Thread: Setting the bevel "thumb nail test"

I found the wiki on the thumb nail test to be a little confusing to me about gliding the entire razor on your thumb nail.
That said here how i test the razor for bevel setting. Like the picture i hold my thumb out and the razor horizontal and let
it rest on the thumb nail, and give a slight forward motion,if it bites and wont move its good but if it glides on your thumb nail forward it needs more honing, i check the entire blade from one side to the others, and when you have a good bite on the entire blade lets say in 6 or more different postition on the blade you have a good start to your bevel. Now i do more honing without checking the thumb nail test untill it shaves arm hair very easily. Hope that works for you as well.This test is only aplicable at the beginning of bevel setting, not after as it will damage the edge!!

I think that is functionally equivalent to the TNT, except that you didn't mention wetting your thumbnail.

Your so right Ace i forgot to mention to moistened the thumb nail!!

I'm good w/ the description. One detail I talk about to guys learning the test is not to keep the edge is the same place on the thumb nail, but for each section tested, move the edge to a fresh section of thumbnail. Otherwise, a failing section will feel like its sharp because the flanks of the bevel are giving drag from an incision made by a sharp section.
I've not found a foolproof method for bevel checking. Or perhaps I'm just really good at foolishness Great TNT, TPT, arm hair. I have blades pass all w/ flying colors and still give strange/erratic behavior that shows up at the 8k level. 'Don't have much of an answer to it, but am jumping through my navel to find minute flaws at the bevel setting level. When I think a bevel is set, I'm painting the edge w/ magic marker and doing a couple no pressure strokes on a c12k to see if there's any section not contacting the stone w/out pressure. It has helped a few times, but still no silver bullet.

IMO it is much easier to do if you make one long stroke from heel to toe. This way you will feel if the whole blade feels the same. If you test in a lot of spots, than the pressure can vary, the nail spot too, and it is much harder to compare 4-5-6 short feelings to a long one. Sometimes there is only a very little spot in the edge where it doesn't feel right, and you can miss that if you test only portions of the edge.

Originally Posted by jeness

IMO it is much easier to do if you make one long stroke from heel to toe. This way you will feel if the whole blade feels the same. If you test in a lot of spots, than the pressure can vary, the nail spot too, and it is much harder to compare 4-5-6 short feelings to a long one. Sometimes there is only a very little spot in the edge where it doesn't feel right, and you can miss that if you test only portions of the edge.

What we are looking for in a good bevel is a perfect V, therefore if you have \_/ and make a thumb nail test it will all feel the same. The way im showing if you test with the edge \_/ the razor with glide on your nail without any bite, with a V it wont move forward.

Originally Posted by Martin103

I found the wiki on the thumb nail test to be a little confusing to me about gliding the entire razor on your thumb nail.

Then I guess I was wrong, you said it was confusing, to you, myself I was trying to explain why it was the way it is written and the reasons for it... Now you say you understand it so I guess there was no need for an explanation after all...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Then I guess I was wrong, you said it was confusing, to you, myself I was trying to explain why it was the way it is written and the reasons for it... Now you say you understand it so I guess there was no need for an explanation after all...

I understand how it works for you and others but not for me i just dont have the feel for it!!