Thread: question on chipping

So Yesterday I pull out one of my Le Grelot 357 models 1/4 hollow and stropped it 50x on linen and 50 on leather (horsehide) and start to shave with it and Ouch it felt like it was tearing the hairs off instead of cutting them, I have to say it was the worst feeling shave since I started straight razor shaving so I knew something was wrong. I almost changed razors it was that bad.

Looking at the edge with the naked eye it looks fine but under a Belomo 10x loupe about 1 inch from the thumb notch I can clearly see a V where the metal is missing. I have 2 other Le Grelots and one of the others has the same indentical V in the same area about an inch from the thumb notch. The third which was honed by someone else is fine. All of the razors have if I were to guess same number of uses 15-20.

If I were to try to fix that chip myself from reading one of Glen's previous post that if I can't see the chip with my eye I don't need to bread knife it, but the coarsest stone I have is a Norton 4k will that be enough. Or am I confusing chipping with micro chipping? Unfortunately I don't have any stronger magnification so is the 10x telling me enough as well?

Have you knocked the razor on the tap or the metal hardware on the strop? Thats the sort of thing that can put a small chip in the edge like you describe. I did that on one of mine and it looked fine to my eye, but you could see the chip under a loupe.

In terms of getting the chip out, definately dont breadknife it as thats total overkill for this sort of thing. You should be able to work it out with a 4k stone, but it might take a little longer than on a 1k stone.

What I did with mine was 40 circles a side, then 20 X strokes, then review the edge through the loupe. Just keep repeating that pattern until the chip has gone. Once it has gone just move up the stones as you would normally and finish the edge.

Good luck and keep us posted!

well at this point it's pretty clear what to do. you see a chip under magnification and you have hones as coarse as 4000 grit. So try to hone that chip on that hone and monitor your progress. you'll know shortly how doable it is. rise some slurry on the hone, it'll cut faster.

Originally Posted by Stubear

Have you knocked the razor on the tap or the metal hardware on the strop? Thats the sort of thing that can put a small chip in the edge like you describe. I did that on one of mine and it looked fine to my eye, but you could see the chip under a loupe.

In terms of getting the chip out, definately dont breadknife it as thats total overkill for this sort of thing. You should be able to work it out with a 4k stone, but it might take a little longer than on a 1k stone.

What I did with mine was 40 circles a side, then 20 X strokes, then review the edge through the loupe. Just keep repeating that pattern until the chip has gone. Once it has gone just move up the stones as you would normally and finish the edge.

Good luck and keep us posted!

I didn't hit anything with it that I know of, what concerns me is that there is an identical chip in same exact part of blade on one of my other identical razors that I have not used in about a month so so and that possible there is a wire edge that I can't see with only 10x. The 2 with the chip were honed by same person the third one without the chip was not but also I am wondering if perhaps I could have caused it by running them over a diamond pasted paddle strop 1.0 and .5 micron, although last time I used them they shaved smooth. Between uses I coat them with camelia oil and store them in a coffee mug.

Off to the hones.
Thanks for the help.

The two with a chip in the identical spot is an interesting phenomenon. I wonder if it is a coincidence or caused by the same thing ?

in fact it is interesting

what you are saying seems like stone had problem (because of same location chips) in the other hand you are saying they were shaving fine .
you have used diamond paste. excessive use of diamond paste will make edge break down earlier then you expected.
At the moment you do have chips and go head try to move it out by honing. will be better you use 1k stone and tape the spine of the blade.
gl

I hope it is coincidence ..

If you look at some of the high magnification pics of steel though, it would not surprise you that a piece flaked away just from use...

+1 with Gugi raising a slurry on the 4k will make it cut fast, and if it were in my hands I would be doing circles too...
It seems that many have forgot the fact that we used JUST a Norton 4/8 to do just about anything not so long ago... Slurry and circles on a 4k will cut a new bevel almost as fast a 1k... Take it steady and forget the chip is there, work the whole edge so it stays nice and even, you do not want to create a flat spot where the chip was from working only that spot...

Good luck...

Edit: Sham is right of course about the 1k if you have one.... You only mentioned the 4k so I just made the assumtion that was all you had to work with..

I would agree that if the chipping is visible in the microscope, but not the eye, the Norton 4K would work fine. A set of two of forty firm circles until gone should definitely work. Follow with 40 no pressure circles and 5-10 X strokes and you should be ready to move to the 8K. You can use Glen's test of easily shaving arm hair at this point if all looks good.

Have fun,

Lynn

Breadknife? Did someone say breadknife? That's grounds for immediate execution.

Like the guys said use your hones to take it out.

2 razors with flaws in exactly the same spot? One explanation not mentioned so far... when your closing the razor the edge may be catching on a scale?
Look at the scales closely and see if you can find a spot where the edge is catching.

Just a possibility,