Thread: I’m not getting straight edge.

IIRC, some dude named Charlie taught me that.

Originally Posted by ScottGoodman

I think anyone who has spent time on the grinder has done this. When you are in contact with the wheel or belt, left to right or right to left, NEVER back and forth. If you go back and forth, the center spends more time on the wheel and gets more material removed.

Unless you compensate by lingering at the heel and the toe, and keep an eye on the hollow to make sure that the line where the wheel loses contact with the hollow keeps running parallel to the spine. that way it will all work out in the end. Some crazy guy in Belgium does this

I agree with Scott btw, unidirectional is definitely the most reliable way to do this, and easiest to learn. It's what I would advise.
The only reason I keep doing it like I do is that I've always done it like that, and by now it is second nature like my edge down grinding.

Finally upgraded my equipment. Here’s some of the latest I’ve made.

Love this info thank you a bunch! I’ve gotta get on this forum more often and keep up to date with all the tips! Nothing but good things ahead thanks to all the help. Appreciated!

Quick few questions. One is spazola charlie Lewis? And two how does one grind a smiling blade ? In my mind if the belly is lower and I’m just pulling the blade across the contact wheel. It’ll reach the toe and heel before the belly ? Or am I over thinking things? Cheers Luke.

Yes, Spazola is the Great Charlie Lewis. When it comes to grinding smiling blades, look on YouTube for some of Charlie's video's.

Originally Posted by LukeAugustini

Quick few questions. One is spazola charlie Lewis? And two how does one grind a smiling blade ? In my mind if the belly is lower and I’m just pulling the blade across the contact wheel. It’ll reach the toe and heel before the belly ? Or am I over thinking things? Cheers Luke.

You don't keep the blade horizontal.
A smiling edge also needs a smiling spine.
This means that you only hold the blade horizontal when you are grinding the middle of the blade.
If you grind the part near the heel, the toe is higher than the heel.
If you grind near the toe, the heel is higher than the toe.

The curve of the blade matches the spine, like Bruno said.

The way that I think of it, as I rotate the blade on the wheel going back and forth, I try to keep the edge of the blade perpendicular to the wheel.

I have used the forum name of spazola since 2006 , it would feel weird to change it. I should have choose better years ago.

This is all beyond me sense ive never ground a razor but, ic you made a jiglike a triangle shape and the point was in the middle of the belt. Couldnt you rock and sweep the blade across the tip to keep a more uniform grind on a smiling edge with a smiling spine?

Now that i think about it, you guys mostlikely do it without jigs and freehanded. Sorry about my ignorance. I remember seeing Vics grinder and asking him how the hell is grinds. He told me "i just rest my elbow on this table here". Blew my mind.

Yes most of us freehand everything. Trying to come up with jigs for smiling grinds is probably more work than just learning to do it.