Honing - TRUE or FALSE

I have noticed that some razors after having been stored for a year or two seem to have microchips on the edge. However, it seems that the better quality blades have fewer microchips than the less expensive blades.

It would seem to make sense that the lesser quality blade edges would deteriorate more readily than top quality blades.

Whenever I detect a microchip, I wonder if I should have bought the blade in the first place. I never hone a blade without first checking for microchips.

Anyone have similar feelings or opinions regarding microchips?

if i see a microchip on a razor i've honed 3 years ago i'd probably attribute it on me being a 'neophite' ;)

i haven't really looked, but the first thing that comes to my mind is 'resting the razor' :)

Have the razors been stored freshly honed or have they had use.? Microchips will happen over time with use.

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Originally Posted by gugi

if i see a microchip on a razor i've honed 3 years ago i'd probably attribute it on me being a 'neophite' ;)

i haven't really looked, but the first thing that comes to my mind is 'resting the razor' :)

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It seems that you are not grasping the concept of my thread. I am trying to elicit opinions as to the origin and/or cause of microchips in razors that have been idle for some length of time. Years or more.....

Micropchipping is a phenoenon that does take place for whatever the reason and I would like to understand exactly why it happens. I put all my razors in temporary storage coated with Camelia Oil in a cabinet along with several large bags of silica gel. Upon removing some razors from storage, I occasionally find one with microchipping and am at a loss to know why it happens.

I'm sure someone else will have some suggestions regarding this problem.
Thanks in advance to anyone who might respond to this query.
And does the quality of the razor have something to do with it?

Jerry i haven't notice microchipping yet but i think i had couple blades got dull. After a good stropping with dovo white paste on linen side and lather edge come back again.
As someone already mention it could happen you shave with the blade and microchipping formed before you put away the blade? you just didn't check the edge.
when you pick up after couple years you first what you do? you check the edge and find out there is microchipping.this is just my guess.

I had a blade once before I knew how to hone. It was an older W&B and a very nice looking one. I sent it to a pro to have honed and he told me some shocking news. He described it as 'black worms' which had formed at the edge, visible only under high magnification. This is basically where the steel has turned very bad and about 1/8'' of the edge would have to be taken off which I decided not to have done. I was told it may take a week, or it may take years, but it would simply microchip - the steel would simply crumble.

Surely enough, a month later I had a great shave. I was stropping after and noticed a shallow white scratch in the leather. That was it, he was right.

Anyway, I dont know how relevant this is, but this is my only experience of a micro chip that wasn't my fault. I left it for a couple of months and upon next inspection found 2 or 3 more.

Scipio, I wonder if these are the black worms ? This kind of rust can travel unseen beneath the steel but we are assuming mrsell63's razors have no corrosion issues.

I've not had any of my blades microchip but they do go a bit dull if you dont use them for ages.

I used my Edelweisse the other day after I hadnt used it for about 6 months or so and it had dulled so that'll need rehoning.

I'm with those who think it was caused by shaving and being put away without the microchips being noticed at the time. FWIW, I bought an FWE from a barbers son a couple of years ago. His father had retired in 1980 and the seller was an old man, his father long dead. He had decided to sell off the father's kit. That razor hadn't been honed since before the old man retired almost thirty years before and was as sharp as any I've shaved with following a linen/leather stropping.

Could the micro chips possibly from light corrosion from sitting so long?

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Originally Posted by Stubear

I've not had any of my blades microchip but they do go a bit dull if you dont use them for ages.

I used my Edelweisse the other day after I hadnt used it for about 6 months or so and it had dulled so that'll need rehoning.

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That sounds like some sort of edge deterioration prior to reaching the chipping stage.

I use mineral oil for short-term storage and Camelia oil for long-term storage.

As I mentioned originally, there is a possibility that the quality of the steel has something to do with the problem. Many of the blades we all have were manufactured before modern quality control evolved into what it is today.

I have razors from as far back as 1968 when I started collecting and they are in great shape. It's the edges that occasionally show signs of age. I guess that is why we have hones.

Thanks for all the thoughts on the matter.

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

Scipio, I wonder if these are the black worms ? This kind of rust can travel unseen beneath the steel but we are assuming mrsell63's razors have no corrosion issues.

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The pro honer sent me a picture of it, which if I recall was somewhat similar to that, but worse i.e. more black and therefore more corroded.

I was really annoyed. It had been a great shaver up until the micro chipping occured.

Metals, once solid, are really crystals and continue to grow on the most available lattice. This could be a scratch on a smooth metal surface that creates a raised point. This point has a minimum number of molecules and exposes the metal's lattice allowing growth to begin;usually as rust once available O2 is in the mix. Or, along the line of a razors edge where the metal has been shaped to its minimum area of exposure.