Black staining/pitting near edge.

So normally any pitting on the edge would mean removing metal to clear it up. In this case there is some very minor black pitting/staining near and on the very bottom of the bevel. Most of it was actually removed during the bevel set of the razor. Some more polished out. There is a little remaining but it did not compromise the shaving edge at all and 3 shaves in and the blade still shaves well. Should I just leave this be since the edge isn't crumbling and seems to be more of a cosmetic issue?

I'm sure some will disagree, but in my opinion it can be okay sometimes. If it's not on the apex of the bevel the shave should be unaffected. If it's not that deep though it's better to remove it. If you can feel it at all with a TNT it needs to go.

A razor is a tool. For some, that is all it is. For some, its aesthetics are all that matter. For many, it falls somewhere in between. It's your razor, so you are going to have to decide your own priorities.

If there is pitting on the bevel, but not at the edge you can still put an edge on it and shave with it, but eventually through years of honing the edge will meet up with the pitting and probably leave tiny chips that will have to be honed out. How long that will take is anyones guess. It could be many years or alot sooner if moisture is allowed to remain in the pitting and continue to deteriorate. If it is shallow when the edge and pitting eventually meet it might just hone out in the natural process without actually having to do more aggressive honing. I have been actually wanting to take a razor and give it 100 laps on an 8k stone per day and once every 2 months give it 100 laps on a 4k stone and then 100 laps on 8k and continue that for a year to see how much wear and material is actually removed in that period. Granted just honing doesn't actually represent the rigors and stress a razor goes through with stropping and shaving in between touch ups, but am just curious as to the outcome.

Yes, I would leave it alone for now as you are getting good shaves from the edge. You might find when you do another bevel reset or two that those "devil spit" black spots will come to the edge and cause trouble. If that happens you will have to try and hone past them if you can. I have a few like that and some have lost a fair amount of metal trying to get a clean edge free of the pitting under those black spots.

Bob

“I have been actually wanting to take a razor and give it 100 laps on an 8k stone per day and once every 2 months give it 100 laps on a 4k stone and then 100 laps on 8k and continue that for a year to see how much wear and material is actually removed in that period.”

Now there, is a good use, for a Gold Dollar…