Need help - heel is not getting honed

Hey guys, just started to dip my toe into the whole process of honing and I've already run into a bit of a snag. First off I'm honing a vintage Red Imp (wedge), and I'm starting on a 1k Chosera stone. The stone is lapped flat, no questions there. Now I've watched a lot of Lynn's and Glen's videos so most of what I'm doing I'm getting off of them. I started with circles both ways followed by x-strokes (45 degree forward heel strokes). I did the whole inking the edge thing because I thought that would help me, and I noticed the heel of the blade really isn't getting honed. I only taped the blade 1 time, again it is a wedge razor, should I be double tapping for the entire progression? I have the 1k Chosera, 3/8 Naniwa combo, and 12k Naniwa finisher (haven't moved on from the 1k yet). I did put a little extra pressure on the heel with my finger while doing the circles and x-strokes and I managed to get some of the heel honed, but whenever I re-ink the edge and do just x-strokes, again the heel is not getting honed much at all. Any suggestions appreciated. The blade doesn't seemed warped, I guess it's happened because of uneven hone wear? The wear seems pretty even on 1 side, and not so even on the other side (see second picture). Also the width of the blade seems smaller at the heel than it does at the toe.

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I would either just keep using finger pressure on the heel (as you were doing) or put more tape on the other areas and less on the heel.

You're on the right track concentrating on the heel, keep at it. One layer of tape should do. Looks to have been honed to a slight smile so search here for rolling X stroke and don't move on from the 1k until you get the bevel set along the entire edge.

Yes, you are on the right track as Grazor says. I'd do small circles just at the area that is giving you trouble at the heel with the rest of the blade edge not in contact with the hone. Do say 10 circles up and back, check the heel area and if necessary repeat till you get the bevel the way you want it at the heel. Once the heel is there do some normal strokes till you get a bevel set the whole length of the edge. Hope that makes some kind of sense. It is easier to show in person than describe in writing. Yes also, to the suggestion to look up the rolling X stroke for dealing with a smiling edge. Good luck.

Bob

On wedges I use two layers of tape.

If the blade is a smiler, and yours is borderline smiler, I put a third piece over the heel and toe.

If I have a problem with the heel I work it on the edge of the stone. Only the area I have a problem with. Using the edge I can make sure the heel is coming in contact with the hone.

You may want to put a bit of pressure on the heel end of the spine when you hone. That might do the trick as well.

GSSIXGUN has a video on honing a smiling wedge. It has a great example of how to hone the heal of the blade.

Well there are many techniques that can take you there. You said you were watching both Lynn and Glens videos. I was just confused by that. Try watching and following just one. Concentrate one doing one persons technique until you get to repeatable results and then start to figure out what other techniques do. The ultimate in learning how to hone is to go to a meet. Even after you get this one dialed in you will be amazed as to how many subtle things you can pick up at a meet or simply sitting down one on one with an experienced member.

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Originally Posted by RezDog

Well there are many techniques that can take you there. You said you were watching both Lynn and Glens videos. I was just confused by that. Try watching and following just one. Concentrate one doing one persons technique until you get to repeatable results and then start to figure out what other techniques do. The ultimate in learning how to hone is to go to a meet. Even after you get this one dialed in you will be amazed as to how many subtle things you can pick up at a meet or simply sitting down one on one with an experienced member.

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RezDog is right: one approach at a time. You can mark the bevel with a felttip and check after say 10 roundtrips whether the marking is still there :( or gone :)

So, a photo of the first side without tape, so we can see all the hone wear on that side, would help.

It looks like someone has been honing with the tang on the stone, that will keep the heel off the stone.

Also, when doing X strokes, most folks do not keep the heel on the stone long enough to hone the heel. If you do a straight X stroke, the heel comes off the stone within, the first inch of lateral travel. If it’s not on the stone, it can’t get honed…

Start your X stroke with a lateral stroke and the heel forward, about 45 degrees until half way down the stone, then swoop the tip to the bottom corner. This will hone the whole blade edge.

Make sure the tang is not riding on the stone, sharpie ink on the tang and the edge will tell you what is going on here. You can just do straight strokes with the heel forward and the tang up against the edge of the stone to hone the heel, then do x strokes to blend the edge.

Do not use excessive pressure, forcing the blade on to the stone, use a rolling X stroke instead. Charley Lewis has a good video demonstrating the technique, though your smile is not as exaggerated as his and will require less “English”.

This is a good razor for a mentor to help you with, as it is about technique, musseling it will just cause you more problems. If you want to do it on your own, 2 layers of tape, ink on the bevel and light pressure, with a rolling X, until you are removing all the ink off the whole bevel.

Watch your bevel and the tape, change the top layer at the slightest hint of burn through.

Thank you all for the advice. After doing the rolling x-strokes I managed to hone the heel!

I just wanted to clarify something. In Glen's videos he explains how a rolling x doesn't mean the spine lifts off the hone at all, but watching Charlie Lewis' video (correct me if I'm wrong), but it seems to me the spine comes off the hone just slightly. For me the end result in the shave test cut hair, just not as smooth as I would have likely it, so I'm probably going to go through the progression again to practice. I'm following Glen's videos more than Lyn's, just because.

I feel like rolling x-strokes are not that easy in the beginning. Being a beginner, I feel it's hard enough to hone a wedge, now I have to worry about rolling x-strokes...maybe it's the wrong razor for me to learn on? It was hard to concentrate on pressure because I was worrying about rolling the blade properly. I found myself using 2 hands all the time, even though my off hand was just go make sure the blade stayed flat.

Also about stropping on balsa and leather. For a blade like this where one has to use a rolling x, does regular stropping technique suffice?

stropping does not really change from blade to blade. Because it is a soft surface it will adjust to the blade, where as the hones are much much harder and will not give way, so you must adjust how the razor rides on the hone. Sooner or later we all hit a razor that is a serious challenge. How it shaves will tell you more about your honing and likely over time it will be no big deal, but it is all about practice and developing skills.
As for the rolling X I would express it as the point of contact changes as the razor rolls over the hone, but I would not express it as the razor is lifted off the hone. Tomato, tomoto I suppose. as Long as you get a shaving edge the how we express it doesn't;t really matter.