Originally Posted by
Euclid440
Jack, if the hair test works for you, use it.
But hair cannot test the whole edge. Looking at it is the simplest and quickest way to test the whole edge and as I suspect with Samir’s razors, the edge can have issues that a hair test, cannot tell you exist. TPT, also is a quick, non-destructive test, but takes time to calibrate your thumb to recognize a fully set edge.
Here is the problem with the hair test. You test the edge touching the hair… and it does not pop the hair, so you touch the hair with the edge again and now it pops. Why did it not pop the first time?
Could it be the bevels were not meeting at that particular point? And when you re-test you are testing a different point on the edge?
Looking at the edge, as shown in post 29, will tell you if the whole bevel is set and remove all doubt. You will also see micro-chipping, that can be indicators the edge may fail on you down the road. Knowing you have a problem at bevel setting can save you a lot of time and frustration.
There are many post of novice honers spending hours setting a bevel. There is no need for that.
Learning to strop, just takes time, it’s just developing muscle memory without using too much downward pressure and rolling the edge. Until you develop the memory, it will require 100 percent of your attention. In-attention will cut your strop and ruin the edge.
Holding the tang on the two opposing corners with the thumb and forefinger and applying just enough torque to keep the edge on the strop, will keep you from applying too much down force and require less strop tension. It will also make flipping easier. Stop, then flip.
The spine should never leave the strop.
Set yourself up for success, make your life easier.