Thread: Deepen my stropping technique, microscope photos

Sorry for a delayed answer, didn't have time to test more but now busy is over.
Finally I got a peace to try more. That earlier shave was not good as you already expected but this is practising and I am more like a trying to find own way. As being so long without shaving with straights, it's also more like a remembering to getting used to shaving techniques and angles too.
I understood totally tape thing and why you recommended to use that.
I did some more test with stone combinations and two different razors. That was relaxing and interesting overall. Also got another microscope
What do you think about results? Photos after honing (left) and after stropping with plain leather (right). Will shave tomorrow and right now I am expecting steps forward.
Upper blade is EJ Le Grelot imitation and lower blade is much softer Simon pure cutlery

I had a scope too. But if you really want to learn shave a freshly honed blade as often as possible. I used to when I had time hone 3 blades a day and.test shave each for one pass. Not.knocking the visual aids now.

Looks like you are creating a double bevel. Not an even one I am afraid. May be because you haven't got a properly set bevel yet

Originally Posted by Kees

Looks like you are creating a double bevel. Not an even one I am afraid. May be because you haven't got a properly set bevel yet

How do you get a double bevel? Changing the angle or applying too much pressure at times and deflecting the edge away from the stone?

Or is a double bevel where the bevel in the middle of the blade does not match the bevel at the toe or heel?

Usually it happens from changing the thickness of tape. Or not changing the tape soon enough. Or, too much pressure and you flex the edge. When flexing the edge you normally find courser scratches closer to the edge and finer back behind because you flexed the closer part away and finished the back section.

There is a fine line there that time will only teach. The scope is a nice tool to help you learn, but the sooner you get away from it the better. I still use mine after a bevel set to be sure i dont have any pits or dings in the edge. Than its put away the rest of the honing. Too much info can be a hindrance. You can only feel so much but see a lot more with a scope. JMO.

As they say in trucker lingo, im back quiet and reading the mail. Lol.

Le grelot shave was a little better but not enoght but that Simon was good.
I shaved with it once and it was ok but after that more stropping and it was again better. Now I will test more shaves with that Simon and do different stropping. Shave and strop, shave and strop.

You get a double bevel from not fully setting the bevel. Your bevels are not flat and not fully meeting at the edge. Or as said adding tape, but you have a triple bevel and not uniform bevels that run from heel to toe. A double bevel should be intentional, e.g. a micro bevel.

When we strop, we are adding the final polishing to the edge. Moving up the progression we are polishing the edge to a point that a strop can refine it further.

You do not have a fully set bevel. That is the cause of all your issues, your bevels are not meeting, there is no edge to refine.

You cannot get, too much information when learning to hone. The rub is interpreting the information, understanding what you are seeing. Compare your bevels AND EDGES to good micrographs of bevels and edges, at the different stones in the progression. Most important is the bevel set.

You move up in the progression when your bevels and edges look, like the photos in the micrographs. Look at the photos at each step in the progression in the, My Second try at Honing post.

Learning to hone without magnification is like learning to drive without mirrors and the windshield blacked out. Why would you do that, how long would it take you to learn to drive and how many cars/razors would you trash?

Folks that tell you, you do not need magnification, ether already know how to hone and forget how much difficulty they had, or do not understand what they see in micrographs. What you see in micrographs are the results, the question is what caused the results and are you making progress, moving backwards or are there other issues?
Only you know what you did, we are all guessing based on the results, the photos.

Once you understand and have mastered honing, you do not need to rely on high magnification, how much thought do you put into driving? Micro graphs are great for documentation and comparing edges.

If the razor has been restored/buffed there may be issues with the steel. Your bevel is not fully set, and the second razor appears to have been heavily pitted and buffed, you may have steel issues, that will not hold an edge.

Bottom line, the bevel is not fully set. Look straight down on the edge with magnification, if you see shiny spot, that is where the bevels are not meeting, or you have a chip.

Here is a good video of how to check for a fully set bevel.
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Straight Razor Sharp Tests)