Thread: Using a pen as a sharpness guide

Leonard, thanks for your offer but I'll keep studying and practicing.
Ian ( in Scotland )

Honing at this level really is quite simple

The bevel MUST meet and be sharp enough to shave, then you refine it for feel (Smooth)

If the razor is tuggy it means that the bevel is not fully set or you overhoned it and destroyed the edge but your pic doesn't show that ...

You must get a positive bevel test that works for you

The
TNT
TPT
AHT
Whatever is a 100% go/no go for you, I can't tell you which one, all I can say is that you have to figure it out by trying them all

Again all this is in the JaNorton thread in step by step accounts.. I understand you read it on another forum but obviously either their copy of the exercise was lacking, or the importance of the bevel set did not register with you


Bevel bevel bevel 90% of honing is in the bevel... Really


ps: The TI's are honed with a lifted spine on a Platen then refined they are not shave ready to most all of our standards, I highly recommend using 1 layer of tape until you dial it in to your standards and then decide whether to use tape after that

All you said is good advice. That said perhaps you would help me understand why the extreme tip of both sides have the ink removed after the lightest of edge-forward passes?
Ian

Originally Posted by Beemer

All you said is good advice. That said perhaps you would help me understand why the extreme tip of both sides have the ink removed after the lightest of edge-forward passes?
Ian

Because you may have this \_/ and not this \/. The ink can be removed on both but only the later shaves well. The apex of the first is still not meeting even though the ink is being removed from what you can tell. And with the first you cannot easily tell if you have a flat apex even with a microscope

or looking down at the very apex you might have this

________ ____ _____ _______

The bevel can be set at some spots and not others, this is a very common issue I see when teaching at the meets..

We are talking at a sub Micron level so feel is often times more accurate than sight

This can be seen by using a Bright light and looking for "Blunting" or "Sparkles"

This is a good vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZYFsOP7rBc

Man Glen, could you have found a shorter thread? I was going to read it but that would take me days.

Originally Posted by rlmnshvstr8

Because you may have this \_/ and not this \/. The ink can be removed on both but only the later shaves well. The apex of the first is still not meeting even though the ink is being removed from what you can tell. And with the first you cannot easily tell if you have a flat apex even with a microscope

Small correction - if you have a loupe, you can turn the blade edge up and look straight down at the apex. You shouldn't be able to see anything but the thinnest of thin lines where the edges come together. Any sort of silvery white sheen or sparkliness means you have too much \_/ and not enough \/

In his magnified photo I do see a little white sheen toward the edge too. Sometimes that's just artifact, other's it's an indicator that there's light trying to reflect off the flat surface where the edges aren't quite meeting.

Add a layer or 2 of tape, and I'd suggest using the 4K to clean it up. Like so:



Edit: Before I forget, remember to change the tape often. Learned that the hard way. It abrades quicker than I expected, and that will allow the edge to lift off the hone.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Man Glen, could you have found a shorter thread? I was going to read it but that would take me days.

Yeah the JaNorton thread is packed with info,, which was actually the object of doing it

When I am working on a bevel I use my 30x lighted loupe to look straight down on the apex. If I see any "blunt spots" which I see as light reflecting I keep going. Once I see a grey line I try the thumbnail test and that has been pretty successful. I used to use a cherry tomato but it is too imprecise. I was finding that a toothy edge fooled me into thinking the bevel was set.

If the bevel is not well set it doesn't matter how much you polish and refine. The bevel set IS the edge so for me I was moving up my progression too quickly. So from the side the bevel looked awesome and beautiful but the razor wouldn't shave

Originally Posted by Beemer

Leonard, thanks for your offer but I'll keep studying and practicing.
Ian ( in Scotland )

Three things:
1) Welcome to SRP!
2) What part of Scotland? I spent six fantastic years in St Andrews and miss it (and the rest of the country) terribly. Please have a pint of heavy for me.
3) Have you considered sending it out to be pro honed at least once? Without that, you're aiming for a target you can't yet see. But having experienced a truly shave-ready edge, you'll know what you are trying to achieve. In my 7 or so years of straight shaving, I've sent a razor to be honed exactly one time, and it was a revelation. It taught me not only how poor my own previous honing efforts were, it also let mw know what was possible. That, and making use of the resources here on SRP, made all the difference in the world.

Good luck!