Thread: over honing?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The best way to find an overhoned edge is actually the TNT but it also can dull a perfectly good edge, so I don't recommend it's use for testing for an overhoned edge...

I would look under a magnifying glass first, then use TPT to confirm... Hard to describe what it feels like other than a little rough spot....

Those of you that are now thinking that you are going to go test your blades, STOP!!!!!!!

Overhoning is not a big of an issue as most think it is, I still haven't had one overhoned edge come to me for repair and honing, I have overhoned one blade, and that was me intentionally pushing the heel of a warped W&B back into line....
If your blade is pulling, skipping, or generally, not performing as expected it most likely is underhoned, not overhoned....
I didn't want to write a book here but if you start explaining this you are almost obligated to do it right...
You can actually really fool yourself on and edge to, if you don't get the bevel set correctly, and evenly, you can have an overhoned spot and an underhoned spot on the same edge....
Again it all goes back to having a sharp even bevel to start on and life is grand...

Back to my post above, overhoning can become an issue when two things happen, either excessive pressure, or excessive laps... But that description doesn't tell you much....
"100 laps" just start with that, on a Norton 4k, way to much, on a yellow Coticule ??? kinda depends huh?? on a Chinese 12k from what I hear you just might be getting started...
So the description really means excessive laps on the hone you are using, and some people say it is near impossible to overhone on some stones...
So that leaves pressure, since everyone "only uses the weight of the blade", how would that ever happen????

So then why is it that every time somebody's blade skips a beat, the first reaction is "It's overhoned"?????

Like I said, take an old hone worn POS razor, and set it on a 1k Norton or similar and TRY to overhone it, I think you are going to be rather surprised at how much work you are going to have to do to get the edge to finally fail....

Thanks for the details! Just to clarify, I wasn't asking because I think I have any overhoned edges, I was just curious so I would know for the future in case the question ever arose.

Is there anyway to get Glenn's posts turned into stickies? They are great information!

ya if it helps i shave with a 5/8th full hollow col. conk straight razor (the blade has solingen best quality scribed in the blade) similar to an entry level dovo

DMD I would go with the two easiest and non-damaging suggestions on this thread to start with...
Look at the edge under bright light and magnification....
Give it some laps on a .50 Cr strop if possible
Neither one of these can hurt the blade....
And either one might find the problem...

Originally Posted by DeathMetalDremel

its definatly shave ready, ive honed it twice, and i know its not to much pressure because when i first started i used way to much pressure, so ive lightened up tonnes, its nt getting dull hlf way through it smashes through hair with no problems, and passes the hht tpt and shave test as fair as the hair grown i just dont get how im still getting all these little bloodspots at the base of the hair folicle

Glen wrote some awesome post there

But based on your description, I think you did an excellent honing job and got a very sharp edge. I think your face may not entirely like that edge, or at least not the way you use it. Very sharp edges do require a more conservative (read: flatter) shaving angle, certainly ATG. Another thing, as Jimmy and Gary already suggested, is that your very personal combination of skin type and shaving style may benefit from a different finishing hone or paste.
A Coticule comes to mind, but I'm biased on that one, because my equally personal combination of skin type and shaving style is completely tuned in with that hone for finishing.

Bottom line: you could give yourself some time to adapt, which may yield a big improvement. Or you could try a few different finishing options, which may hold equally great epiphanies.

Good luck,
Bart.

I find that when I get nicks and cuts like you mentioned, it is usually becuase the edge is not smooth. If you put it under a 40 or 80x magnification you will most likely see lots (or a few) microchips that will cause the cuts. without a microscope you cannot see them but believe me they are probably there!

I take the edge of the blade and run it across the hone (perpendicular) to remove the microchips and then begin on the 4K again to get the edge smooth (I sometimes have to repeat the process depending on how deep the chips are). Keep examining it under the microscope until it is perfectly smooth and then start your progressions. If you have a smooth as silk edge, the nicks cuts will just disappear (except those caused by bad shaving form). I always finish on a .5 co so the edge is smooth.

This is what works for me.

So now the next logical question to me is, what causes micro-chips? I have a few blades that I cannot seem to sharpen because they continue to chip. I try to be very delicate with them and use Spyderco fine and ultra fine once I get the bevel, but often I'll get them almost to HHT then when I look at them under X100 power I see the edge has chips all up and down it.

Iron_Beard

Originally Posted by Iron_Beard

So now the next logical question to me is, what causes micro-chips?...

Sharp hone corners can contribute to micro-chips. My Spyderco UF came with sharp corners on it and needed some chamfering or radiusing on them.

Some steels can be prone to micro-chipping too.