So I know it is easy to measure blade gap. Feeler gauges in a razor with a loaded blade is plenty accurate. Now is there an easy way to measure exposure? I know it's the blade extending past the tangent line from cap to guard. However they're must be a way to measure as it's necessary for design. Razor manufacturers can't just be doing trial and error. There must be some sort of range or method. Thanks.
Any quantifiable way to determine blade exposure?
- Thread starter Jinx18
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It's not unmeasurable, but it would be extremely difficult to measure directly in a reliable manner. During the design process it would be a fairly simple matter to see how tweaks to various elements would impact the blade exposure, whether historically in a hand drafting or today in a CAD program. But measuring it post-production in a physical razor would be a much trickier proposition.
The most straightforward way to do it would probably be to work out a way to reliably level the razor head on the tangent between the cap and guard -- I'm thinking something like being able to rest the very outer edges of the head, beyond the blade on two thin, parallel rails -- and then work out a way to level a feeler parallel to that that would stop on the blade, and then measuring the distance between those two. That would effectively give you the two lines in the circular inset here:
The most straightforward way to do it would probably be to work out a way to reliably level the razor head on the tangent between the cap and guard -- I'm thinking something like being able to rest the very outer edges of the head, beyond the blade on two thin, parallel rails -- and then work out a way to level a feeler parallel to that that would stop on the blade, and then measuring the distance between those two. That would effectively give you the two lines in the circular inset here:
Yeah, it's not impossible, soon they'll find out how to quantify the dark matter so blade exposure shouldn't be impossible either.
But I agree with Porter, doing it reliably is probably not an easy task.
But I agree with Porter, doing it reliably is probably not an easy task.
by keeping a razor at a fixed setting, and then using it to shave a simulated hair growth, you could measure the before and after length of the simulated hair. by increasing or decreasing the curvature of the blade, and then re shaving the simulated hair, re measuring the lengths of the hair, you could effectively measure how far the blade is protruding, this is all reliable of course if you can divide the tangent lines perimeter dimension, by the algorithmic findings of the effective angles. must also use pi, or 3.1415 as a the quantitative function. lol, no but maybe us a microscope and some very accurate measuring device?
This would be extremely important, as the difference must be hundredths or tenths of a mm at most.
I'm not really sure how would that be measured, to be honest.
lol, yes sir, you are right there. but if you did it under a microscope and blew it up real big on a screen, you could measure the blade more easily. i just like questions like these, as they sure give us something to talk about, lol.
Absolutely, I find it very interesting as well.
Unfortunately I don't have the necessary resources to do something like this.
You don't think this would do the trick, do you ...
hahaha....that is quite funny indeed. nice to have a good laugh every once in a while. 
Using a CAD program would be the only way of getting an accurate blade exposure.
I will try it out this weekend on a few CAD programs.
I will try it out this weekend on a few CAD programs.
but what about a razor that one already has? thats the real challenge.
could you take a picture of a razor and load it into a cad program?
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I am curious how you would use the cad program? short of modeling the whole razor head and a blade I don't see how it would help.
unless you can take a 3-D picture of the razor and load it into the cad program i agree, seems not that ideal to use. there may be some uses for it, but you would spend hours in entering the design information, and even then you may only get a good estimate of the measurement.
Even if I do get the blade exposure on my razor, no one else will be able to. Not everyone here owns a CAD program, especially one that can measure in the thousandths.
Let me see if there is an easier way so the average person will know the blade exposure. We are talking measurements here that aren't very noticable to the naked eye, but, very noticable when shaving.
Let me see if there is an easier way so the average person will know the blade exposure. We are talking measurements here that aren't very noticable to the naked eye, but, very noticable when shaving.
well you can download cad programs for free, but that still didnt help me any, as i have no idea how to use it! lol the one i got not to long ago was called freecad, but i looked it over for about an hour, and really couldnt figure much out. id need a class or two to understand that program, lol
Yes notch a blade and with a feeler gage, measure the portion of the blade that protrudes beyond the cap/door and bar/comb.
That should work.
A good way to measure the blade exposure would be to get a photo of the head as above, only with a better camera. If you
have a camera with a macro and a very steedy hand or tripod, youll be in good shape.
Now take this image and open up with paint a check the grid box. Pick the solid straight line in the top menu along with what ever color you desire for the line. Be sure the line is on the outer edge of the bar and head. Zoom in on the image at least 400% and adjust the line accordingly. You will have the thickness of the line so be sure to measure at the top of the line. Count the pixels of the blade exposure and convert them to mm, in, etc.
How accurate is this? I'm sure there are more accurate methods out there, at least this is one way for the average person to get some kind of measurement.
have a camera with a macro and a very steedy hand or tripod, youll be in good shape.
Now take this image and open up with paint a check the grid box. Pick the solid straight line in the top menu along with what ever color you desire for the line. Be sure the line is on the outer edge of the bar and head. Zoom in on the image at least 400% and adjust the line accordingly. You will have the thickness of the line so be sure to measure at the top of the line. Count the pixels of the blade exposure and convert them to mm, in, etc.
How accurate is this? I'm sure there are more accurate methods out there, at least this is one way for the average person to get some kind of measurement.
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