and it shaved better at that time.
Yes, I do lap all of my hones every time I use them using methods shown on many of the youtube videos.
When I put the razor on a straight counter, there is absolutely no wobble to it.

Utopian raised an interesting point that I may not be reaching the edge. I use one layer of electrical tape. It may be that in my quest for trying to use a light stroke I am reaching the edge. But when I did the prior series using more firm pressure, I still came out with a toothy edge that looked similar to the most recent one shown.

How frequently do you change the tape? Do you change it between grits?

Originally Posted by Utopian

How frequently do you change the tape? Do you change it between grits?

Utopian,
I have only been using one piece of tape throughout the entire honing process using all the stones with only the one same layer of tape.
Should I be changing the tape with each different hone grit?
Could this make it so that I am not reaching the edge?

Heavy use of a 1k will wear down the tape, you should change it after a 1k

Originally Posted by Vivaldi

Utopian,
I have only been using one piece of tape throughout the entire honing process using all the stones with only the one same layer of tape.
Should I be changing the tape with each different hone grit?
Could this make it so that I am not reaching the edge?

So there is your problem and the good news for you is that it is easily solved. Think of the geometry of the razor. Tape lifts the spine a little off of the hone but as the tape wears the spine lowers. When that happens the very edge of the bevel lifts off of the hone and you are only honing a part of the bevel a bit back from the edge.

As you progress up the grits, EVEN IF you are using light pressure, you need to replace the tape to keep the spine at the same height so that the edge is contacting the hone. The tape wear and thinning reduces on the finer grits but it still happens. For that reason you must replace the tape more frequently and especially just before starting on your finishing hone.

Polished bevels do you no good if the polish does not reach all the way to the very edge of the bevels.

Problem solved for you!

Happy honing and shaving!