Thread: Microscope Examination

I was wondering if any of you use a microscope when honing your razors to examine the bevel and the edge as you go? Can you also share what you are seeing? I use a 20x40x80 that I got on ebay and it's a gas to see the bevel gettting corrected and the striations tightening during the honing and finishing process. You can really see the microscopic chipping and overhoning as well. I posted a similar one to this in the Yahoo group. Thanks guys. Lynn

I have a handheld 40x--the type that's commonly used in the horticulture industry, but it's not very effective. Movement and lighting present too many variables for it to be really useful. I would love to have a desktop microscope, but I already spend too much!

I use one of the Radio Shack 60x-100x microscopes that someone here suggested and I have been driving myself crazy trying to get out every last microscopic imperfection in the edge. I'm assuming that when the edge looks like swiss cheese at 60x it is most likely over honed, and by the way the hand held microscopes are easier to steady after a couple swigs of bay rum.
*hicup*

I just posted some microscope photos under Durfee that show some interesting features of various blades; a blade damaged by misuse, an ebay special that will never be sharpenable due to widespread micropitting, a TI that has been over .5 micron paste a bunch of times, compared to one that was honed by a member and only stropped without paste since, and one of the club razors after its first honing. Next, I think I'll zoom in on my Norton hone and see what I can see.

Let me know if you'd like me to look at anything else. I took some very good measurements but you can't read them on the photos because of the resolution loss. The hair is about 75 microns = 3 mils thick.

Already answered in the Yahoo group, Lynn, but thought I would add a bit here. The Radioshack 60X - 100X has all the power I need at a good price, and I learned to control it very quickly.

I usually inspect the edges at 6oX first, and If I see any major imperfections, I try to correct those. Once the edge looks good to me at 60X, I increase the power halfway, about to 80X-ish, and recheck. I do any additional honing there, too. Final inspection is at 100X, and usually will pick-up minor edge issues.

If I get an edge looking good to me at 100X, it is usually ready for stropping and shaving. I use some pastes now, after the stones, and the scope actually shows some improvements there, as well!

I would think that at least for the $10 RS Scope, every straight shaver should have one!

Best - (longing for a tri-occular table model microscope!)

Hey Durf;

Great pics. Fascinating. I have a razor that showed up with burn marks from being fired. I polished it and tried to shave with it before I found out that it was ruined, distempered. Do you think it would show any difference from the "curled edge" you show? If so, I could send it to you for scoping and posting to the club.

X

Chaaz,
I checked radioshack's website and saw what I think is the microscope you all are talking about: it is 10 bucks, but it is hand held, is that right?

If so, how hard is it to keep steady when looking with the higher powers? Or, is it just like holding a magnifying glass?

I use binoculars a lot and I know my hands aren't that steady when trying to observe details. (Umm, I don't use binoculars to look at straight razors for all you smartasses out there. I only say this because that is what I would have responded, too, hahaha.)

Hands are steady enough to shave with, but I don't know about looking at 100x.

Thanks,
showme

[quote="showme1or2"]Chaaz,
I checked radioshack's website and saw what I think is the microscope you all are talking about: it is 10 bucks, but it is hand held, is that right?
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*****>>> Yup! Ten bucks! What a deal!
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If so, how hard is it to keep steady when looking with the higher powers? Or, is it just like holding a magnifying glass?
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*****>> Well, I lay the razor open on either a blank white piece of paper, or a solid dark one. I place the 'scope to the blade, until I get the edge in the viewer, then SLOWLY slide it down the length of the blade. You quickly learn to rock the scope a bit to keep super-clear focus. Itis NOT hard to use, as long as the blade is immobile.
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Hands are steady enough to shave with, but I don't know about looking at 100x.

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As long as the blade is immobile (sometimes I use a towel to put it on) you can learn to move the scope slowly along the edge, and keep the edge in view at any magnification. The REAL trick is realizing that the image will be inverted. If the blade's edge is actually toward you, it will appear away in the view finder, and vice-versa.

For ten bucks, how can you lose???

Best -

I use a 10x jewler's loupe to check the scratch pattern and edge damage on my knives. The bevel is obviously smaller on the razor, but I can still see quite a bit with it. Microscopes are very educational though. The Intel "digital blue" is pretty cool for viewing results on your computer and saving photographs, but it seems hard to beat that Radio Shack unit for the money. How can you tell visually, if an edge is over-honed?

Thanks

I was using the Radio Shack 60-100x, but I had a real hard time keeping it focused because of the movement between the blade and microscope. I now have one just like it, but it has a little stand for slides that are held down by springy fingers. I found that's just the ticket, because I can now focus and zoom and just slide the blade in the holder to observe the entire edge.

What I'm looking for is a nick-free edge that's as sraight as possible, not ragged at the top (at 60x). I also want the edge to be of uniform height andthe same height on both isdes of the blade.

I recently had a razor that was a fine shaver, but when I looked at it under 60x magnification I could see the edge wasn't totally flat and had the slightest nick that couldn't be seen with the eye. I workedit on the 8K untill the nick disappeared. The edge was then totally straight. That razor became fabulous! So, there was lots of room for improvrment.