Thread: bevel question

Is there any other way to know you have a good bevel by not seeing how well it cuts body hair?

Draw it across a moistened thumbnail. If it bites a little and stays on track, the bevel is OK. If it slides sideways (like a car skidding) or doesn't bite at all, the bevel isn't ready yet.

You might also want to inspect the bevel under a microscope or with a hand lense, to see if it has an even width along the blade. Also, with an older razor, magnification lets you see if there are chips or rust spots that have eroded into the cutting edge.

Bevel width doesn't matter, but I agree with the rest in the post above me.

I really think cutting arm hair is the best test until you can really develop your thumb pad test (you are looking for the razor to bite into the high grooves in your fingerprints; similar to how the edge will bite into your nail on a TNT, but a different feeling). For me, arm hair is a much better test than TNT, because a decent bevel will pass TNT but only a really good one will pass arm hair.

But, one way or another, you'll find what works best for you if you take the time to really experiment with them all.

Keep in mind that no matter which test, the arm hair or head hair (HHT) test, you might not have hair that lends itself to good results.

Occasionally, someone responds that they had trouble with cutting arm hair while setting the bevel. This seems to be rare, but a possibility to keep in mind. When I started honing, while setting the bevel, I could not get the blade to cut my arm hair. Finally, frustrated, after an hour honing, I finished the honing and the blade shaved fine. It cut my head hair, using the HHT just fine.

Since then, I realized how poorly I understood both the arm hair test and the HHT. What I know now is that my head hair works very well in the HHT, and is a fairly accurate diagnostic technique. But, my arm hair, not so good! I don't even try the arm hair test now.

Summarizing, the arm hair test seems to work for almost everyone. Occasionally, there is a "loser" like myself cursed with faulty arm hair.

As an aside, the TPT gives me much more information, I believe, then the arm hair test would. But, could be wrong there...

+1 with Larry, I never believed it either, until the 2009 NC meet up and there was a guy there that we could not do an AHT on even after stropping...

Every single test needs to be practiced and learned over time to give them meaning,,, Even the shave test hehehehe

Originally Posted by gssixgun

+1 with Larry, I never believed it either, until the 2009 NC meet up and there was a guy there that we could not do an AHT on even after stropping...

My body, until I die, I'm keeping. My arm hair has already been dedicated to Science!

Interesting thread, for me.

I'm kinda with Larry on this one. The arm hair test has never worked for me, and the hanging hair test might work maybe 25% of the time. I have very fine baby hair. What seems to be the moist consistent test for me is the thumb pad test. If I can get the edge to grab my finger prints all along the edge, then I know it's ready. ...and, of course, it's been said hundreds of times, the shave test is the ultimate test.

Pass the TNT and black marker test, at the same time.

Passing the marker test ensures that it is the bevels that you are honing now (not bevels previously done by someone else); going all the way to the edge.

The TNT might be best used under 3k or so. I, and some others, believe the TNT might damage an edge finished on the higher grits.

I've calibrated my own HHT to chest hairs, specifically the white ones.

The pigment melanin toughens the hairs or feathers that contain it, which is why you see black tips on many wild animal hairs--for abrasion resistance.

My arm hairs aren't as reliable, and I wear a crew cut. So there it is.

Originally Posted by roughkype

I've calibrated my own HHT to chest hairs, specifically the white ones.

This is very good.
In the over hand you have to count there is a lot more factors out there.
are we talking about setting bevel on 1k?
if yes then we should count in which stone is?
norton,
shapton,
naniwa,
or anything else.
hope this helps.