Thread: What's you pattern for eBay specials? (Crap to SHARP³)

I've been honing Quite a few ebay specials lately.
1 arm is completely bald, the other is half way there

I would help you if I could but I never delt with a warped razor.

Upon a little closer inspection I don't think the razor is warped per se...I THINK I'm actually seeing a second bevel to the edge where it's not sharp. Think bevel that runs the entire length of the blade and at the very edge a SECOND bevel much less acute. Like the bevels on each side of the blade aren't meeting up yet at that end of the blade. I'm going to try a little more time on my 1K focusing on that end and see what happens.

I wish I had better lighting to work under...would'a made it easier to see this before I admitted to having a shaved spot on my leg...

What do ya think?
Is it worth a laugh?

Keep honing on a 4000 grit and check the edge frequently and keep that spine against the hone at all times.

Actually that is kinda funny Nice to meet you Mark, I'm Charles. Believe it or not, I've gotten pretty good at honing GOOD blades, it's these troublesome ones that I'm still having trouble with. Like my favorite Henckel, other than the curved toe it hones up easy and I don't have any trouble keeping it good and sharp. I just need to get a bit more familiar with techniques for dealing with problematic blades as I progress. I'm going to keep working on this one for a while before I give up and send it off too...hopefully I want have to.

How long have you been at this?
I've been at it about 15 years and figure it will be another 40 before I have to give it up.On the other hand I've been using this damn computer for about a year and just know I'll give it up any day now. God I hate computers!

How long have I been at what exactly? Sharp stuff...something around 18 years. Straight razors...something like 2 years. Honing straight razors...about 6 weeks (not counting all the time I spent keeping my Henckel in shape using a Spyderco Sharpmaker).

Computers on the other hand...now THERE'S my forte! I've been up to my elbows in geek-gear for 17 years. I build my own rigs, repair other peoples, and I taught myself to build websites when I was 14 because I got bored one summer. This is my baby...

Charles,

This is where we separate the men from the boys.

The rolling hone method works like this: Start your honing stroke with the heel leading the toe. As you progress through the stroke, tip the toe forward gradually. At the midpoint, the razor will be perpendicular to the sides of the hone. At the end of the stroke, the toe will be leading the heel.

For me, it works better to combine this with the X stroke. Essentially the blade makes an arc with the center point being the pivot pin.

Your observation about the second bevel is probably correct. This could be caused by uneven spine wear, a slight warp in the blade, or some inconsistency in your stroke.

Sometimes the key to fixing this problem is more pressure, and sometimes it's less pressure. If you're using a lot of pressure right now, try doing 50 to 100 laps with lighter pressure. Too much pressure can flex the blade sometimes, which pushes the very edge of the razor away from the hone.

On the other hand, sometimes I've had success with using a little pressure and focusing on the spot with the double bevel. Until you get rid of that bevel, you'll be wasting your time doing pyramids.

Keep at it--at some point it'll probably just get sharp and leave you scratching your head...

Josh

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

The rolling hone method works like this: Start your honing stroke with the heel leading the toe. As you progress through the stroke, tip the toe forward gradually. ...

NO!

This is NOT the Rolling Hone and can't be recommended. This will overhone your toes and excessively wear the tip down.

The Rolling Hone IS (while keeping the heel leading throughout the whole honing stroke) to change the vertical configuration gently and gradually. Begin the honing stroke with the heel in good contact with the hone and slowly, gradually roll the main point of contact along the edge to the tip so that at the beginning of the stroke the tip is almost (or actually, depending on blade geometry) off the hone by a millimitre, and then at the end of the hone the heel is almost (or actually) off the hone by a milimetre. This motion is essential for smiling blades, but in my experiencer benefits "flat" edges as well (because nothing is truly flat). I have the best success by not overshooting the ends and instead trying to keep the heel and toe well supported by much of the middle of the edge at those extremes. I also draw a very slight X motion only bringing about ¼ or ⅕ of the heel off the hone throughout the stroke. I believe this works to even out the pressure along the edge. Since the heel is very near my one hand honing and the toe far away, the heel gets more pressure whether it wants it or not. By puling it off the hone I can reach that pressure up the hone and get the tip as evenly keen as the heel.

X

PS I think you've been separated, Josh.