Thread: At what grit can you no longer see scratches with the naked eye

Originally Posted by shooter74743

This is why we use magnification to aid in seeing a bevel set & follow thru with the pre-polishers & polishers. If a proper light touch is used towards the end of honing on a particular stone, you would be surprised at how polished a blade will become at the lower grits. Maybe you just have better eyes than those who have been at this a while.

That's kinda why I asked at first. I wasn't really sure if I should still see scratches free a certain point or if Iwas using too much pressure or if I hadn't really removed the scratches from the previous hone. I didn't really take into account that after bevel setting I'm going to a BBw/coti and how much they can vary. All I know is my scratches disappear between the coti and LM, could(most likely) be entirely because I'm new to honing razors.

For me, till you get to about 0.1 micron I can see scratches with my eye because I look at the reflection of the bevel. Till it gets to be a diamond white reflection it is not ready to use!


Later,
Richard

I just took a look and I can see scratches on all my bevels. I don't really know what that means - maybe I just have excellent eyes. I do love my carrots, after all.

I'll just reiterate what Glen said - I just go for the best edge I can get off the hones that I have. I don't care about the aesthetics (unless they are indicative of a bigger issue that needs to be addressed) - the only thing that matters to me is the shave.

James.

Comfort is above all else, the most important thing to me, I was just kinda curious if i should be able to see what I saw.

Originally Posted by justinA

Comfort is above all else, the most important thing to me, I was just kinda curious if i should be able to see what I saw.

You sir are sooo right! The reason we look at the bevel with magnification is to look at the actual cutting edge. The cutting edge should be even and uniform, not look like a cross-cut saw & full of micro-chips. As you progress with finer stones, the cutting edge should be getting more and more "fine toothed". The actual sides of the cutting edge and spine "polish" is really just not important to a shave. Sure, it may look pretty...but who cares if the shave isn't smooth, thus the cutting edge is more than likely full of "teeth" otherwise known as micro-chips. You just can't see this with the naked eye.

I have noticed that with circular strokes the scratches tend to cancel out each other by the over-running side swiping action, this is the fastest (maybe not the best) stroke to refine a blade. Circular strokes are hard to see and under magification they look fuzzy. Straight regular strokes are easier to see in the 1k for me without glasses or help, and god knows at 60yrs I need all the help I can get.. The quality and size of the scratches on the flat of the bevel mean nothing unless they lead directly up to the cutting edge, beyond that shiny or dull it is all for show as the fellows above so adroitly noted. Alx

Well here is a few pennies into the info pool. Lighting and angles will help with seeing scratches. I can see the working scratches of Green CrOx. As for anyone that stumbles here for trying to learn for polishing, take it where you want it, go eat dinner or something, return and look at it at half arms length. Step back, let the detail eyes close and see the big picture. Personally, best most consistent finish I have obtained is from a progression of lowering pressures, making precise lengthwise passes. A perfect mirror bevel wont make or break the cut, or shave as it were.