Thread: Too heavy of draw damaging edge?

Originally Posted by dshaves

I do hold it straight and taught! It is super fast though feels like there is no draw or work being done. I do not add additional pressure.

Do you have a loope to see the edge? I'm betting more is being done than you think. Having draw is really just your sense of "feel" to be honest. I could say a strop has no draw and someone else could say it has some. But if your stropping technique is good, it's doing what it should. Not sure on your experience level, sorry if I didn't see you post it, but the more experience you have stropping, the better the edge gets. And the new strop will break in after a short while. Usually a month or so used daily

Originally Posted by Dieseld

Do you have a loope to see the edge? I'm betting more is being done than you think. Having draw is really just your sense of "feel" to be honest. I could say a strop has no draw and someone else could say it has some. But if your stropping technique is good, it's doing what it should. Not sure on your experience level, sorry if I didn't see you post it, but the more experience you have stropping, the better the edge gets. And the new strop will break in after a short while. Usually a month or so used daily

I do have a 30X loop, I look at the edge before stropping which is clean and straight then after stropping 100 passes the edge has very fine flaps of what looks like foil but the apex is straight and keen. I have taken the edge back to the stones too clean the edge up then proceed to the strop again and bam same fin like but straight edge results...crazy I only have this issue with my Hart steel razors which I have 9... all 7/8 or 13/16".

Maybe the geometry of the angles edge is too shallow and doesn't hold up to a heavy draw?

Well I'm not really too sure what to tell you at this point. I've given all the help I can.
It is odd that it's only on that brand of razor though.

Maybe send one out to one of the hone pros after you strop and have them inspect the edge. I can't see stropping leaving a foil edge, unless what your talking about is rolling the edge over when stropping. In that case your not stropping correctly, or the edge has issues. Maybe try doing a micro bevel to strengthen the edge. Tc

Originally Posted by Dieseld

Well I'm not really too sure what to tell you at this point. I've given all the help I can.
It is odd that it's only on that brand of razor though.

I appreciate your trying to help me out, it is strange but something Gssixgun said a while back and I forgot about it until recently is that Hart steel blades need two layers of tape because they get real fragile at the very edge, chipping and such. So last night w/two layers of tape I dropped the razor back down to Shapton pro 8k and finished again on my jnat with focusing on the strop being taught and good technique I stropped it. Not to my surprise (Gssixgun is always right) the edge had zero foil and the sides of the edge and zero debris of any kind. I shaved, it was close and comfortable.

I figure the edge having no back bone since the steel was so thin would flex back and forth cause nothing good to the edge. I assume the raising the geometry by adding one more layer of tape strengthened the very edge not to flex while stropping.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Maybe send one out to one of the hone pros after you strop and have them inspect the edge. I can't see stropping leaving a foil edge, unless what your talking about is rolling the edge over when stropping. In that case your not stropping correctly, or the edge has issues. Maybe try doing a micro bevel to strengthen the edge. Tc

The edge was never rolled, the blade still shaved well. My original question was about the debris or something that resemble foil on the sides of the apex what it might be? I don't have a micro scope or any way of taking a close up of the edge.

I did micro bevel the edge last night! It improved the edge so much that there was zero debris on the edge just straight, uniform and clean...

I have been stropping on lighter-draw strops a lot lately, particularly boarhide/pigskin.

FME, the stropping goes much easier than heavier-draw strops and things are much more controllable, particularly on smaller and lighter blades. The effectiveness is just fine, IMO.

I tend to save the heavy-draw Shells for heavier razors these days.

YMMV

I guess in a way you did what I was leading up to, a micro bevel after all is do e would be add an extra layer of tape, but adding it all the way thru does change the angle to a more acute bevel for strength. And yes we need a emotional with the gssixgun is always right. Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

I guess in a way you did what I was leading up to, a micro bevel after all is do e would be add an extra layer of tape, but adding it all the way thru does change the angle to a more acute bevel for strength. And yes we need a emotional with the gssixgun is always right. Tc

I wish I had remembered what Glen said, it would have saved me this thread. Yes Yes on the Gssixgun is always right emoji!!!

At the end of the day the question of a heavier draw causing razor edge damage is about the amount of force/weight required to bring the razor from end to end. If it's a heavier draw, the more likely you are going to damage the edge. As always the answer is simple. Kanayama #70000, #80000,