Not quite good enough?...

I've got my edge to look pretty darn smooth under 100X magnification and fairly consistent in sharpness across the length.

I'm getting extremely smooth shaves with the grain and against except for minor pulling when I'm doing funny angles around my mouth.

BUT

Using 2 passes and touchups BBS seems to be avoiding me. It's an acceptable shave but not a great one. My technique is improving and I no longer nick myself and I'm not trying to peal my face.

I would have never even noticed if I was still using the Mach 3 but I keep hoping for a great shave.

Lesson #1 - no bevel = no edge took a while to learn but it was a matter of logic.

Lesson #2 - you don't have to hone the spine to sharpen the edge was a matter of listening to Joe C and sticking a piece of tape on it and seeing that I didn't have to work that hard. (not sharper than #1 but a lot less damaging)

Lesson #3 - a light touch makes a big difference in the polishing phase
(major improvement in sharp)

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I've been doing my sunday touch-ups on my blades with my chinese 12k and the 3m .5 micron chromium paper then finishing up with the strop.

The 100x microscope has the edge looking very consistent in scratch pattern.

I haven't been using the HHT and have mostly been testing sharp with my thumb pad. I think I need a higher order test than my thumb at this point.

(in advance) Yes I have ordered Lynn's video.

----
I intend to check my tools (lap stones) - 4/8K , swaty, 12k.

So honemiesters, What is Lesson #4?


Thanks
-Bob

I love my microscope, and couldn't hone as well as I do without it. However, once you are down to the final polishing stages what you see in the microscope really ceases to mean anything I ditch it at this point and go by feel.

I have never been able to make the HHT work for me so I basicly ignore it alltogether in favor of the thumb pad. With experience you will get to the point where you can tell a 8000k edge from a 12000k edge with it.

It sounds to me like the next step is to shave. If I want BBS I go WTG then XTG, then finish up with ATG touch up in problem areas. My daily shave is just the first two passes without a touch-up then done. Your razor sounds like it is shave ready so the problem you have in getting BBS must be in your shaving technique. Right now I have one razor that is too dull to give me a decent shave, it pulls, even on my cheeks (it's now in the honing bin). My next dullest razor is just beginning to pull on my cheeks but it still leaves BBS if I want it to, (it needs a touch up because it isn't comfortable). My sharpest razor squeegies the hair off with no sense of pull, I can't tel it even cut untill I wipe it on a towel, it also takes the above three steps to get BBS just like my dullest shaver.

What is a Sunday touch-up? My razors don't see a hone for months at a time, or pastes, just plain linnen and leather.

A sunday touch-up is when I take my razors back to the basement to figure out how to make em sharper. So far I'm still seeing minor improvements.

- Bob

I guess that #4 would be beard prep and shaving technique. Make sure that both are excellent.

#5 is practice and patience.


Just my two cents,:)

and the one lesson I am still learning.....DON'T touch up a sharp edge that is shaving well! I have gone for "just a little sharper" and messed up beautiful edges.
:gth
Not cool!