Thread: chipping on the hone

I got one of the polish razors to practice with and have some how made it worse. when it arrived it would shave the hair on my arm no problem but would not do the hht. so I started honing using the x pattern and trying to get a feel for it. now it wont cut arm hair as easy and there is tiny chips missing all along the edge of the razor.
What am I doing to cause this?
Is the razor ruined?

It's not ruined, but you're not telling us which hone you're using.

I'm using this hone. I know I need to get a Norton 4k/8k but I just don't have the funds right now. I hoped I could get started and figure what I'm doing with this cheap stuff.

The hone could be your problem. Actually it's probably a slow cutting piece of slate and your blade wouldn't chip if you lapped the hone and rounded off the edges but it won't get your blade shave-ready either.

It´s a 4000 grit so it´s the starting point. It states in the advert that it comes already lapped. I´ve seen some really nice portugese hones from a local knife enthusiast so I wouldn´t jump to the conclusion that the stone is bad. First try using your hand to CAREFULLY check for left over grit from the lapping.

Are you letting the razor sit on the hone or are you applying pressure? You said you got a Polish razor. Do you know where it was forged? Some "german" razors are actually forged in or with pakistani steel and just assembled in germany. This gives them the same quality as pakistani razors. If your razor was forged with steel from the middle east, it´s most likely junk. If not, then it could be a few things. the crumbling could be poor steel or just an oxidized edge. proper honing with x pattern will eventually get out the bad metal, or you can use the circular motion discussed in Lynn´s video to speed things up a bit.

If you´re sure you´re honing properly and extra work doesn´t eventually get rid of the chips AND If you´re really interested in figuring this out, first thing to do would be to find out where the blade was forged. If not in pakistan then where did the metal come from. etc. etc.

I'm guessing the razor is a Wapienica and that there shouldn't be any issues with it. I just thought of another explanation...
If the razor hasn't been sharpened and was just sitting somewhere for 30 years, it could be just a weak oxidized edge, prone to microchipping. Eventually you'll hone out the weak part, but I'd recommend taping the spine first.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

I'm guessing the razor is a Wapienica . . . .

Is there only one manufacturer/distributor of razors in Poland then?

No, but there's only one brand of Polish razors that Wojtec carries AFIK.

Yes it is a Wapienica bought from Wojtec. I am new to straights and honing so I thought it was was something I was doing wrong and hoped that you might know what. If the advise is still the same I'll tape the spine and keep going.
I received a shave ready from Ivo today, so I have a bench-mark. I don't know if I should shave with it or keep it as a reference.
(dying to try it - afraid to try it / my god its sharp)

edit: will have to try a get a norton soon. Would it need to be lapped from new, coners rounded?

Try shaving with it so you know what to expect. Be extra gentle on the strop. Getting a Norton is a great idea and it will need to be lapped/rounded from new. Some come ready out of the box, but if you lap it as soon as you get it, you eliminate one variable.