THE FIN

[John]

My new razor arrived yesterday.
It is scarily sharp.
I am going to let it rest in its box... until I pluck up courage to use it!!!

Are you happy with your new razor? Now is the time to ask for tips and advice. Just so long as the advice doesn't go all top gear.

razor razor,razor razor,razor razor, get him out the box and have a strong coffee, smoke your last fag, and face the shining blade of dooooooommm.

 

[antdad]

Keep praying Johnus

Cutting anything will compromise the edge and stropping (because no material is actually removed) is more to do with plastic deformation. If your edge has visbly "rolled" it wasn't a very good one.

See the edge (x2k) of this freshly stroped razor? No continuous ribbon or band or marching iron molecules with a good memory.

Hi Antdad. A great photo but does ir really prove a point given that it was stropped? I was thinking that you have the technology to prove the theory one way or another by taking photos of the following:

1 Freshly stropped blade just prior to shaving.
2 Just after shaving to show the extend of degradation.
3 leave for 48 hours - pyramid optional - then see if there really is any difference from the post shave state.
4 strop and then re-examine to compare with previous state.

What do you think - are you up for it?

This picture was captured from an old SRP thread which ran dry and unfortunately I have no access to an electron microscope. What it does shows me is that IF the razor was prepared correctly it fails to show a continuous band, ribbon or FIN which can somehow realign. To improve the edge pictured any "resting" would miraculously have to include some almost intelligent gap filling properties at macroscopic level which I find even less likely, I think it more likely that in 48 hrs a blade may have a chance to oxidise.

 

[IanM]

I have a sneaking feeling that "the fin" may have been an invention to help people understand how a blade needs to be maintained, like some sort of teaching aid.

"Before stropping, imagine that there is a very thin 'fin' of metal on the edge of the blade..."

Perhaps it just evolved, like Chinese Whispers, into something else?

Just a thought/theory that I had.

Ian

Ian

 

[John]

I have a sneaking feeling that "the fin" may have been an invention to help people understand how a blade needs to be maintained, like some sort of teaching aid.

"Before stropping, imagine that there is a very thin 'fin' of metal on the edge of the blade..."

Perhaps it just evolved, like Chinese Whispers, into something else?

Just a thought/theory that I had.

Ian

Ian

might be some truth in that, back in the day when electron microscope's didnt exsist, how else could you discribe the edge of a razor to a newbee? thay had to call it some thing. what if you was a rich man back then, the done thing was to buy a 7 day set of straight razors and give them to his barber. This could allso be another explantion of the THE FIN, dare I say it sales blur, so the rich toff got his 7 day set and felt he was a top man in his closed off class system.

 

[osdset]

The amusing part of all this for me is that 'back in the day' your average Joe Bloggs probably used a rough and ready straight without any conception of microscopic edge examination or anything approaching it, he's main concern would have been managing a shave with no hot water, at five in the morning by gaslight and a cracked dirty mirror.

 

[John]

The amusing part of all this for me is that 'back in the day' your average Joe Bloggs probably used a rough and ready straight without any conception of microscopic edge examination or anything approaching it, he's main concern would have been managing a shave with no hot water, at five in the morning using gaslight and a cracked dirty mirror.

thats if he's lucky,most average joe's went to the penny barbers 3 times a week for their shaves, as a razor was to expensive to buy. I must confess I find history intresting. thats why my barber friend got me intrested in the first place. the razors we own are historical items in their own right.

 

[slrjona]

I always strop before I shave,dry my straight then repeat next time I need a shave...Wether its true or not I end up with a bloody nice shave at the end of the day & that what matters.

 

[John]

I always strop before I shave,dry my straight then repeat next time I need a shave...Wether its true or not I end up with a bloody nice shave at the end of the day & that what matters.

And that my friend,:icon_cheesygrin: is all that matters

 

[Professor Blighty]

Well, that's it, seven daily consecutive shaves with the same straight razor, and not a problem in sight.

As far as I am concerned, the whole Fin thing is a mute point anyway, as resting the blade is unnecessary.

 

[John]

Well, that's it, seven daily consecutive shaves with the same straight razor, and not a problem in sight.

As far as I am concerned, the whole Fin thing is a mute point anyway, as resting the blade is unnecessary.

Outstanding, nothing like a practical, hands on test :icon_cool:

 

[django]

I have to change my view on this after Antdad wrote: "I think it more likely that in 48 hrs a blade may have a chance to oxidise."
The only thing that made me suspect that there may be some truth in this aligning edge theory is the results with the HHT.
However early signs of oxidisation could make the edge appear to score higher on the HHT, oxidisation on the edge would catch and pop the hair more easily.