Thread: Frustrated with a capital I

next time your razor goes from shaving well to becoming reluctant, a few laps on the 12k will usually suffice, shave test, then drop down to the 8k if need be.

Hardened steel can not really undergo such plastic deformation through stropping.
You do have the answer though - the bevel widths on both sides. What you are saying is that on one side the bevel is wider at the ends of the edge and very small in the middle, while on the other side it is the opposite - wider in the middle than on the edges.
That is classic signature of a warped geometry, which doesn't mean that the blade is warped, variations along the spine of the razor could do the same, but it's less common.

It's still honeable, we know that because it was honed once. But if you've rounded the bevel you need to fix that and with the odd geometry this is a pretty hard task for a beginner. You could wear a lot of steel trying to reset the bevel all along the edge, somebody with honing experience would accomplish that by varying the pressure and the angle along the honing stroke.
I would suggest you leave alone this razor for now and send it to the guy who honed it when he is available or somebody else with experience.

The first thing to do is to get your stropping - the spine of the razor should be in contact with the strop at all times. May be worth going back to the basics - put the strop on a flat surface (along the edge of table/counter/etc) and concentrate on moving the razor - as long as the spine is in contact with the strop at all times no matter what pressure you apply you can't roll the edge. So you have to build the muscle memory to turn the blade at the end of the stroke. That's all.

For a first honing job I'd say get one of the perfect vintage brands - dubl duck, case, boker. Make sure it shows no signs of wear. I've never seen one of those even a little bit off geometry-wise so honing them is straightforward.

I've solved the stropping problem by turning my hanging strops into hanging bench strops. I cut a similar width by 2 inches less than length of 1/8" particle board. Insert between leather and linen. Secure top and bottom with Velcro straps and your good to go.

(;-) I have a Tin Punishment Box that I use. I have a handful of eBay razors that just won't sharpen. After exhausting my patience, the razor goes into the box with the other recalcitrants! Every once in awhile I take one out to see if its learned its lesson and try sharpening it. ... Some do!

Sure is a lot going on here for a razor that was shaving fine to somewhat dull. I had 2 thoughts after reading all this. I think you took your keen edge off with the strop. More pressure on one side than the other while stropping was my first thought. Also if your leather is cupping or twisted slightly then that would cause your problem also. Laying it flat while stropping and pretend you are honing might help you develop a good habit and then go back to hanging.
Now you are at a point were you don't know what the condition is and/or what to do. You could go all the way back to bevel set and make it shave there and work you way back to keen. The call is yours of course but I don't think it is that bad unless you really got impatient and aggressive with the hones. In my short experience I have learned that razors sometime deify the laws of physics and common explanation. This is why it is often said " this is not rocket science" :<0). It's the things you can't measure that will drive you nuts. I would go back 2 grit levels from your finish hone and lightly do some laps and see if it improves. IF your 12k doesn't do it on it's own. You are not going to bend, remove,damage your razor with a strop unless you are using a power strop of some sort. Especially in the short time you have been at it. Think simple and keep it simple and you will solve this.

Sharpie:


10pups, where can I get a power strop, they sound fun?

Originally Posted by edhewitt

10pups, where can I get a power strop, they sound fun?

You thought he was kidding huh???

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200...-Set-of-2.aspx

Dang it Ed I can't get the link to work

But we had a few gents in the past talk about using them on razors, they are really for tools

Originally Posted by gssixgun

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000220/463/Leather-Powerstrop-Flat-Wheel.aspx?keyword=&refcode=10INGOPB&device={devic e}&network={network}&matchtype={matchtype}&gclid=C KyUz5bKy7oCFS8S7AodgCMAmw


You thought he was kidding huh???

I don't like to make assumptions, but yes I did think it was a joke

Thinking harder after a cup of coffee he might have also meant Power stropping to mean using heavy pressure too

Guess he is going to have to tell us both what he meant hehehehe

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Thinking harder after a cup of coffee he might have also meant Power stropping to mean using heavy pressure too

Guess he is going to have to tell us both what he meant hehehehe

Sort of like power walking, but stationary and with a razor that you are stropping, possibly with a machine