Thread: The case of the disapearing bevel......

I'm not a honemeister by any means, but judging from those pictures your bevel looks decently wide (and quite normal), so I don't know what you mean by shrinking. Unless your talking about a double bevel, and that's entirely different. Try shaving and see how it feels.

Originally Posted by mainaman

the scope is easier to use if you lay the razor on a surface.
If possible post pics of the blade before and after "disappearing", the razor on the pics above seems to have bevel.

It seems like a lot of people have trouble with holding the pocket microscopes. I need to make a short video and put it up of the best way I have found to use the scope on the edge without having to hover it over the razor. I'm in the process of moving at the moment, but if I can get a few spare minutes, I'll try to put one together.

As far as the bevel is concerned, one other person said the bevel looks good, but you can't judge it from the picture. Just because the bevel is wide does NOT mean it goes all the way to the cutting edge. Take a look at #3 in the image below. by eye, the bevel may look fine, but at the cutting edge, it may still be rounded and dull.



When using a microscope, there are ways of seeing this, but if you don't have one, the best test is the TNT. If you take a razor that has a proper bevel and perform the TNT and notice how it feels when dragged across your thumbnail, you will know it, and will be able to check future bevels with no problem.

This is one of the more difficult things about learning honing over the internet. It is very much a hands on thing, and unless you can feel and see the way it should be, there can be a good deal of confusion. This is why the meetups and trying to find people near you that you can get together for 1-on-1 time is SO beneficial.

You can tell someone what to look for, but if you are there in the same room, and can show them and let them FEEL what you mean, it will help much more than we can possibly put into words.

Thanks for all the input guys. Sorry ive been away for so long, my sister convinced me to ride to LA with her.
The disapearing bevel bit was just my lame attempt at humor, it is at most just shrinking and getting more refined. I thought I had a good bevel from looking at it, with the naked eye, but since it keeps getting smaller and smaller I am thinking I was using a little too much pressure and had the blade deflected a bit so the bevel was set wider(shallower angle) than it shouldve been. The side with the engraving will contact the stone all along the edge, but when I flip it over the other side makes good contact all along the edge except for the first and last 1/4 inch or so and it is close enough to making contact that it will push water along but will not let the water flow over the edge and up the blade. If I twist it slightly towards the edge when I start my stroke and at the end of the stroke I can get the water to flow up the blade, but am afraid that the pressure may cause me other problems. I will try the rolling x stroke again tomorrow to see if that works, it will probably just turn out I need more practice.

As far as some in person consultation goes are there any honemeisters in the LA area, that would be interested in trading some beers for an in person evaluation?

Thanks again for all your help.