Thread: How do I hone a soft GB anchor razor?

I scored a big 10/8" GB anchor earlier this week and I got around to rescaling and repairing the damaged edge: it had a big chip and I ended up with 9/8".

Yesterday and today I tried honing it, but this razor has got me stumped. It seems incredibly soft, perhaps too soft to hold an edge, though I am pretty sure I did not ruin the temper myself. Could it be the 1/8" removal of the edge exposed a slightly softer steel?

Here are a couple of notes/clues:
- The blade has a small warp, so I use X strokes.
- It's very heavy, so "weight of the blade" is much more pressure than usual. As such, I supported some of the weight, to no avail.
- The toe always gets "there" first, center second, heel takes very long. "There" means pretty sharp, but definitely not shaving sharp.
- The devil spat at the center and I found a few microchips at the edge. I managed to hone one out with a pretty slow Jnat with little pressure.
- No matter what I try, past the 1K I cannot get a sticky edge. I tried super gentle 4/8K pyramid on Shapton GS, but it feels like they are too aggressive.
- I tried natural stones and somehow got a burr from a slurried coticule. I used just a little added pressure and half-strokes. Jnat and Roszutec both could not get me a sharp edge.
- I honed 50, maybe 100 razors and I use TPT and HHT mostly. It fails both consistenly and I don't even bother trying a shave test when it hesitates to cut arm hair.
- The feel on the DMT8C and Shaptons is very different from any of my other razors. It produces large amounts of swarf, even on the 4K. That could either be because of the wide bevel and hone wear on the spine, or because the steel is too soft.
- The razor is beautiful and I really want to shave with it. I've already put it down twice after a honing session and walked away.
- I have never honed very old or soft blades before.

What are your thoughts and what should I do? I hope you can help me out with this! I'm on vacation now, but when I get back, I'll make some pictures of my new love. She's really pretty in what I think is rosewood, which I got from a friend.

Thanks!

Micro chips past 1k argues for there still being enough hardness. Don't worry to much about lots of swarf if you are not using tape, lots of swarf is fine when you are removing lots of metal on a wedge.

Just to evaluate the temper/hardness this is what I would do. Set the bevel if it is not already set. Add a layer or two of tape, no more than a total of 3 layers. Jump all the way to your finisher of choice, testing at appropriate intervals.

Tell us what you learn.

Jonathan

Based on your description I have a few questions and a suggestion.
Are you honing with or without tape?
When you say after 1k the edge is not sticky, does it shave arm hair easy?

Try 3 layers of tape for the bevel set, then reduce to two and from there you can go to one, I personally stay at two on heavy sheffield grinds.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Based on your description I have a few questions and a suggestion.
Are you honing with or without tape?
When you say after 1k the edge is not sticky, does it shave arm hair easy?

Try 3 layers of tape for the bevel set, then reduce to two and from there you ca go one, I personally stay at two on heavy sheffield grinds.

+1... This is exactly what I do: 3 layers of tape for repair work, then 2 layers to set the bevel. I will then finish the progression with either one or 2 layers of tape depending on how the edge feels and looks after the bevel set.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Based on your description I have a few questions and a suggestion.
Are you honing with or without tape?
When you say after 1k the edge is not sticky, does it shave arm hair easy?

Try 3 layers of tape for the bevel set, then reduce to two and from there you ca go one, I personally stay at two on heavy sheffield grinds.

Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

+1... This is exactly what I do: 3 layers of tape for repair work, then 2 layers to set the bevel. I will then finish the progression with either one or 2 layers of tape depending on how the edge feels and looks after the bevel set.

Is this +2 or +3


On the older Sheffield's in all honestly I use a 1k to set the bevel then head to the old standard way of Belgian honing BBW - Coticule using slurry to water dilutions on both, this builds a nice comfortable edge..
Another very useful tool for these old edges is Dovo Black paste it is a very gentle cutter and makes for a smooth comfortable edge without bringing out any harshness...

Just my recipe for these older heavy razors.. YMMV

+ 3 or +4 ??? ....

I always finish my Sheffields on a Coticule...

Learned this from an an 'Ancient Sifu' that resides in the mountains somewhere in the Northwest in an area famous for potatoes...

I am finding more and more on these that if I just do rolling X's from bevel set through finishing, I am getting very nice results regardless of the finishing stones I am using and I tend to use them all when playing with the big Sheffield's. Repairing big chips is easier done with multiple layers of tape, but after that, the rolling X's do the trick. Sometimes just 3-5 strokes after a finishing stone with some chromium oxide notches of the shave a touch too.

Have fun.

Just to be clear for me, new at this, the 3 layers of tape is just for restore work?

I've been using just 1 layer of tape and an SS 12k with CrOx felt CrOx leather and stropping and they have been A ok. Am I doing something that isn't recommended?

Originally Posted by Siguy

Just to be clear for me, new at this, the 3 layers of tape is just for restore work?

I've been using just 1 layer of tape and an SS 12k with CrOx felt CrOx leather and stropping and they have been A ok. Am I doing something that isn't recommended?

do you like the results? If so you are not doing anything wrong.
Honing has not set in stone rules, there are recommendations and guidelines but no rules.

I have a huge 10/8 rodgers.5/16s spine,5/8 tang,I sent it out to be honed by one of the best.
he emailed and said this razor may not be able to be honed with an edge that will last.
He had done several others without success.His feeling was that blades of this size do not temper properly because they are so big.
True or not I have no clue.He was very happy with the results of my blade,6 mos. out it still shaves like a dream.