Thread: Desperate Honesterette

Originally Posted by Kees

OK guys, bevel studies are very interesting. I really would like to know how the edges studied shave. It's not the looks but the feel that counts.

+1 ! I agree with Kees and Joed that the shave is where the rubber meets the road. When I first came around I was confused by the "remove scratches from the previous grit" school of thought. Until I bought some razors honed by sure enough honemiesters and looked at them under the 30X. Some of them were pretty smooth on the bevel and some were not but they all shaved great. TBH I don't look at the scratch pattern or worry about it. If the razor is at the point of easily popping hair I shave. Great thread though Olivia and thanks for the interesting photos and food for thought.

oh crap I might get banned for this but...........

is that a double bevel?

@ Olivia,

Looking at your pix again I just wonder: how much pressure do you use when you hone? If you have deep scratches it might be you use too much pressure.
Your edges look nice and straight otherwise.

hhhmmmmm, you made a point here.
Will try again with less.

I agree about the shave part: it is the goal; and scratches seem not to interfere.

However; ( you knew there was gonna be a however right?)

Most would agree that following the same path, angle, stroke after stoke is important. you dont want unevenness. We keep our hones deadly flat. Glen says a taped bevel can be reset in 20 strokes..... so if one is following the same exact path stroke after stroke, and one's hones are matching flat.

Scratches should fall off naturally through technique. Me I leave some to be sociable

I'm gonna take a second to point out that in Japan the best finish is not mirrored- its cloudy. I believe this is Kasumi? It was considered desirable. And let me remind you, this is coming from people who were literally honemeisters- apprenticed as boys and honed swords and stuff til they died, truly an artform. I'm gonna go with that- because clearly our western honemeisters with mirror finishes and the eastern hone meisters with cloudy finishes both got ungodly sharp edges- mirror/cloudy doesn't matter so long as the edge is straight and smooth.

Well at the moment I think I know nothing. Neither cloudy nor mirror like, LOL

I'm just saying I think its cosmetic, not functional. That doesn't mean you shouldn't aspire to it, just saying...

Thanks, dear! I'm really a bit dissappointed about myself, thats all.

lol
knowing your ardor for the details, you will work it out soon enough!