Thread: What's the trick with a True wedge. Help!

I have a "Full Wedge" razor. Both sides of the blade are mirror finish and get refreshed to shiny brand new each time the razor visits a hone. The problem is I can not get the edge silky sharp.

I've gone back to a 1200 grit to ensure there are no lumps or bumps on the surfaces and then progressed up to a 12000 grit hone. Each time I move up a grit, the edge feels smoother but looses its bite. I can even get super smooth with a diamond paste on a leather flat bed strop, but the shave is only passable and the bite/hanging hair test is poor. The finer the honing medium, the more the biting edge disappears. I hone at 45 degrees as recommended but it makes no difference.

Am I missing a trick, or expecting too much from the wedge. Any ideas?

How about taping the spine to allow you to put a more conventional bevel on it?

Electrical tape
You will love the results as soon as you put a piece of plastic electrical tape along the spine !!!!!!
It increases the angle just enough to keep the BITE!!!!

Thanks guys I thought that would be cheating. But I've been cutting so much metal I thought there had to be an answer. Hey ho.

Unless the edge is in poor shape I would skip the 1200 hone. Before using the tape trick just make sure you are allowing for the extended honing times for a true wedge. They really do take alot longer to hone and you need to have patience with it. If you are used to dealing with hollow grinds wedges are very different.

An additional hint with a wedge is to use at least an 8K stone and put 5-10 strokes on the edge. Then look to make sure the entire edge is shiney. When you are doing your actual honing a 45 degree angle works best.

Have fun,

Lynn

I've never honed a true, honest-to-goodness wedge like you're describing. However, even on a wedge-like quarter hollow with a wide bevel, it seems to take a lot of polishing strokes to have much effect.

If you just want to shave with it, a pasted hanging strop might be the way to go. These have a way of getting even really stubborn edges to cooperate. It's sort of cheating, though.

Josh

Originally Posted by English

I have a "Full Wedge" razor. Both sides of the blade are mirror finish and get refreshed to shiny brand new each time the razor visits a hone. The problem is I can not get the edge silky sharp.

I've gone back to a 1200 grit to ensure there are no lumps or bumps on the surfaces and then progressed up to a 12000 grit hone. Each time I move up a grit, the edge feels smoother but looses its bite. I can even get super smooth with a diamond paste on a leather flat bed strop, but the shave is only passable and the bite/hanging hair test is poor. The finer the honing medium, the more the biting edge disappears. I hone at 45 degrees as recommended but it makes no difference.

Am I missing a trick, or expecting too much from the wedge. Any ideas?

FORTY-FIVE DEGREES?!?!!! Hold a wedge on a hone, and/or a strop at a 45 degree angle?!!!???? FORTY-FIVE?!!!
Please tell me I was delusional reading that angle measurement?

#1 -- This post is almost 10 YEARS OLD! You are a bit late to the discussion; this is what we call a necropost. "It's dead, Jim!"

#2 -- Consider the fact that they are talking X-strokes most likely that are 45 degrees off of a straight down the hone stroke. Hopefully, you are able to breathe freely again.

Yeah its pretty clear he is talking about the razor's angle in relation to the hone as far as which way the spine is pointing - so not spine perpendicular to the side of the hone, but rather with the spine at a 45° angle to the side of the hone, heel leading. The razor's spine and bevel would still be lying flat in contact with the hone's top surface (aside from any slight deviation due to tape).

And wow, holding the phone for 10 years?! Haha.