I was thinking about all of learned here about how cutting is more about geometry then refinement. I was also thinking about how we sometimes get carried away with the latest super steels etc. So I did an experiment. I decided to find just a thin piece of steel and see how sharp I could make it. Not knife steel, just steel. So I dug around a little and found a feeler gauge. I think the one I used was 1/32". So I put it in my kme and started sharpening. Then I thought, might as well go all the way with it.
I used my work sharp first. I set the gauge flat on the belt and just used the pressure of my finger pushing to make a slight convex. I went through all the grits and at the end I flipped the belt over and put mother's on the cloth backing. I then stropped on 2k wet dry, 4u cbn, 1.5 cbn, and mothers mag. I stropped at a very slightly higher angle to put a small micro bevel on the gauge and make certain it was fully apexed. Here's a link of me shaving with it http://youtube.com/watch?v=OFr0OHv0D04 forgive my lack of technique as I had never used a straight before. And I know the lighting sucks, I had about a 1/4 of stubble but it's hard to see that. There was no discomfort or irritation before or after and the shave was as close as the mach 3 I used on the other side of my face as a control. Surprisingly, the feeler gauge was more comfortable then the mach 3.
I'm convinced that if a feeler gauge can be this sharp, any knife can. I think the only difference better steel would make would be in edge retention, corrosion resistance, toughness, etc. But not sharpness.
Afterwards I called my friend and here's the conversation
Me "I just got done shaving"
Him "oh yeah" he sounded confused
Me "with a feeler gauge"
Him "you need medical attention"
He may be right
I used my work sharp first. I set the gauge flat on the belt and just used the pressure of my finger pushing to make a slight convex. I went through all the grits and at the end I flipped the belt over and put mother's on the cloth backing. I then stropped on 2k wet dry, 4u cbn, 1.5 cbn, and mothers mag. I stropped at a very slightly higher angle to put a small micro bevel on the gauge and make certain it was fully apexed. Here's a link of me shaving with it http://youtube.com/watch?v=OFr0OHv0D04 forgive my lack of technique as I had never used a straight before. And I know the lighting sucks, I had about a 1/4 of stubble but it's hard to see that. There was no discomfort or irritation before or after and the shave was as close as the mach 3 I used on the other side of my face as a control. Surprisingly, the feeler gauge was more comfortable then the mach 3.
I'm convinced that if a feeler gauge can be this sharp, any knife can. I think the only difference better steel would make would be in edge retention, corrosion resistance, toughness, etc. But not sharpness.
Afterwards I called my friend and here's the conversation
Me "I just got done shaving"
Him "oh yeah" he sounded confused
Me "with a feeler gauge"
Him "you need medical attention"
He may be right
