Thread: Only honing part of blade?

My honing technique is improving. After a test shave the center of my razor is almost ready it seems. This is currently the best progress I have made in honing, but I am only honing part of the razor.

My razor is a barber's notch and has a slight smile; I am having a hard time getting the slightly curved part near the spike honed. After digging out a magnifying glass I see there a couple micro chips on that end too. Any advice on adjusting my technique to hit those curves? Below is a detailed account of all I did.

Here is what I did today.
Today's progress: Worked on correct bevel setting. Went with 2k waterstone. 20 circles. 20 x strokes.Rinse. Repeat. 2 hours.

Proceeded to 8k. All x-strokes. 1 hour.

Proceed to leather strop with flexcut gold. All X strokes. 20 minutes.

Test shave. Lather up. A slight tugging feeling. Only shaves cleanly near center of razor. Ends are hit-or-miss or flat out don't shave hairs.

I've got a few vintage models that don't want to hone properly. The best advice for those tricky razors is to take a permanent marker and carefully color the edge. When you make a couple strokes, you'll know exactly where you're missing the honing and can adjust accordingly. It's been a real lifesaver for me.

For anything with a smile you'll need to do a rolling X stroke to cover the full length of the bevel.

You could also try rolling circle patterns on your bevel setter. So do 40 rolling circles a side, then 20 rolling X strokes and check to see if you can shave arm hair after each set. Keep doing that set until you can easily shave arm hair at all points along the blade. If you cant then your bevel isnt truly set and you need to stay on your 2k until you can.

+1 on the magic marker as well, that really helps to see if you're missing any spots!

Good luck and keep us posted!