Thread: What do you think of this picture?

I agree about the bevel not being completely set, but I've also seen edges like that when there is a burr on one side. It is hard to tell unless you have the razor in hand. Lighting can add effects that aren't really there or hide things that are.

the edge line is not even, it does not seem to be stropped to me but could be wrong. In any case the bevels do not seem to meet at the edge.

Here are my thoughts

Pretty much if you know me you know what is coming


Magnification is an excellent "TOOL" and it excels at showing problems with and edge, Chips, Dings, Folds, Uneven Stria, Missing Bevels etc: etc: etc:

BUT

Especially on FB and more so everyday in the Fora we see pics of "Allegedly" Bad or Good "Finished" edges with the keyboard warriors proclaiming honing revelations..

Sorry but I call BS, just like I call BS on Natural Stones with outlandish grit ratings that newbs foolishly believe

Most of these pics are taken BEFORE stropping, because the Linen and the Leather tend to put unsightly scratches in the pretty bevel pics


Magnification has a place in honing, but it's place is NOT in determining a Good or Bad shaving edge


IMHO

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Magnification has a place in honing, but it's place is NOT in determining a Good or Bad shaving edge

Yes, magnification has a place, but resolution also would be helpful and it certainly is lacking here.

I asked the owner of the photo about his edges a few weeks ago. I did this because many of his edges show the same thing. It was not just this razor. For that reason, I asked if he deliberately was honing or stropping to produce a microbevel, but he said he was not. He considered the photo was of a perfectly good edge.

I find this to be very frustrating.

Oh, and if another moderator reads this, could you please add the "of" that I forgot in the title?

Originally Posted by Utopian

He considered the photo was of a perfectly good edge.

I would look at that photo and say the bevels do not meet and therefore it is NOT a perfectly good edge and should not be shaved with. Then I would proceed to shave with it anyways because I agree with Glen. The shave will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Magnification has a place in honing, but it's place is NOT in determining a Good or Bad shaving edge.

And if I saw that edge under my microscope, I would not shave with it. That is because I would know that the edge is not near as good as it could be, so there would be no point shaving with it in its current state.

If I saw that image, I also would know that I need a better microscope if I want to show off photos of my honing in public forums. That photo is so pixelated due to its low resolution. I am not being a microscope snob here, but this photo is a good example of the problem of higher magnification without corresponding higher resolution.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Most of these pics are taken BEFORE stropping, because the Linen and the Leather tend to put unsightly scratches in the pretty bevel pics

Yeah, I think that it is hilarious when people go to extremes with pastes on fancy cloth to show pristinely scratch-free bevels that look beautiful, knowing full well that a few days of real world stropping is going to make that bevel look "real" again.

Another example of that was a knife sharpener guy on facebook bragging up the polished 20k bevel he put on an EDC knife! I cut open boxes, cut rope, and whatever else I need to cut with the knife in my pocket. For that reason, I've never seen any point going higher than 1k on my knife.

Knives and razors first and foremost are tools, and the way that they are sharpened should reflect the purpose for which they are to be used.

Again here is the problem

Why ???

Why would you continue honing a razor past the bevel set to a finisher to snap pics under a Scope of any kind if you didn't take the time to perform the standard tests to check for a full bevel set ???

It makes zero sense, it defies honing logic

Simple honing rule #1

Make SURE you have a solid bevel set, use as many tests as necessary to assure yourself of that before continuing up the grit ladder..

So if the razor is at the finish stage and doesn't have a solid bevel we are dealing with a beginner on the hones

Right ???

Yes and No. He is one of the facebook proclaimed honing experts.

Just to be clear, I am not trying to pick on one individual. I've just seen a lot of images like this and wanted to make a point that a microscope photo alone is not proof on one's honing ability.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I've just seen a lot of images like this and wanted to make a point that a microscope photo alone is not proof on one's honing ability.

110% in agreement