Thread: Bringing the smile back...

Originally Posted by Seraphim

This may be true, but for the sake of discussion, no other tool also includes a second surface that is also intended as a reference to use for sharpening.

I sharpen most of my tools on a Tormek machine, that has tremendous accuracy in setting and holding the honing angle. This is irrelevant for the need to establish the desired tool shape first.
Doing that "honingly" is asking for difficulties.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

In my opinion, a razor is a peculiarity, as it has the spine upon which the razor is designed to rest to establish the final cutting bevel angle and edge.

I couldn't agree more. For establishing the bevel, the angle is dialed in by resting the razor on spine and edge. But that has nothing to do with altering the edge curvature, if that is desired. In this particular case, it is desired: the original poster wants to produce a smiling edge.
The logical thing to to is to produce that smile first, and then create a bevel on it.
I am fairly sure that a razor maker would take the same approach while making a smiling razor blade. I can't imagine a razorsmith producing a straight edge before honing a smile to it. He will first grind the smile and next cut the bevel on a coarse hone.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Adding tape to the spine I guess adds a degree of "squish" to allow there to be some misalignment between the spine bevel and edge bevel. And that certainly is one way to skin the cat. I myself, prefer having the spine bevel match the edge bevel as it is less levels of ambiguity when honing, stropping, and re-honing a particular razor.

I don't add tape for "squish". I add the tape, because I want to apply some pressure. That flexes the blade a bit, which flats out the honing angle, producing a slightly wider bevel. A few layers of tape counteract that. Before ending the bevel setting stage, I always remove the tape, back off on the pressure and continue honing for the most accurate bevel. I did my first bevel restores without tape, and they shave equally well, but their bevel starts with a small strip of coarse scratches, that can be seen with magnification only. Adding tape avoids that. I don't care about a spine bevel. I only care about a steady honing angle.

There is no single downside to this approach. It does not remove more steel than needed for the new edge shape. It is reliable, reasonably quick, and far easier than any other method that requires honing with variable pressure throughout the stroke, or shaping with a cutting disc on a Dremel.

If any method holds a risk to removing more steel than needed, then it's honing the new shape into the razor. With that method, it's very likely that you won't be able to recess the tip and the heal without affecting the middle part as well.

Bart.