Thread: blade curvature

Greetings! I've been poking around here for some time and shaving exclusively with straights for about a year and a half. I recently bought a pretty Dovo Astrale on ebay. It looked fine when it arrived and when I went to set the bevel on my freshly flattened stone, I got this:


It seems pretty clear to me that the blade is curved. Is it okay? The ebay seller says the problem is due to my honing error. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

That's the typical honing pattern of a warped blade, if you honed it without compensating for the warp. So give yourself points for a correct diagnosis.

I leave discussion of how to _correctly_ hone a warped blade to following posts . . .

Charles

Well, before you jump to conclusions about a warp first check the spine to see if there is some unevenness there which is causing the blade to not lay right. I would guess most warp issues are actually spine issues. Either way, the way you hone it is the key. You have to adapt your technique to fit the problem be it an actual warp or a spine problem. We have many posts on your very problem.

Go to this PDF out of our 'library'. It is a 1961 barber manual excerpt on honing and stropping. It gives instructions on how to hone a blade to avoid what I think I'm seeing in your photos. Includes some illustrations. I've incorporated the method they recommend into my normal honing routine for the past few years and I'm happy with the results. Welcome to SRP.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...t_-_Honing.pdf

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well, before you jump to conclusions about a warp first check the spine to see if there is some unevenness there which is causing the blade to not lay right. I would guess most warp issues are actually spine issues. Either way, the way you hone it is the key. You have to adapt your technique to fit the problem be it an actual warp or a spine problem. We have many posts on your very problem.

Based on comparison to a straight edge, there is a curvature in the blade that is more pronounced toward the edge. The spine is not absolutely straight or of even thickness but the variations appear to be well within reason, compared to other razors that I've examined, owned or used. I can't say it is free of spine issues but that isn't clear to me at this point.

I would dare to say it may be uncommon to find a razor with a perfectly straight spine and perfectly even hone contact. Within acceptable is key, though. Someone good at honing can deal with a rather substantial warp, and the less warp the easier.

Then again, it could be your honing and not the razor.

My advice is: If the seller will still take it back and you don't want any risks, send it back. If you think you can get it shave ready, then just hone it and don't worry. I promise, you won't notice any warp when you put blade to face.

Well, it turns out the honing manual wasn't useful. I couldn't find anything that deals with warped blades. However, I did hone it anyway since the seller wouldn't take it back. The bevel ain't pretty but it passes all the usual tests. Now, I guess I have to use it.

Well, the _good_ news is that a warp shouldn't affect the quality of the shave.

If the whole edge is sharp, it doesn't matter that the width of the bevel varies from toe to heel. Your face won't know the difference.

charles

PS -- and congratulations on honing it out!

For future reference...

Put the razor down on a known flat surface, (some people use their Hones) and shine a light from behind and look, flip the razor over and look again...
This does NOTHING other than to convince you whether it is your honing or the razor..


ps: I do not advise all of you to go try this on your favorite shavers sometimes not knowing is better


pss: When I get back later I will try and take a few pics of another test that can help