Thread: Question from "Shaving Made Easy 1906"

From Shaving Made Easy

I've got a question about the honing section, on page 35:

Second — In drawing the blade across
the hone diagonally against the edge,
the heel should be about one and a half
inches in advance of the point, and care
should be taken to maintain the same
angle when the stroke is reversed and
throughout the entire operation. This
sets the teeth at the proper angle, that
is, slightly inclined toward the heel. We
have likened the edge of a razor to that
of a saw, but there is this difference:
saw teeth incline away from the handle
and toward the point, while the razor
teeth incline away from the point and
toward the heel. This is correct in
principle, for the saw in use is pushed
away from the handle toward the point,
while the razor is usually drawn away
from the point toward the heel.

I've never come across someone advising the diagonal stroke specifically in order to set up "saw teeth" in the proper direction. Can anyone speak to this, whether diagonally toward the heal produces a better shave than straight across, or diagonally toward the toe?

I have heard this idea before - I think it's an old wives tale, from before they had digital microscopes and could see that the edge really isnt like a saw.

This alignment theory was well proported back in the day. Today we use very fine stones in order to practically eliminate any potential "teeth".

The razor's alignment was probably more in tune with the quality of the edge because it created better symmetry between the bevels.

Although there are honing striations along the bevel, those striations do not affect the whiskers. Only the bevels edge makes contact with the whiskers.

You'll see errors like this "causal fallacy" often with straight razors. There is an effect, but the relationship between it and the cause is inaccurate.

Maintaining a common, relatively consistent stroke is very important, but it's not in order to maintain an alignment of teeth. Just like an x pattern is not to create better cutting power.

Looking at edges left by naturals (under magnification), which would have been more common back then, edge scratch pattern is not a fantasy. I have called these "traditional" edges before because that was the way it was done. Maybe more skill is required to get the best possible edge and allignment of the "teeth" does have some merrit. Every piece of literature I have looked at from that period always support the tradition of teeth setting and I doubt generations of men were totaly wrong. Heck, we are still using thier razors!
In contrast, making an almost scratch free edge with abrasives that were not available back then does impart a different type of shave being of the toothless design. Just food for thought, I know many are not into looking at edges in microsopes but I find it fastinating.

On a molecular level, iron has a chain of 8 atoms that form, always, into a cube. So with nearly any alignment of this chain of atoms, the appearance would be like saw teeth. However, since electron microscopes hadn't even been prototyped until the 1930's, it's highly unlikely that they knew that they were kinda correct.

Strangely, and I know we're talking about steel and not iron, steel is relatively easy to make. When iron is heated, the chain of eight expand enough to allow a larger carbon atom into the cube. Upon rapid cooling, the iron chain constricts and 'captures' the carbon within its structure....producing steel.

Great info Guys!!

Thank you,

Lynn

Originally Posted by markevens

From Shaving Made Easy

I've got a question about the honing section, on page 35:
I've never come across someone advising the diagonal stroke specifically in order to set up "saw teeth" in the proper direction. Can anyone speak to this, whether diagonally toward the heal produces a better shave than straight across, or diagonally toward the toe?

It makes a lot of sense in the context of older hones
and strops.

Reading older documents posted here the goal was to hone
just short of raising a burr. With older hones and
barber hones I can see in my minds eye a place for
this. Especially in the context of microscope images
I have seen referenced here.

This IMO is why four or five strokes is all that we recommend
for a barber hone.

One interesting document I found was in a microscopy document
on honing a microtome edge. The article taught me a lot about
a too sharp (harsh) blade in the section where they had vibrating
glass and an ultra fine chalk to finish the edge.

The saw teeth would be dull compared to the almost burr in
between the teeth. Like a comb on a DE razor the dull teeth
protect the skin and the valleys clip the whiskers.

With modern ultra fine hones the proto burr is no longer
the sharp edge for cutting whiskers.

Bottom line -- try it. Your hones, hand, razors and face
may like it.