Thread: Uneven spine, any suggestions?

I'm very keen to learn all I can about honing, and to date I've managed to get pretty good results when I take it slow and careful. I've just got my first three pass shave off a TI that I went through the hones on and am pleased with the results.
I want to tackle a Dovo masters razor that has an uneven spine to get it all nice and nice and straight on the edge. It does shave OK just now, but I want to get it into as near perfect as possible, and I'm looking at this as a learning project and don't mind taking a bunch of metal off.
Ive got grits 220, 480 and then 1K Chosera and all the Naniwa superstores through to 12K and a 20K Suehiro just arrived today.
I know that the learning process will inevitably be filled with mistakes, but I figure that's the only way to improve and progress.
Thanks
D

Some good pictures would help me understand your uneven issue. Has it got really wonky hone wear?

Originally Posted by DMA

I'm very keen to learn all I can about honing,
I want to tackle a Dovo masters razor that has an uneven spine to get it all nice and nice and straight on the edge.
I'm looking at this as a learning project and don't mind taking a bunch of metal off.
Ive got grits 220, 480
I know that the learning process will inevitably be filled with mistakes, but I figure that's the only way to improve and progress.

Those are a recipe for disaster

The solution is NOT grinding the crap outta the spine, NOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Post pics like Shaun said so we can see what is going on PLEASE !!!

Hi guys here are the pics, one side is not to bad though.

If you put on two layers of tape, and them grind the tape flat on the 1K hone with light pressure on the spine and then proceed to set the bevel it should work out just fine. I cannot tell from your pictures but I expect a slight frown on that blade. It may or may not be there, so check it carefully. The other thing is that your stroke can effect the wonky bevel line. One of the things about a crooked bevel is that it does not necessarily effect the edge and the edge shave not the bevel. It may be just one of those razors and the shoulder of the bevel is aesthetic.

Hard to tell from the photos but from the looks of the hone wear and the width of the bevels, looks like the blade is warped slightly. Nothing will fix that.

Tape will give you a straighter bevel, but as said it will not improve the shave.

I know for knives an even, shiny bevel is a big thing, for razors it’s not. It is all about the shave.

Too much metal is already missing from the spine. It is bent.

If you're learning to hone: buy a new cheap razor. With no hone wear. Don't pick up bad habits by trying to counteract others bad habits.


When you're fully established in the feel and method of your developed honing style, and can do it correctly every time- have some fun with this blade. Try applying tape orthogonal to the spine (multiple pieces instead of one parallel) I would start with just a piece at the toe and one at head. (2 pieces) and see how it fits against the stone. You will likely need a thicker tape on the logo side. (you can try packing tape below the electrical tape for ~1.5 layers) The frown should disappear if you do it right and you have a flat, well lapped (not mounded) stone. It's a good thing you were asked to post pictures, because removing more metal from the spine is the exact wrong direction here. You can tell because the bevel is too large, the angle too acute already. If you have that entire bevel in contact with the stone: stop. And readjust. it should only be about as wide as the thinnest area of the bevel you see on the back of the blade.

Post pictures of your tape job and final results! I would personally toss it, or -redacted- or tape the middle third only and use a narrow stone and "free hand" a smile on it- it's already a 'bastard' blade.

Tape the spine and get started on your bevel setter. Rolling x on the face side, straight stroke on the back. You need to make it smile a little so that you can hone around the warp in the blade. Eventually your bevel will start to even up.

With the face side concentrate on the heel and toe and try to stay away from the center as you hone that side. On the back since the blade is warped the toe and heel will naturally hone themselves assuming your hone is lapped flat.