Thread: Another Wedge

So I picked this blade up at a Flea Market. It's a Goodbehere wedge and from what I can gather the general store that sold them went out of business in 1858. At any rate I have some questions about the grind and how to hone this razor. It appears that the grind isn't even between the two sides of the blade. If there is any hollow to this blade I cannot detect it. Where some old blades not ground evenly? As for honing am I to understand that a wedge is placed with the edge and "shoulder" against the hone and it is honed like any other razor (this is what I gathered from the other threads on honing a wedge)? If so, is that why wedges take longer, because you're essentially removing metal from the edge to the shoulder? Here are some pictures hopefully they will help. If anyone happens to know anything about this particular razor feel free to share, I can't dig up much. SO picture 1 is a straight on (sorry about the poor quality), it doesn't look like the angle is even an equilateral. The 2nd picture is just the tang stamp, the 3rd and 4th are the stabalizers from either side which are different, is this indicative of an uneven grind? Thanks in advance for any help/advise/comments.

Yea, that is pretty wedgie for sure. Put a straight edge spine to edge and check for daylight under it. You might find this interesting http://www.coticule.be/wedges.html .

Bob

I've read that website (the whole thing actually as I have a small coticle), however, I have also read that Gssixgun says that using tape doesn't correct the blade/bevel, but just bandaids the problem. I have a strong desire to make this old blade whole again, I believe that it deserves the best possible treatment after being neglected for so long. So I'm really uncertain about using tape.

I know little about the technicalities of honing but I did use that site's info to determine how many layers of tape to use to get within spec for a normal bevel angle. The reward was a nice thin even bevel on a near wedge. You could just barely see daylight between the side of the blade and the straight edge laid spine to bevel so it was nearly a true wedge. That is all I know. This was the razor.



Bob

Thats a nice razor BobH! I'm not opposed to using tape I am just confused by some things I read bu GSsixgun reagrding not being able to correct the true bevel of the razor when using tape. Tape is also a giant pain in the ass when honing. At any rate thanks for your assistance greatly appreciated. I'm still restoring the blade and I'll have to make some scales as well so I won't be honing it for a while anyways. Cheers.

Originally Posted by driftwood

Thats a nice razor BobH! I'm not opposed to using tape I am just confused by some things I read bu GSsixgun reagrding not being able to correct the true bevel of the razor when using tape. Tape is also a giant pain in the ass when honing. At any rate thanks for your assistance greatly appreciated. I'm still restoring the blade and I'll have to make some scales as well so I won't be honing it for a while anyways. Cheers.

I don't want to put words in sixgun's mouth and then quote him ..... but ...... Glen uses tape on all razors he hones. If you've got a layer of tape on the spine the bevel will conform to whatever the spine wear is. If you don't use tape the spine will wear along with the bevel as you hone. Nothing wrong with using tape, particularly on a wedge. Makes it easier.

BTW, I don't know if it means anything at all but the only razor I've seen with "refined steel" stamped on it was by Joseph Rodgers and sons. I had a pair of them in old stub tail format with bone scales. Small like yours. Could be Rogers made that for the hardware distributor stamped on the blade. Nice razor one way or the other.

As to the uneven grind, I only know of microtomes and kamisoris to have those.

Honing it with the blade flat on the hone will not work. First, you'll be honing for ages to remove the necessary amount of steel. Second, the razor will be sucked against the hone and will be almost impossible to move back and forth. I would advise using (at least) two layers of tape. Take care to apply the tape with the spine in the centre, that will make it easier to get the exact same angle the next time you hone it.

Good luck!

I actually have used tape on all the razors I've done as well, but those have all been hollow ground (with the exception of a Red Imp), but was confused. So looks like I'll be going with tape after all, seeing as there are two people in favour of tape and it's already part of the process I use.

@JimmyHAD: I posted better pictures of the razor as a whole in the razors section, there is another one I got with Louis Alexander Manufacturing stamped on it that I cannot get any information on.

There are two things to keep in mind when using tape on the spine of a wedge while honing. The tape must be centered on the spine so equal amounts of tape extend down both sides of the blade. If the tape extends too far down the side of the blade you wind up resting on the hone with the bottom edge of the tape and not the spine so you may have to use a narrower piece of tape. That is because of the very little to no concavity of the blade. I think the linked article explains and illustrates that very well. I think that is what makes honing wedges a little trickier than hollows. Other than that, they hone like any other straight from what I can see.

Bob

I noted that the tape placement is far more important on a wedge than a hollow ground so when the time comes I will be paying particular attention to that. Used the spread sheet and it is telling me that to get to the 17 degree angle I will need four layers of tape! I'll post updates as I go along with the restore and the honing. I'm going to design scales tonight. I'm thinking about using Rosewood, but I'm still on the fence.