Thread: Too sharp.

Is it possible to get a blade too sharp? Not overhoned, too sharp. I've notice comments on some sites to this effect. Your blade cuts great but because it's too sharp it creates problems like irritation. This idea of "too sharpeness" seems bogus to me but what are your thoughts?

I've never found a blade that was "too sharp", but if someone comes up with one, I'd be happy to give it an audition. Too much of a good thing is possible, but in razors it's not something to worry about.

Yes, it is possible to be "too sharp". What most of us look for is a combination of sharpness and smoothness. I have had blades that are sharp as heck but after putting them to my face are not that comfortable. Some guys prefer that level of sharp though...it's all preferance.

There is no such thing as too sharp, it is all semantics and perception

Razors can only attain a absolute sharpness, dependant on Grind and Steel limitaions,,, That is approximately .38 microns, hair starts cutting at about .50 microns so at the most you get to play with maybe .12 microns on the edge from bevel set to final stropping... After that you are creating a fagile edge or mis-honing...

There is too harsh, and there is Mis-honed, normally these are part of the same equation and when added to inexperience totals out to the "Too Sharp" statement

You might want to read the exact same old question here from a few days ago or perhaps go farther back to the other 100 or so Too Sharp threads...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...too-sharp.html post #10 is very well written by Jimbo

I don't think there's such a thing as too sharp. I do think there's such a thing as a blade that requires more concentration than others. Case in point, my Thiers-Issard extra full hollow. If I don't slow down, it will nick me up pretty good. It's the only razor I own that I really need to take my time with. It also gives me the closest shave out of my razors, and without irritation. The reason for both is because the blade is an extra full hollow, or singing blade. The edge flexes and contours to my face a little more than the full hollows. Which accounts for the closer shave and higher chance of nicking myself. So in conclusion, if you take your time, there's no such thing as a too sharp razor.

Imo harshness and skin irritation is not related to sharpness. It is possible that a not so sharp razor causes irritation, while a much sharper does not, and vice-versa.

My face doesn't like 0,5 diamond spray on balsa, or 0,25, but 0,5 crox and 0,25 ceox is okay, and my guess would be that I would like 0,125 CBN too. And I am sure and edge finished on that stuff is sharper than on 0,5 diamond.

IMHO also, of course, assuming that one has enough skill to handle a properly honed and stropped razor the answer is that there is no such thing. When I worked my way through the honing maze I found that if I had an edge that was polished just using diamond that the edges tended to cut the hell out of me and was very unforgiving. I attribute this to the fact that diamonds left grooving in the bevel and edge the "toothy" edge would grab skin and tend to shred or cut it. I could mitigate this by going down to 0.1 micron films but the problem still existed to a certain extent. I though this was because it was "to sharp". When I finally got a J-Nat the problem went away because of the type of edge that J-Nats impart on the bevel. I then used CBN and went down to 0.1 micron and still the edge did not behave like a diamond edge. For the most part, after about 12K you are just polishing the bevel anyway and no real keenness is imparted to the edge.

Have fun finding what edge you end up liking. We are all a little different.


Take Care,
Richard

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Razors can only attain a absolute sharpness, dependant on Grind and Steel limitaions,,, That is approximately .38 microns, hair starts cutting at about .50 microns so at the most you get to play with maybe .12 microns on the edge from bevel set to final stropping... After that you are creating a fagile edge or mis-honing...

To avoid any misunderstanding I have a question. What is a micron? According to Wikipedia a micron is 0,000 001 meter. Do you agree?

Why do I ask this question? Because in some countries they think in feet, inches etc. Therefore in the US a micron might have a different meaning.

For example, can you please fill in the following equation?

0,38 microns = ? millimeter.

One micron is the same here in the EU as in the US, because [micro]meter is an SI unit.

Micron is a commonly used abbreviation for micrometre, which is 1X10^-6 metres as defined by the ISI (or whoever they are). I cannot speak for my American friends, but if they are defining it in any other way they are wrong.

James.