Thread: Downstroking to remove microchips

[quote=I'm no doubt preaching to the choir since we all have the same straight razor "illness" if you know what I mean.
Don[/quote]

Yeah...I think I know what you mean.

I went back and observed the same blade under 100X (the lowest magnification on this scope), and counted a total of five microchips across the expanse of the edge. None of them were wide or deep. These look like craters on 450X, not to mention the number of observable microchips increases by 6 fold. I've got a feeling the microchips that I'm seeing would be unresovable at 30 to 40X even with the best optics.

Originally Posted by dicharry

I went back and observed the same blade under 100X (the lowest magnification on this scope), and counted a total of five microchips across the expanse of the edge. None of them were wide or deep. These look like craters on 450X, not to mention the number of observable microchips increases by 6 fold. I've got a feeling the microchips that I'm seeing would be unresolvable at 30 to 40X even with the best optics.

Lucky me...

Though I have a scope I rarely use it when honing. I figure there was a time when barbers honed blades to perfection without them and so can I.

If I cant feel the chips on the TNT then they shouldn't be an issue. Now if I get to the shaving stage and it won't perform and I don't know why, then I may check for micro-chipping.

At a high enough magnification nothing is without a level of roughness.

Originally Posted by Bill S

I don't typically use more than 100X, but I have noticed the same thing. Despite the microchips the razors shave extremely well. In fact, when I have decided to do nothing about the microchips (usual course of action) they seem to smooth out with ongoing stropping. All in all I find microchipping to be a pretty interesting topic, but I don't know how much they really affect the performance of an otherwise keen blade.

Bill S,
You are correct sir! Those microchips did smooth out with ongoing stropping. Smoothed out to the point that they are very few and far between and hardly noticeably, even on 450X magnification.

Verhoeven reach the conclusion that stropping on a non-abrasive loaded strop will not benefit the edge. See page 24 conclusion #3
Experiments on Knife Sharpening - John Verhoeven

I know from personal observation that stropping does smooth out the microchips. Of course his work was with knife blades, but a blade is a blade albeit the angles may differ.