Thread: Honing Frustration, and a question

i think there is a spine/edge geometry issue. It needs to be fixed.

I have had a Joseph Elliots real hollow ground silver steel that the spine was bubbled out in the middle of the edge and even worse than that it was more bubbled on one side (the back). It took a lot of filling and honing on 220 grit and 325grit without the edge touching the hone to fix that razor. Several hours were involved with the file and hones before I could finish that razor up. By the time I was done it was really really close to a wedge. But it ended up being my friends favorite shaver.

It sucks not having Amy grinders or anything like that but doing all the work by hand really makes you appreciate any straight u work on. Especially older and harder steel containing ones.

Yes, I'll get some pics

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Do you think we can see some pics of the razor showing the spine and the edge heel to toe on both sides what brand of razor is it ????

So I figured it out during the process of taking pics. I put a flashlight down onto a piece of white stone top, and put the razor on that to see if I could get pictures of where the light came through. And come through it did, only to reveal that this is not a 'one side flat one side curved' problem. It's a 'double smile' problem. A slight, no issues smile in the direction you typically think of, and a slight "uh oh" spine bent kind of smile. I don't if the pictures will show this enough for you to see, but it's there. Pretty much explains why stropping improves, but a stone is hinky.


So....who's a good razor doctor? Or, ahem, is this an excuse to drop some 'kaching' on a new razor?

Oohh...baby baby!



Ahem...okay, my razor. Fix it? Or sharpen it by starting with the whole blade on the stone and 'x' stroking it all the way off the stone, thus assuring that the whole blade contacts stone at some point in the stroke?

The side I THOUGHT was flat



The side I knew was curved



Spine picture



Okay, now I'm just showing off the hobby that brought me into this august circle of men in the first place!

A bent spine is a problem and I doubt it will help but you might try a rocking stroke. That's what works on smiles and by rocking I mean heel to toe. Also I can't get the pics on the app or on SRP website for some reason but.. Do you have a micrometer (dial or digital doesn't really matter) because if spine is real close to flat on one side but not on the other it could be bad hone wear or grinding. If im not mistaken your spine from one end to the other should only vary in thickness either .03" or .003" (it's in the wiki somewhere) just don't remember right off hand. Also the hone wear on the spine can tell u a lot (the hone wear on the spine should be even the while way across the spine from heel to toe and one side to the other) keep in mind I can't get the pics so these r just a shot in the dark for me, but I hope it helps and I also hope spine isn't bent on your razor. Anyway good luck with it.

Do you see the Thiers Issard picture, or not that one either? Curious if it's a photobucket issue.

A rolling X stroke will solve that honing issue, if you want a more even bevel then a 45° Heel Forward swooping X is going to achieve that.. I would use 1 layer of tape myself

Alternative approach

Grind the crap outta the spine attempting to even it all up, which would mean that the razor is "Correct" again, ugly as sin IMHO but even


Your choice

I see how the rolling x will solve the 'smiley' side, but how does it solve the 'frowny' side?

Originally Posted by jgjgjg

I see how the rolling x will solve the 'smiley' side, but how does it solve the 'frowny' side?

It won't, You will

Reality Check

You have to figure out the "Honing Gymnastics" required to move that bevel Evenly and Equally across the hone, as you get that, the bevels will even up, they might never be perfect.

THIS is honing, many people love to talk big words on the forums "Honing is easy" "Hey it isn't rocket science" "Come on, razors have a built in guide"

Well honing is easy, right up until it isn't


More razors have small issues then razors that don't, perfectly straight razors are actually more rare.. This is exactly why anyone that hones a lot of razors tells you to always use a X stroke of some kind...

I think there are three tools here that apply:

1. An arkansas or ceramic round 'file'.
2. A razor doctor
3. A new razor.

I'm leaning towards 2, 3, or regrinding.