A problem? A Solution?

So you're shaving this morning and you notice your shave is kind of rough but the shave is still close and you look at your razor with the naked eye or maybe a low power magnifying glass and sure enough you can see those micro chips on the edge so you go to your trusty hone maybe 1K or 4K to take them out or wait a minute here you by accident decide to look at the edge with 30x or so and wait a minute those aren't microchips whats going on here it's the way the light was reflecting off the edge. It appears there are kind of like flat areas in the edge, more on one side of the blade than the other and depending on how you move the blade it looks not so bad or maybe yes it is bad and there are areas in the edge where the edge actually seems to be torn or folded back.

So whats going on here and how would you approach this from a honing standpoint. The same as a microchip or not?

I know, I know... but I ain't talking yet and hopefully those two smarty pants forum mods won't either. Just not yet anyway until the members discuss this a bit.

I would first wipe the blade off and take another look to remove soap scum, follicle and dead skin cells.. If it still had the same problem, strop it, if still the same problem hone it out.


Edit: I use coticles, I dont get burrs or wire edges.

:p :p :p Fine !!!!



:rofl2::rofl2::rofl2:

If the edge was folded back a tad, or torn up, wouldn't we muck up our nice strop leather a bit? Would we want to consider doing a couple spine leading honing strokes on an 8K maybe, to eliminate the possibility of a burr or rolled edge? Then break out the loupe again and evaluate? I think I'd start by eliminating variables, so I can get a better idea of what needs to be done.

My uncertainty comes from viewing only with 30x, but I would guess it wasn't stropped? My reason is we talk about stropping realigning the teeth and getting it back in order as well as cleaning up the edge. So, maybe you saw more on one side if you used that side of your blade more.

That's my guess. Do I win?

I would just set it aside until I next saw Glen since he already knows the answer and I would rather not screw up my equipment, besides the meets aren't that far away :D

Edit: I don't shave in the morning and don't use a 30x loupe so I guess it doesn't matter. I can say that I don't go above 10x since I don't know how to interpret what I am looking at, it is like a child telling a story; all of the details and little that matters to further the story.

SOunds like a burr or wire edge...I think a CrOx strop or a good coarse linen strop should take care of that. Depending on the uniformity of the edge after removing the burr, I guess, you shouldn't need to hone much, but if it tears off ragged then you should drop back to an appropriate level.

I'm not going to say anything, waiting for the two smarty pants mods to pipe up and identify the problem. :)

couple of thougts, only a beginner so I might even be looking in the wrong direction but....
maybe you need to lap your stones before honing?
maybe the razor is not tempered properly if the edge is rolling?
maybe you finished with a shapton 16k or 30k and overhoned?
I'd try a canvas stropping, maybe a hundred or two laps and have a look, if the problem is gone I'd do the same on leather and see if the shave has improved, if not try a pyrimid maybe 4k-8k or an 8k-10k/12k/16k if it fixes the problem? GREAT! pat on back, have a pipe or scotch lol
if not either drop a grit or send out.
Whatcha think

i see a mod badge under my name, i see my pants are all smart looking, but two of them???
awrite i just stop looking anymore, not at my pants, not at my bevels...

:popcorn:

I am leaning towards the beginning of a wire edge idea. On the other hand out of curiosity, what type of stone are you using to finish with? Do you refresh the edge with a barber hone? Is it possible that you have deposits in one? Personally, amongst my finishers, I have an old swaty that I never use because somewhere along the line something must have happened to it that it always seems gritty no matter how smooth I lap it. Also, I've heard of magnesium deposits in natural stones that change the cutting at that point.
Not trying to give an answer because I'm sure you know better than I do, just thinking.

I'm dying to know whats going on, TBS? Smarty pants MODs? anyone lol

OK the smarty pants mods can chime in now.:)

Just to start this off these problems can happen a few ways. When you close your razor and you hit the scales with the blade, you strike the edge against really any surface but think you did it so gently you lucked out but really didn't, normal shaving over time and of course bad honing and probably stropping too. When I said parts of the blade seem torn or folded over I didn't mean huge parts of the blade but areas less than 1mm in length and extending into the edge so shallow it needs at least 30x or so to really see it.

I'm intrigued....because this is EXACTLY what is happening to me right now, and I found this thread while searching for the answer. I honed my razor nicely and it is very sharp, but upon staring at the very edge in bright light I swear I have microchips (the razor is only a year old). I gave up and re-honed from 1k up this morning and now have a beautiful edge that is hht 4. Stropped it for a shave, looked at the edge one more time, and I swear that I have microchiping again....and three very tiny (1mm) spots that look like flat broken spots on the blade. I stropped extremely lightly and KNOW that i didn't apply too much pressure or lift the spine. Still shaved nice (one of the best I've had) but I'm at a loss........so whenever someone wants to answer......:shrug: i give up!

The only thing that comes to mind is a cupped strop.

What would be great, is if one of the guys that has the 100x -300x USB microscopes could take some pics of just normal wear and tear on the edge from just plain shaving...

I think that many people would be surprised at just how much "Microscopic" damage is caused to the the very fine edge.. How that is smoothed back out each time by the Linen and Leather burnishing from the strop, before the edge starts to degrade into needing a Touch-up... I am just talking normal wear and tear here not actual edge damage from touching/dinging things....

Anyone wanna take a daily series of shots?????

I think most folks would be very surprised to know how little it takes to cause this minor damage to an edge. Not just normal shaving but handling too.