Thread: Need Someone With Experience w/ Wedges

I've got a couple full wedge razors. I thought I had 'em before, but it turned out I didn't know what I was talking about, and really had 1/4 hollow wedges. Anyway, these 3 wedges were in super good condition (excellent/near mint blades) when I got them. Then, I went to honing them. I did my normal thing, which has been working for all my other razors. Is it normal for these things to show wear so quickly? If this wear were on a full hollow, I'd say they were worn out. Also, the edges on them are giving me fits. They seem to be microchipping a lot. Is this normal on wedges, and will it stop at a certain point. I'm using a Norton 4k/8k, followed by a coticule, using light to no pressure, other than enough to keep the edge on the stone. It's been lapped and is flat. Two of the wedges are W&B and one is a Wostenholm.

If they are old razors made a number of years ago then the edge has oxidised and become weak. This leads to microchipping.
You need to use the 4000 hone and wear away the oxidised steel. The way to do this is to put 25 laps on the 4000 and then 5-10 on the 8000, then check for microchips. Do this until the microchipping stops. On the wedges and any other razor that is old and oxidised I put tape on the spine until the microchipping stops. The amount of pressure I use to remove the micrchipping on the 4000 is 1-2 lbs. When the microchipping stops then I go back to the 4000, without tape, and use a light pressure for 10-15 laps to establish the proper angle. By this stage you are almost done and also almost overhoned so be watchful for a wire edge.


Hope this helps,

Thats for that Randy. I was having a similar problem with an old wedge last week I will try your advice. Thanks

Yep. Randy told it like it is. The old wedges are great razors with a really nice heft and they'll shave wonderfully, but they take some work to restore and you do have to remove a lot of metal to get the same honing result as you do with an extra hollow ground razor.... but that's why extra hollow ground razors came to be in the first place. They're easier to hone.

Originally Posted by PapaBull

Yep. Randy told it like it is. The old wedges are great razors with a really nice heft and they'll shave wonderfully, but they take some work to restore and you do have to remove a lot of metal to get the same honing result as you do with an extra hollow ground razor.... but that's why extra hollow ground razors came to be in the first place. They're easier to hone.

Ok that makes sense. Since I believe a sharp wedge blows anything else away.

Thanks, Randy. It's not that they're really that worn, (I mean, I haven't thinned out the spine or anything ), they're just a different honing experience. Thanks for the advice. I've gotten one almost right. Got two more to work on...

Thankfully, none of these three had anything major wrong with 'em. Only very light pitting on one. The W&B looked almost new, outside a couple very small rust spots. I didn't worry about them, though...they were on the side with the etching, and it wasn't worth removing it.