Thread: Honing a True Wedge

I recently got a 7/8 W&B that looks like a true wedge. It cleaned up nicely, and the dark brown original horn scales are in good shape. The only thing is, as most sellers tend to do, this was honed up at quite an acute angle.

I honed it (for hours) a few days ago, and using the marker test, had to use 5 layers of electrician's tape on the spine to match the (dull) bevel angle that he had created. It honed up nicely at that point: DMT 1200 to fix the bevel, DMT 8EE, then polished on a yellow coticule. I finished it on a Shapton 16K, which gives me an edge that I like, without having to go to pastes. I did actually give it a few swipes on CrO on a TM paddle strop, and it was clear that the bevel was not touching the paste.

Long story short, I shaved with it today, and it was nice. My problem is how to maintain that edge. Will a hanging leather strop be effective? I'd hate to have it reground unnecessarily, so I'd appreciate any advice.

I'd tape the spine for paddle strapping

Thanks. I wouldn't mind taping it up again to touch up on a hone or strop. I guess my question is more about daily stropping before shaves. The (minimal) slack usually compensates for honing with tape, but would it be effective for something honed with 5 layers?

5 layers????
That seems a bit extreme and I use tape on almost every razor....
The last W&B true wedge I did only needed 1 layer of tape to get the edge to bite into the stone, but as we see over and over. all razors are different. and the true test is if it shaves well. and if that shave is repeatable then go with the flow.....

Originally Posted by RayG

Thanks. I wouldn't mind taping it up again to touch up on a hone or strop. I guess my question is more about daily stropping before shaves. The (minimal) slack usually compensates for honing with tape, but would it be effective for something honed with 5 layers?

Sorry man, I don't know if it's going to make decent contact with the hanging strop without rolling the edge or not. I was just reading your bit about the edge not making contact with the paddle strap

If it was my razor though, I'd probably try several layers of scotch tape on the blade for daily stropping. Less friction against that tape than the electrical, I'd think. I'm going to try that to see what the difference feels like

Originally Posted by gssixgun

5 layers????
That seems a bit extreme and I use tape on almost every razor....
The last W&B true wedge I did only needed 1 layer of tape to get the edge to bite into the stone, but as we see over and over. all razors are different. and the true test is if it shaves well. and if that shave is repeatable then go with the flow.....

Yeah, the guy really did a job on it. I wish these sellers would just leave things alone instead of getting them "shaving sharp." If I had a 325 DMT, I'd probably take some metal off. I may try sandpaper.

I don't think I would like to tape it up with 5 layers to strop every time I shave. And if I leave the tape on, I am afraid it will rust the metal.

I think I may end up sending this out to be reground eventually.

I'm working on an EBay wedgie myself at the moment. 100 years worth of guys tinkering with the razor has lead to a quite rounded bevel!


That is the EBay pic.

The route I'm taking is to hit it up with 400 grit sandpaper on glass to reset the bevel.

It's getting there, but I can still see that the bevel is not sharp yet.


Sand....sand...sand....

I've got a couple like that.
Look on the bright side - nice new metal for the edge

I am working on one like that now. I have tried using 2 layers of tape but still the edge does not make contact!

The multiple layers of tape route was considered but the thought of having to retape before each stropping was unappealing.

My solution is to just keep on honing with the coarse stuff and one layer of tape until the bevel is correct.

Someone had cleaned up this razor really nice but had also rounded the edge quite a bit in the process.

[quote=randydance062449;222120

The multiple layers of tape route was considered but the thought of having to retape before each stropping was unappealing.

My solution is to just keep on honing with the coarse stuff and one layer of tape until the bevel is correct.

quote]

That's exactly what I do as well. I will not use more than one layer of tape just for the sake of speed in the honing process.