last help please..honing my TI i have made this..

after various test i have seen under microscope this situation..

first honing sequence :
50 laps on my coticule with pressure...40 laps on green paste and strop..
under microscope i have seen that the final part of the blade (i call the black part because it is ligthly black)was thicker entire the blade....

second honing sequence :
50 laps on coticule with slurry and without pressure 40 laps on green paste and strop..
under microscope the "black" part appear very LESS THICKER and the final part of the blade is shine!

what happended?

how appear a very sharp blade under microscope?

thanks you my friends

I can't see sharp, only smooth. Sharp is determined by a test or shaving. The thickness of your bevel is based on the pressure you use.

Actually getting a razor sharp enough to pass the HHT is pretty easy and simply a matter of removing metal evenly (equal pressure on each side), its getting a razor smooth enough to shave effortlessly that is another criteria needed. This is what your seeing in the bevel. To be honest the width of the bevel can be different on a razor and it'll still shave nicely.

I would back hone or use a circular honing motion. Use the cot without slurry. Try to achieve a smooth even bevel which, as you've noticed, may take on a "black ice" appearance if the angle is not perpendicular.

Test often as you go.

There are pics of good bevels in the help section.

could you link me? which file could i download?

i should made the HHT immediately after honing? or after strop? (i have made after the strop and it is ok)

how i can achieve a great shaving smoothness?? (this razor lightly irritate my skin)

less thicker "black ice" would be less smoothness on the bevel? (and the skin is irritate)

many thanks afdavis!!! if you should fly in italy i prepare to you a very good "spaghettia alla carbonara!"

Sounds good. If I ever have the good fortune to make it to Italy I know life will be good.

The thickness of the bevel is pretty unimportant.

To now achieve a better smoother shave you should work on the 8K with light strokes, many, many light strokes. The smoothness will come as you stick with a high grit hone. Use a light touch.

The objective is to put the smallest teeth on the edge to cut with.

The HHT should pass after the hone directly but for now just see how it shaves after you smooth out the bevel a little better.

Then you can add some more 4K and get the HHT directly off the 8k hone. Make certain you dry the razor first before the test.

It is better to pass the HHT before stropping, but its not too critical. More important is how it shaves. I think you could get a decent shave if the razor passes the HHT after stropping but continue to work the edge until it passes beforehand.

thanks afdavis...

if i have understand..... should i work for develop the cutting power with belgian and slurry...and after the HHT is passed should i work without a slurry and a very light strokes
to develop a smooth bevel...

i have only this :

coticule yellow
king 4000 (it seem to be 6000)
mastro livi strop

i have a very thick beard... :-)

could you link me to the image of a good bevel?

thanks

danzyc,

Perhaps this will help, perhaps not. I'll relate what I learned from spending an evening with my local honemeister, Randy Tuttle, who is a member here and hopefully will comment if my observations need correction.

What I learned from Randy is that what one looks for is uniformity of the scratch pattern at the bevel. You can't see the edge, so you use the uniform "colors" or scratch patterns to indicate if you have begun to establish a good bevel from where it starts from the hollow grind to the edge. Once that bevel is established and appears uniform along its width and length, you use a progression of finer stones to make that scratch pattern finer and finer. A perfect job would appear in the microscope as a shine with no scratches.

Here's where it becomes complicated. That mirror-like fine bevel may not yield a good shave. One has to experiment with the quality of shave and then couple that with the appearance of the bevel. Micro-fine scratches may yield a better shave. Once honed, the razor's edge may need to be further refined on various paddle strops charged with one or another super fine abrasives to give a good shave; one must try and try again to find what works best. Shave ready for one may not be shave ready for another.

We are here at the limits of my "fine edge" of knowledge. I honed 3 razors today and will test them over the next week to see if I have been able to put into practice what I learned.

Oh yes, and while one is honing, one can test for edge quality using the "thumb pad test," where one gently - very gently - rubs one's thumb across and along the edge. I was reluctant to try this as I have become quite attached to that digit, but was shown that if it is done very judiciously, one can feel the quality of the edge during the honing process as the edge comes "stickier." The sharper the edge is, the more your skin will be caught by the edge. It's difficult to explain and very subjective, but I felt it after some coaching.

good luck, Bruce

could you link me to a photo of a good bevel?

http://straightrazorpalace.com/compo...1/key,0/hit,1/

This one is a little overhoned and not as smooth as I like to hone the razors but the dark ice look of the bevel can be seen.

yes i have the same situation but my dark ice zone is less thicker how i can correct ?? back honing? on my 4000?

If this thread is still active I will comment.

Stop paying so much attention to the appearance of the bevel.
You really need to try the thumbpad test while you are honing so you can feel the change in the sharpness of the edge and then finish with a shave test... after stropping of course.

Looking at the bevel will never tell you if the edge is sharp enough. The bevel will only tell you if the bevel is formed uniformly, if all the nicks have been removed and if the scratch pattern is uniform which indicates that you have done the minimum amount of honing on that specific grit.

Just my two cents,