03-14-2017, 07:53 PM
There are several ways to check for a burr:
Drag a cotton ball, gauze or some other "catchy" material from the spine over the edge of the blade. Do this on both sides. If there is a burr little bits of material will catch on the edge. This works surprisingly well. You can also drag the length of the blade gently into the fabric or cotton ball.
See if you can feel the burr by doing the same thing with your thumb. It takes a little practice, but it's amazing how sensitive human touch can be.
Look at the blade under a good, strong light or flashlight from different directions. A black background can help. When you get the light right, burrs, even small one become visible.
Use a magnifying glass or a loupe under a good light. A good light is the key with all of the visual inspection methods. A good light and a bit of magnification is very informative.
Very, VERY gently run a fingernail down the length of the blade at a slight angle off the center of the blade. Do this on both sides of the blade. You can feel burrs catch slightly. Don't do this if you are not totally comfortable with it. You definitely don't want your finger tip to touch the edge! Yikes!
Probably a safer method is to carefully slice some thin paper from the edge of the paper. Pull the blade from heel to tip. If it catches, there is probably a burr or a nick in the blade.
Hope that helps!
Drag a cotton ball, gauze or some other "catchy" material from the spine over the edge of the blade. Do this on both sides. If there is a burr little bits of material will catch on the edge. This works surprisingly well. You can also drag the length of the blade gently into the fabric or cotton ball.
See if you can feel the burr by doing the same thing with your thumb. It takes a little practice, but it's amazing how sensitive human touch can be.
Look at the blade under a good, strong light or flashlight from different directions. A black background can help. When you get the light right, burrs, even small one become visible.
Use a magnifying glass or a loupe under a good light. A good light is the key with all of the visual inspection methods. A good light and a bit of magnification is very informative.
Very, VERY gently run a fingernail down the length of the blade at a slight angle off the center of the blade. Do this on both sides of the blade. You can feel burrs catch slightly. Don't do this if you are not totally comfortable with it. You definitely don't want your finger tip to touch the edge! Yikes!
Probably a safer method is to carefully slice some thin paper from the edge of the paper. Pull the blade from heel to tip. If it catches, there is probably a burr or a nick in the blade.
Hope that helps!