Thread: Can a razor be too sharp?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

OK lets try one more time, Edges can only get so sharp, period, no more, that IIRC is about .50 microns give or take a few (don't hold me to that number go search it out yourself) You can reach that number or just about at the 4k level.... once you get there you can hone on a gazillion grit hone and you are going to get no sharper...... If you try and go "SHARPER' then you over hone the edge because you have to use pressure and that flexes the edge.....

Polishing hones do just that, they polish the bevel, now some engineer type is going to argue that you would still be sharpening and technically that would be correct right up until that very, very, fine point of the max sharpness level then you start overhoning (different point for different razors).... Finding how close you can come to that spot on each razor is what defines the term "HONEMIESTER"

So the answer is NO there is no such thing as to sharp there is, "I like a coticule smoothed bevel" , and "I like a Norton bevel", and I like a "Chinese bevel".... There also is "I am so good at shaving that I don't need my edges in that realm, and I can function with dull edges"... Hey there are people that get a month's worth of shaves from one disposable too, more power to them.....

I agree with you that a razor edge can only get so sharp. That's where I was going with my light saber comment

IMHO, polishing the bevel is what makes the razor sharp in the first place. The second the two sides of the bevel meet, EVERYTHING you do from that point forward could be considered polishing the bevel. They can meet at VERY low grits. I think, though, that you are defining "polishing the bevel" as starting the second that you have made some portion of the edge as sharp as it's going to be (0.5 micron assuming that number is correct).

So, I'll jump on board with that argument then, that around the 4k level I will assume (I have no proof) that you are starting to get into the realm of "some areas of the edge are as sharp as they will get."

So, think about it like this. At the 4k level, you have two sides of the bevel, both with scratches in them, meeting up to form an edge. As far as I can tell, the scratches in these two edges of the bevel cause the two sides to not meet up as evenly where they meet (the edge). Since each side of the bevel is basically varying in width from having scratches, the very edge is varying in width also. The complete edge would look jaggedy in width (on a microscopic level) if viewed straight on. That is to say, the edge may be 0.5 microns (or whatever the sharpest they can be is) at some points, and, say 2 microns at others. Where the two valleys of the scratches meet perfectly, it might be the perfect 0.5 microns in width, but where two peaks of the scratches meet, it is wider, say 2 microns (just making up that number). Does this make sense? I wish I could draw a picture to describe what I'm saying.

Anyway, as you take these scratches out further and further (polish), the edge becomes more and more consistent in width. Just for the sake of argument I'm going to pull some numbers out of the air, assuming that your 0.5 micron width is the sharpest a razor can get. Anyway, let's say that at the 4k level, the edge varies between 0.5 microns and 2 microns in width. Some points where the scratches on both bevel sides meet perfectly are as sharp as possible (0.5 micron), but where the scratches do not meet perfectly, you have varying edge widths as wide as 2 microns. Now, you move on from the 4k to a finer stone. Now you are removing the 4k scratches with 8k ones which aren't as deep. Now the edge varies in width from the same perfect 0.5 micron to, let's say, 1.5 micron at the spots where the scratches "meet up" the worst. Then you move on to say a 12k stone, and now you are varying between, say, 1 micron and 0.5 micron. Then you go to a 16k and get to 0.8 micron and 0.5 micron. Then you get to say, a 30k hone and now you much closer to a consistent 0.5 microns because the scratches are so thin that you really can be very consistent.

Now, these numbers are completely made up to try to illustrate what I'm thinking, but does that make sense?

If you subscsribe to this making sense, then I would argue that as you polish the edge, you are making it a more consistent width that is closer to as sharp as it can possibly get. When the edge is more consistent and also a smaller width, it will cut better. If it cuts better, I define it as sharper. Therefore, polishing makes it sharper.

Or I could be completely wrong, but it makes sense in my head anyway.