Thread: Just to get one thing straight..

If the spine is straight and the blade is warped (the most commonly found condition), then there are two possibilities.
I have addressed them both in a wiki article about bevel setting.

1. if you hone on a wide hone, and the warp is not too severe, the edge will develop straight, and the warp shows up as uneven bevel sides. If the condition is too extreme, one side of the bevel will become so thin at the bend spot, that the edge has little support on that side. That introduces a weakness in the edge at that spot.

2. If you hone on a smaller hone and/or use an "outspoken" X-stroke, then the edge will start to follow the curve of the warp. The resulting bevel panes will be more equal in width. If the warp is severe, this is the way to go, but it is more difficult to achieve a good keen bevel. It is important to copy the same stroke during the entire honing job.

If the spine is warped too, then the razor can wobble on the hone, when it rests on the bulging side. In that case I believe is is best to tape the edge and straighten the bulge out the spine. Whether you straighten the concave side out as well, depends on how severe the condition is. The concave side doesn't wobble, so it is less a problem.

Based upon the razors I have honed, I think a warped spine is very rare, but a bit of twist in the blade is very common.

Hope this helps. Check out the drawings in the Wiki. I believe they really illustrate what I'm trying to explain.

Bart.