Help with bevels - Microscope video

My apologies for the poor video quality. I don't have a microscope capable of attaching a camera to, and my cheap camera does not have an input jack. I had to record my TV screen to capture the video.

I've been having trouble honing both of these razors. Neither of them will pop arm hair. The bevel and edge you are seeing is off of a Naniwa superstone - 1000 grit. The main problem I see is the micro-chipping in places. (but I'm not sure how much is bad at 100x) Also, the toe of the Heljestrand is pitted pretty badly.

Thoughts and comments on these bevels would be much appreciated. I have been banging my head against the wall all day trying to figure out if I should not worry that they won't pop hair. Further honing on the 1k does not seem to improve things much under the microscope.

YouTube - razor edges.wmv

Imo 2 choices,
keep honing until you hone out the chips.
add another layer of tape, may be the steel can't take the edge, so you need bigger angle.

You will likely need to hone past the pitting. It is often a cause of micro-chipping.
Depending on chip size sometimes you may clear them thru the progression but more often you have to go back to lower grits..

well you're not quite done yet. you have to get straight edge without any chips.
more importantly you've got a pretty uneven stroke as well, more practice is the only way i know how to fix that. you won't get an edge popping hairs until you get better at this.

Great video. It doesn't look too bad to me for a beginner. I would try more honing on the 1K and see if you can straighten out that edge a bit. If that doesn't work, I'd go to a 4K instead. It'll be slower, but it'll also require less skill.

If I remember correctly, and I might not because we are talking a long time ago, it might also help to use an x pattern for this type of chipping. An x pattern places the stress load of honing against the subsequent edge adjacent where the chip is.

You might try that too, if you're not already. You might prefer moving up in grit for that too though. 1K is pretty low.

Here is my opinion . . .

Your edge

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEccEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE


The direction the razor is being pulled in
˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃
If those two Cs are a chip in your edge, pulling the razor down off the hone will apply stress to those two Cs in a way that will be supported by the bold EEs. Although your stressing that location the edge will build up better (or won't chip) because they have something to support them.

Again, only my opinion. So, even if you are using a x pattern, you might want to make the x more verticle now. More of a pull off the bottom of the hone, and less of a run down the hone. With an angled run down the hone there is less side-to-side support.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gugi

well you're not quite done yet. you have to get straight edge without any chips.
more importantly you've got a pretty uneven stroke as well, more practice is the only way i know how to fix that. you won't get an edge popping hairs until you get better at this.

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I've been able to get two razors to shave ready. Both shave very well. But, both of them are 4/8 blades. I wonder if the larger blades magnify problems with my honing stroke...