Thread: Learning Jnats with Microscope

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Yes, as expected the Kita did refine the edge and left a nice stria pattern. The chip is small enough that it should not present a problem during shaving. But it does illustrate that the steel may have some issues.

It would be interesting to strop this edge on linen or cloth for 100 or so laps and look at the edge, then do another hundred and see if the pitting and repeated stropping affects the edge.



The lighting does appear a bit different. One of the things I did was build a jig to hold the razor and the scope in the same orientation for each photo.

I'll do that test and report here ASAP.


I'm trying to be consistent and use a foam pad to put the blade on. I angle the microscope in the same way (to avoid reflections), but each time also with the same razor... results are different. I saw that ambient light has it's influence too...
Was thinking to buy the microscope's bigger stand... but I'll wait to see how you made that Jig.


Update: Today's shave went good... but I liked more the previous one. Albeit the closest in the series, it left the best post-shave. Today's one isn't far from that but a bit less smoother.

As Euclid proposed, I made a quick test on the razor I'm using for my actual Nagura Test Series on Ozuku Asagi Koppa.

I made 100 laps on Canvas (4 series x 25 laps) and took a shot after it. Then made another 100 laps on Canvas (4 series x 25 laps) and took the final shot.

For what I can see (and understand) I don't notice great changes, apart from better evidence of how the bigger pitting spot near the edge, is a passing hole (arrow in last image). Stropping should have removed that little bit of steel to made it clearer.

Maybe my Canvas is too fine? Or I used too light pressure when stropping?

As I got recently the third SR from a vendor who declares it as "shave ready" after just a Naniwa pro 3K... I submitted it to my, by now habitual, honing sequence. I.e. Slurry from Tshushima - Mejiro - Ozuku Suita naguras, but this time I used my smallest (10x4 cm) "honzen": an Aiiwatani Karasu Koppa: it is hard enough (Lev. 4/4,5), quite fine too and gives a velvety feeling when honing.

Microscopic results seems (to me) more or less as the ones with other base stones, already published here (Ozuku Asagi & Nakayama Kiita). Last image (after final stropping) shows a small micro-chip not present until then... maybe due to some pitting on the other side of the blade (?).

Anyway, today's shave has been very good: deep, smooth and the razor glided very well on the skin. Nice post shave too.

Razor: Crown & Eagle (Solingen) - 5/8" FH

That is not a bad looking 3k bevel, the edge could have been improved by jointing and honing on a clean freshly lapped stone, as your post jointing photo shows, it was mostly flashing.

A 4-inch stone is plenty large enough to finish on, most folks do not use 4 inches of an 8 inch stone.

Even when using slurry and stopping short to keep slurry on the stone a 3 inch stoke is plenty, just a few extra laps make up any loss of milage.

My experience with Karasu stones is mixed and often get micro chips, I suspect the mix of minerals and resulting grits. I do have one Asagi Karasu that can finish, but mostly use them as pre finishers and I prefer the edges from other cleaner stones.

Nice looking bevel and straight edge, I suspect the chip is from the steel as it appeared after stropping.

Nice work, nice stone.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

That is not a bad looking 3k bevel.


My experience with Karasu stones is mixed and often get micro chips, I suspect the mix of minerals and resulting grits. I do have one Asagi Karasu that can finish, but mostly use them as pre finishers and I prefer the edges from other cleaner stones.

Nice looking bevel and straight edge, I suspect the chip is from the steel as it appeared after stropping.

Infact, it seemed a bit better than previous ones... but I preferred to finish it

I agree that chip seems due to the steel. Anyway... as I've no experience with other Karasu, I'll do some tests on other blades, carefully checking with the microscope the conditions of the steel and the bevel, before and after passing on the stone.

Last saturday, after a six months stop, I finally met again my (SR fans & expert) Rome's friends.

As I had to hone properly an old Bengall Cast Steel (Sheffield - 7/8" Wedge) razor... had the opportunity to test a 3K Nano Hone to set the bevel (2 layers of tape). At first sight it seems really a nice & fast cutter, that leaves an impressively polished bevel.

After that synth stone, I went on my usual nagura's sequence (Tsushima - Asano Mejiro) on Ozuku Asagi Koppa... this time ended with the Red Ohira Tomo.
I wanted to test that one on a Sheffield's steel to see if performed well as on Solingen's steel, despite not being one of my finest tomo.

Images shows the results I expected, and the shave was more similar to the one when I tested Ohira on Nakayama Kiita, than on the same Ozuku I used this time. I.e. a bit less pleasant when shaving, but always very good on post-shave.

Yes, that is a nice 3k bevel, the edge is a bit ragged, jointing straightened it out nicely.

The Tsushima edge looks pretty good and seemed to degrade with the Ohira a bit, the bevel also appears a bit scratchy, but very straight and shave able.

Even though the blade has some pitting it took a good edge, Bengals have always been good shavers for me. I don’t know if the steel was any different but seemed a bit harder. Either way I have always had good luck honing them and great shaves.

It also appears that your honing is improving considerably as demonstrated by the 3k bevel and your finished Jnat edges.

If you want to learn to hone, hone… a lot, and study what you have done, as you have.

This thread and another in which Euclid mentored a new honer are incredibly useful to all of us.

In both threads, the mentee is able to produce highly informative photographs of his edges as his honing skills increase. Euclid’s expert observations and suggestions guide the development of honing skills and knowledge of what to look for and how to interpret what you see.

I thank all of you for your valuable contribution.

Originally Posted by DZEC

This thread and another in which Euclid mentored a new honer are incredibly useful to all of us.

I thank all of you for your valuable contribution.

Thank you very much DZEC!

That's exactly why I published it! Sharing experiences/data and helping others (like me) who want to learn. But this thread would have "died" in a few days without Euclid's irreplaceable mentoring. My experiences and my images would be of no help if there were not such an expert and authoritative person to interpret them (and consequently, correcting errors and providing suggestions).

Couldn't agree more. And the small things like color coded text just make it so much easier to follow. I hope he keeps buying stones and trying combinations out.