Thread: The dreaded white line.

I've been told to look straight down on the edge with my loupe to check for the white line or sparkles. If you can still see it, you still dont have bevel set. Now I fully believe these guys. They are great honers and I thank them for the help in teaching me to hone. But...

I was on the 1K Chorsera for 2 hours and could still see the white line. Told myself, the line is just not getting smaller so I might as well go on to the next stone (2K) and maybe it will go away then. 45 min's later I'm still seeing the white line???

Moved on to the 5K for250+ laps on the stone and its still there. Dammit!

Went to 8K and still there. 10K and still there. 12K and I was just too disapointed to look any more. Went upstairs for a test shave. Hot rag on my face for about a minute. Lather and hot towel on the lather for a minute then scrub my face with the lather. Relathered and put the blade to my face. Now I have two days growth so lots to shave. The blade went thru the whiskers so nicely that I wasn't sure it was cutting. Like running it thru warm butter. Great shave! Only did one side of my face and one pass so I got plenty of whiskers left to try another blade or two on the hones.

Now here are the pics I took along the way.

1K


2K


5K


8K


10K


The sparkles are lint from my towel. I tested it to be sure and ran blade under water and dried carefully and the lint moved or was a lot less.

I am not seeing a white line. Are these pictures supposed to show that?

I can see the line. Right in the middle of the black strip. The black is the bevel. Even at 10K its still there, just really faint. Don't get me wrong, I know these guys know more than I do. Like my old man use to tell me, I've forgot more than you know! ha. I'm just thinking there must be a limit to the white line that is OK. Plus I need to figure out when to change stones. I think this was close to 4.5 hours. WAY TOO LONG!

The shave is the only test that matters.

Jerry, those pictures are very dark - where is your light source in relation to the edge? It needs to be in a location where it will reflect directly from any flaws on the edge into your eyes. I like a bright light, and find that a lighted loupe works really well for this. As you work your way along the edge, roll the blade relative to the light and the 'line' will practically jump at you if it's there. A strong light is key.

Dreaded white line? 2 hours on a bevel-setter? Confusing subject...

Too much looking and way too much honing, IMO.

Oh well!

Here are a couple photos from a post, Second Try at Honing. The first is an almost set bevel, the second is fully set. Notice the sparkles on the upper right of photo 1.

As said, light behind you or down on the edge makes it easy. If you rock the bevel a bit from left to right you will see if there is any reflection, if fully set it will disappear and what you are seeing is reflection from the bevel if the light is not straight down on the edge.

Your 1k photo looks good.

Another simple no-destructive test is a Qtip. Run a Qtip along the edge, the slightest chip or non-meeting bevel will snag. A sharpie will do the same thing, but may be a little harder to feel, just the weight of the sharpie. It will also ink both sides of the very edge.

Are you using extreme contrast for these photos?

Remember that I said a line has no width but the edge always will? As such it will reflect a very small amount of light, and it will reduce with higher grits. Did you lighten your strokes before checking the edge in this view?

Well I agree with the light comments and have to say I never look exactly straight down on the edge. Just a few degrees this way or that to ensure you are looking at the edge of the V so you can have that top of the apex and not just the tip of the apex, if that makes sense. Also it help me to have a wee bit of movement to see the light grab onto the imperfect apex or not in the case of a finished bevel. I wish I could stop by. It is not that complicated. Also, all that time on a 1K has me wondering what you started with. Remember that restoration honing can be challenging because you are starting from no bevel at all and probably going a little edge reshaping too.

On the lower-grit stones, This may be stropped-off many times with a stiff fabric strop.
Fins and jagged edges from too much hone. JMO