Thread: Led flashlight shining directly down on the cutting edge?

Man, if it is a chippy edge, you may consider breadboarding the edge on a glass bottle for a few light swipes and beginning anew.
Sometimes it seems impossible to get those burrs out on the hones.
Strop it on fabric a pile and look again?

If I understand the question correctly, when the bevel is fully set and you look at it under a bright light, gently rolling the apex back and forth, there should be no white line one sparkles showing. It should reflect the shine from the side of the bevel and then nothing at the apex and then the shine of the bevel. A loupe is actually a better source for information from my experience. You can get a 60X lighted loupe for very little money.

Originally Posted by RezDog

If I understand the question correctly, when the bevel is fully set and you look at it under a bright light, gently rolling the apex back and forth, there should be no white line one sparkles showing. It should reflect the shine from the side of the bevel and then nothing at the apex and then the shine of the bevel. A loupe is actually a better source for information from my experience. You can get a 60X lighted loupe for very little money.

That is what I am looking for is confirmation of this issue and I do vary the blade back and forth! I have a 60p loupe with led, I have been using my phones flashlight which is super bright. Since I can see a very faint white line, it is simple in that I should just keep working on the bevel setting? I am working on 61hrc and 62hrc carbon steels, will the harder steel mean bevel setting is more of a task?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Man, if it is a chippy edge, you may consider breadboarding the edge on a glass bottle for a few light swipes and beginning anew.
Sometimes it seems impossible to get those burrs out on the hones.
Strop it on fabric a pile and look again?

Sorry about that I meant I know what chippy looks like and those were older razors before I straightened them

I am going to presume you are working on a 1K hone. You don't have far to go by the sounds of it, it is at the point where I feel I am getting close that I start to really go light on the pressure. It will take more strokes to get the last of it done but it will also really lighten up on the depth of the stria and will make for an easier finish and be less prone to chipping, which can be an issue with hard blades. The other time that I sometimes see a white line on the apex edge of the bevel at finishing which for me means I have gone too far and the edge is about to start to fall apart, or at best will shave for a while but break down rather quickly. You are still setting the bevel though right?

Originally Posted by RezDog

I am going to presume you are working on a 1K hone. You don't have far to go by the sounds of it, it is at the point where I feel I am getting close that I start to really go light on the pressure. It will take more strokes to get the last of it done but it will also really lighten up on the depth of the stria and will make for an easier finish and be less prone to chipping, which can be an issue with hard blades. The other time that I sometimes see a white line on the apex edge of the bevel at finishing which for me means I have gone too far and the edge is about to start to fall apart, or at best will shave for a while but break down rather quickly. You are still setting the bevel though right?

Well, at this point I am looking at a finished edge but I saw this faint white line when the bevel was thought to be set. I am working with a Shapton glass 1k. This razor in question and another did the same thing where the edge started out great then the next shave was rough and tuggy though still very sharp at the same time. Maybe I am over doing it? What to try next?

It does take quite a bit of effort to go too far. 90% of the time the issue is typically a poor bevel set. Sometimes the poor shave is caused by the hand and not the razor. If your shave is less than you want it to be check your edge with a loupe first. I'm not always really good at it but we really should look before you leap.

Originally Posted by RezDog

It does take quite a bit of effort to go too far. 90% of the time the issue is typically a poor bevel set. Sometimes the poor shave is caused by the hand and not the razor. If your shave is less than you want it to be check your edge with a loupe first. I'm not always really good at it but we really should look before you leap.

I believe I have more time to spend on bevel setting. My edges look really nice under the scope, straight edge, organized stria and nicely polished but I have a consistent problem, that the blade is sharp leaving no hair behind but the sensation is not comfortable. Which to me means there is one thing in my honing that is inconsistent. I can only come to the conclusion that the bevel is not set.

Originally Posted by dshaves

I believe I have more time to spend on bevel setting. My edges look really nice under the scope, straight edge, organized stria and nicely polished but I have a consistent problem, that the blade is sharp leaving no hair behind but the sensation is not comfortable. Which to me means there is one thing in my honing that is inconsistent. I can only come to the conclusion that the bevel is not set.

You may also be 'overhoning', which will leave an uncomfortable edge.
Stropping on a CroOx pasted strop will sometimes alleviate a 'toothy' edge.