Thread: fix damaged blade

Hi SRP,

//First - background:
I bought a razor years ago, Kropp (vintage), and could not figure out how to make it work.

//Later - more background
I **think** some years ago, I suggested to my wife that she dig in the desk from something to open a package with.... Not sure if it happened or not, but it is the way I remember it.
In any case: The razor is damaged near the point - and it was not that way when I bought it.

//Now: Learning to sharpen and shave:

I noticed that when I shave with it, seems to NOT work right near the point....

To repair this, I decided to keep honing (using a barber's hone) until the entire blade is sharp.
So, I am learning about honing (using a magnifying glass t loo at the edge).

I am not quit there on the damage repair - but I am seeing evidence that the end of the blade is starting to get worked by the hone.

Did I approach this properly? The blade is still curved a little.

I did not know what to search for in the forum, I do not know all of the terms used.

Thanks,
Jody

Welcome to the most friendly, helpful and informative site on the web!!

You will find members here of all different backgrounds, ages and occupations from all corners of the world and all with a quest for more knowledge about using and maintaining a straight razor!

If you take the time to search, 99.9% of your questions can be found in the Library (WIKI) however feel free to ask us about whatever it is that you are wondering about or having a problem with. It does help if you’ve done some research before hand so it narrows the problem down a bit.

Pictures would be nice!

Even without them, I highly recommend that you send that razor out to a Pro for a 'proper' honing. Only then will you realize what potential it will have!

While I'm only guessing I believe that the reason you 'couldn't make it work' was because it had problems to start with.

A barber's 'hone' isn't for honing, it's for maintenance!

I have my favorite restorer/honer who is very good and very reasonably priced. Give me a PM and I'll put you in touch with him!

You will learn the lingo and using the WIKI will help with that!

Welcome to a whole new but older way of shaving!

>>A barber's 'hone' isn't for honing, it's for maintenance!

What is maintenance verses honing?
I ground the blade quite a bit with the barber's hone, and almost got the blade straight to the end.

Anyhow, after shaving for about a month somewhat successfully, I could not get it to shave well this morning.
There was no cutting (no pulling either, just was leaving much of the beard).
Is that a sign that the razor needs to be put on the hone?
I expected pulling before having to hone it.

I guess I am afraid to put it on the hone too often (is monthly too often)?

Cheers,
Jody

I suspect your razor was never shave ready and you have been using it because you don't know. Usually when shave ready razors begin to fail they actually shave quite well but the comfort factor is the first part to go and then they start to balk and pull in the difficult areas like the chin. The idea is to catch them early on and a quick touch up is all that's required. The longer you let it go the more you need to do.

In general barber hones are for touch-ups though they do have some that can do more.

To me if you are using a hone you are honing be it a 30K or a 1K. I'm not sure there is any set definition to honing so people think of what they are doing to an edge a little differently. Many consider a quick touch-up to be maintenance and not honing. To me even using a pasted strop is honing. I define it by the action you are doing not the equipment used. But that's just me.