Thread: Is this too much swiss...

Hello all good people.

I pick up one of my blades, start working on it, setting bevel and then I have noticed this (x50 zoom)

Now under x100 it is looking much worst. I can see micro pitting and small breaking of the razor edge. In general blade is in great shape... but this few small spots with moon craters worry me.

Should I continue honing?

You have to have clean steel to have a clean edge, there is really no way around that

However keep honing and see what it shaves like, if the pits are in the side off the bevel yet don't reach the edge the razor still may shave well enough, magnification can sometimes tell you too much of a story

Glen,

I think I don`t have any other option. This is Shumate razor, really in great shape however before I get to clean steel this razor will be 3/8"". Now the blade is clean, some really micro, micro problems (like you said under 100x everything look differently) but in general 99.99 of the blade is ok.

However I try to use 100x magnification when honing and polishing blades. So far works very well and give me warranty of good shave. With this one, as you said, I will need to take a shot…

BTW I though only I do not sleep over night and play with straight razors

The day I got my scope (100X) is the day I stopped having fun with my honeing

I try to keep the magnification at about 10x. That tells me everything I need to know.

You know, if you take a brand new perfect razor and put it under an SEM you would want to throw it in the trash.

OK,

looks like I have to give try this one and see how things will go from now. Thank you to all for your advice.

I have a razor that I really like that looks horrible under the scope, but shaves like a dream.

As a follow up,,

When you strop the edge, the surface of the strop will tell you if the razor is even safe to try, if the razor scratches the strop then I would not even try a shave

Just a little rule I follow when testing stuff

All this talk about microscopes, the Barber did not use these 150 years ago, they just knew what the razor should feel like on their stone and their strop. Personally, my experience so far has been a good one, I get pretty damn smooth shaves for the most part, even though all I have to work with is a broken pike brand razor hone that must be just ancient, and an equally as weathered and nicked strop from an antique mall. Half the time I don't fully achieve a true HHT but at the end of my shave I am pleased and happy with my work, and so is my skin. Isn't that what it should be about?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

The day I got my scope (100X) is the day I stopped having fun with my honeing

That's funny! Very subtle, but greatly appreciated.