Hair Whittling Yet Hardly Shaving?

B

Billy12241

Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Messages
118
Hi all, I just received a new sharpening system today(Lansky Deluxe Guided System) and was comparing it to my old system(Knock-off Sharpmaker) and on the Lansky system I was so happy to get my first hair whittling edge, so I tried all the other tests(Paper, push cutting, etc) and I was surprised that when trying to shave some hair off my arm, it only grabbed a few hairs when my old system I could run the knife down and the hair would cover the blade.

I know this is a weird post, but I'm just wondering if I did something wrong or if it's just normal.
 
you could have a burr on 1 side. try stropping the edge or resharpen it and see what happens.
 
I'm also inclined to believe it's a burr (wire edge) that's bent/folded to one side, if just enough to keep the edge from biting into hairs on your arm. Shaving & hair-whittling are heavily dependant on the hair meeting the edge at just the right angle. If the edge is bent or folded slightly away from the hair (as with fine arm hairs that lay down on the skin), it'll make all the difference in how it shaves. I say this, because I notice it all the time with my own arm hair (fine, lays down), but often have different results with hairs that are able to 'stand up' a little, relative to the edge angle. Also a big difference made by the fineness or softness of the individual hairs. Personally, my arm hair is much finer than my leg hair (much easier to shave), and the hair on my head is yet again different than either of those. And the hair on the nape of my neck is extremely fine, the toughest to shave for me.

And, aside from all the hair's differences, there's a big variability in how the fineness or toothiness of the edge will cut/shave. Edges produced from two completely different systems will be difficult to get exactly matched up, in terms of how they cut or shave.
 
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I live in Northern Kentucky Richard, and I might take you up on that offer when I get a chance to get up to Ohio.

Also I'm pretty sure it was a burr on the knife, since I resharpened it and it shaves and whittles now, I always had a hard time telling if there was a burr.
 
i'm the same way at times when it comes to telling if there is a burr or not if i cant feel it. i use a sewing needle on a piece of string if i need to. the needle will catch on a burr if you let it slide down the edge.

if you come up i'll show you how to use the paper wheels to sharpen your knives. check out my paper wheel thread.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578787

here is a link of some edges done on the wheels to check out. the convex edges were done on a belt sander and finished off on the slotted paper wheel to remove the burr. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=585019
 
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