Hello,

I am fairly new to straight razors I am looking for some help from anyone experienced at honing with the aid of a microscope. I am wondering if anyone can comment on the attached photo. I tried to set the bevel on my Ralf Aust razor using Lynn's method with 40 circles each side of the blade (with pressure) and then 25 X strokes on each side with pressure.

What I see in the compound microscope is a fairly "toothy" edge. This photo was taken with my iPhone through the compound microscope just after the chosera 1K stone. I don't know how much detail the photo will show, but I'll give it a try. I am not experience enough with the TPT to be able to interpret the result, but the razor did shave arm hair, although reluctantly.

When I progressed to the 5K, 8K, 12K, and 20K stones, the edge improved but still remained somewhat "toothy" at the edge. My shave with the razor was not very good. It was not necessarily harsh, but the razor was just not sharp enough.

When I compare my final edge to my other razors that were professionally honed, I see very smooth edges at 100X on the pro honed razors.

Is this "toothy" edge what I should be seeing at the chosera 1K stone level? Are these striations or microchips? Should I see a smooth edge at 1K or a toothy edge that smooths out as I progress through the hones?

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