I'm afraid the corrugations theory is based on assumptions that have been invalidated by scientific research. High resolutions SEM images of razor edges do not show any substantial presence of corrugations at the bevel that could be expected to influence the structural strength of the edge.
Here's a SEM picture from Prof. John D. Verhoeven's excellent study "Experiments on Knife Sharpening". It shows the edge of a straight razor. Left image is the tip of the bevel at 3000X. Middle and right image shows the bevel sides at respectively 800X and 750X. Unlike optical magnification, Scanning Electron Microscopy offers excellent depth of view. I don't see anything that could possible "reinforce" the bevel.
[img=600]http://www.coticule.be/tl_files/barts_pics/Prof-Verhoeven%2CSEM.jpg[/img]
It is clear that the abrassion during the final honing stage lacks the penetration for single abrasive particles to create the structures that you guys are speculating about, and/or the plastic shaping that takes place overrules the formations of grooves.
But even if they had been present, the assumed corrugations would not cause extra sturdiness, because they would not be added to the bevel but rather substracted from it. Allow me to elaborate on that. Since the choice of hones does not alter the bevel angle, it is clear that on the same razor, the resulting bevel will have the same base width regardless of the hones used. It can be measured as the thickness of the blade where the bevel starts. Let's imagine we would take some kind of laser cutter and separate the bevel from the blade. We could put it on the table on its base. So we now have a triagular shape in front of us. The height of the triangle is also a near-constant. I'm using the term "near-constant", because a keener triangle will be slightly longer, but that has no relevance for the (invalid) corrugations theory.
Here's a quick drawing:
In this situation, the non-corrugated bevel always contains more steel than the corrugated one, because you can only cause the corrugations by making grooves. (as revealed above: we have no practical means for that, but let's say we had a hone that
could do it) If you later on remove these grooves by polishing them out, you'll end up with exactly the same bevel as you started with. It would only start a bit closer to the spine of the razor and end the same distance less (your blade is wearing smaller). Anyway, the same triagular shape with grooves would be slightly weeker than the idential shape witout grooves. The difference won't be big, but it would in no case be stronger.
But as said, this is all irrelevant, because such corrugations do not exist at the bevels of razors that were honed to any kind of shaving state.
What I believe is going on when the edge of a high grit synthetic hone prematurely fails is far less esoteric. It seems logical to me that a hone with the extremely fine particle size of the Shapton 30K has the capacity of defining a bevel at its keenest possible shape. The very tip of such a bevel is both extremely thin and extremely delicate. That delicacy has a negative impact on edge retention. It's a simple truth. There are a few interesting solutions for that problem:
1. finding steel that provides maximum sturdiness to withstand the stresses caused by shaving with such ultra-keen edges. There sure is difference between razors in that field.
2. settling for a slightly less keen, but also more durable edge. I believe it will also be a more comfortable edge, but that's an entirely different discussion.
You may wonder if a slightly deteriorated ultra-keen edge doesn't meet those terms. But that forgoes the nature of edge deterioration that invariably gives better performance with edges that were sharpened to a level that could both support the steel and the cutting task at hand than with edges that were teared apart upon impact with forces they could not withstand.
3. using the increased strenght of a seconday bevel, created at obtuser angle. With these kind of ultra-keen edges, angles above 20 degrees may very well be the best option. (requires 3 or more layers of tape). The bevel angles found on ultra-keen commercial razor blades produced by the brand Feather, seem to agree with me on that.
Kind regards,
Bart.