Thread: Razor issue -

Sometimes when using high magnification a flaw looks like it would be a problem and really is just blown out of all proportion by the high magnification. Personally I don't want to drive myself crazy using high magnification so if I don't see it with a 10X loupe there is no problem. There have been times when I have found a tiny chip in the edge using a loupe after a perfectly fine shave. Go figure.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Sometimes when using high magnification a flaw looks like it would be a problem and really is just blown out of all proportion by the high magnification. Personally I don't want to drive myself crazy using high magnification so if I don't see it with a 10X loupe there is no problem. There have been times when I have found a tiny chip in the edge using a loupe after a perfectly fine shave. Go figure.

Bob

Completely agree with Bob. I use a loupe when I’m doing a major bevel reset or a first time honing on a razor, but if it shaves well, that is the real test.

Originally Posted by BobH

Sometimes when using high magnification a flaw looks like it would be a problem and really is just blown out of all proportion by the high magnification. Personally I don't want to drive myself crazy using high magnification so if I don't see it with a 10X loupe there is no problem. There have been times when I have found a tiny chip in the edge using a loupe after a perfectly fine shave. Go figure.

Bob

Thanks Bob. A jeweller's loupe is all I have too. As someone gaining experience honing razors (and enjoying the process!), I find a bit of magnification very useful in telling me how the stone and the blade are interacting. And at this stage, I have more questions than answers! And as you say, the interesting thing is that the good shave is not always easy to predict using reductive criteria. Art meets science I guess.

Originally Posted by Montgomery

Thanks Bob. A jeweller's loupe is all I have too. As someone gaining experience honing razors (and enjoying the process!), I find a bit of magnification very useful in telling me how the stone and the blade are interacting. And at this stage, I have more questions than answers! And as you say, the interesting thing is that the good shave is not always easy to predict using reductive criteria. Art meets science I guess.

Actually it's easier than you think.

You can have all kinds of defects in a razor but only certain ones will affect the shave at all. Even defects like chips are often times at the extremes of the razor and rarely come in contact with your face so they too have little affect on the shave. Even defects that might suggest shave issues may or may not be a factor depending on the size of the defect. Really just practical horse sense in many cases.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Actually it's easier than you think.

You can have all kinds of defects in a razor but only certain ones will affect the shave at all. Even defects like chips are often times at the extremes of the razor and rarely come in contact with your face so they too have little affect on the shave. Even defects that might suggest shave issues may or may not be a factor depending on the size of the defect. Really just practical horse sense in many cases.

I was thinking this myself, I have a couple of nice razors lying around, but they have a small chip in the edge.

I was thinking about honing them out, but that would get rid of a lot of valuable metal, so I concluded for myself that I will just get 'em shave ready and see if the chip will be an issue or not; thanks for the reminder!

Anyhow, in the end the razor came up really nicely, just took a bit of honing to get an edge not affected by those little fissures in the metal, and it is one of my favourites now. Thanks!

Montgomery I have found, as you have said, persistent effort and not absolute perfection is what matters. Arm hair test, thumb test really don't matter as long as the blade shaves my face smooth. The true test and the only test that matters is the shave test. Thanks for your question, it was a good one.

Originally Posted by Montgomery

Thanks Bob. Art meets science I guess.

You're welcome. Truer words were never spoken. Honing is the art of properly applying some science. Something that looks deceptively simple till you actually try it.

Bob