Thread: How often to set a bevel

I'm just starting to hone, so how often do you set a bevel? If not everytime how can you tell when it's time?

Thanks in advance

Unless you trash the edge somehow, you may never need to set it again. You often hear of people maintaining their razor for years on nothing but a barbers hone.

Originally Posted by Triad

I'm just starting to hone, so how often do you set a bevel? If not everytime how can you tell when it's time?

Thanks in advance

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Let me add that since you are just starting to hone, the bevel set on the razor edge is probably the most important aspect of sharpening your blade. Some guys believe that bevel setting is the actual sharpening of the blade and any honing done on subsequent finer grit stones is simply polishing that bevel to shave ready condition.

You will be wasteing your time polishing an improperly set bevel. That is why some consider the bevel set to be the most important step in the sharpening process. Many of us use a Sharpie marker to ink the edge, then make two or three honing strokes on a dry stone to determine if the entire length of the blade has a proper bevel. Bevels are best checked under lighted magnification so you can see if there is any ink still left on the blade edge. If there is any ink still visible on the edge, you will need to continue the bevel setting process.

Good luck.................

When I first started honing I set the bevel each and every time until I got it religiously.
If one is sent to me to put an edge on I always reset the bevel so I know it is done.
On my personal blades unless something happens I rarely drop below the 8k,
occasionally I will hit the 5k with finishing strokes but it is more to set a scratch pattern if that makes sense.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

... the bevel set on the razor edge is probably the most important aspect of sharpening your blade. Some guys believe that bevel setting is the actual sharpening of the blade and any honing done on subsequent finer grit stones is simply polishing that bevel to shave ready condition.

You will be wasteing your time polishing an improperly set bevel. That is why some consider the bevel set to be the most important step in the sharpening process...

exactly, but I will go so far as to say that it's not a "belief" but a geometric fact. (ignoring advanced topics such as convexation and/or mini-micro bevs).

It's a geometric fact that until the east and west bevels meet in the middle forming a proper north/south edge, that you can polish and hone and wear through a higher-grit waterstone without making a truly sharp edge.

Trick is seeing it. Un-fully-set bevels can feel sharp and cut hairs, but they are in-fact not sharp as they could be.

Use marker and magnifier to discover what is actually happening at the bevel, forming the edge.

I'm now working on a beautiful Rattler, with marker-in order to push the edge further up on the heel and toe (a very curved edge) beyond the point where i had initially "set the bevel". This will make the razor better at trimming. Curvy blades are more forgiving in the shave, more demanding on the hone. Try to stick to fairly straight (no smiling) blades at first, for easier success.

But back to the original Q, one proper bevel set is all a razor needs. But there's nothing wrong with doing it a few times, to find your technique and such, on a given razor when you're green at it.

carry on.

IF the blade was pro honed from the gitgo (by a real pro) IF you know how the Blade was Honed (tape or no tape)
IF you do not damage the edge, (faucet dings, Improper stropping)I think you can keep an edge going forever with a Barbers Hone of high quality or a known finishing Hone.

Originally Posted by Triad

I'm just starting to hone, so how often do you set a bevel? If not everytime how can you tell when it's time?

Thanks in advance

I set the bevel on all blades acquired, just to be sure.

Other than that, like OCDShaver said. unless you damager the razor, you shouldn't need to,,,,, unless you like practicing honing like I do.

If you also feel like practice is a good thing. Make sure you have a least one pro-honed razor handy. Treat this razor as the standard bearer. The goal to which you aspire to hone. I don't even shave with mine.

Hope that helps Triad,

S

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Unless you trash the edge somehow, you may never need to set it again. You often hear of people maintaining their razor for years on nothing but a barbers hone.

This is what I've been doing for years, now. I use the barber hone only when the strop can't bring the edge back to where I like it. I only use the coarser grits on a newly purchased razor (or one that I damage).

Makes perfect sense. If I didnt do it then it aint done right. If I did it and its wrong ,who ya gonna blame? Set enough bevels like the senior members say, and you will learn to know from feel and the look from underneath the loupe.
I personally keep a record of each blade. date of purchase. Always break it down like a shotgun so I know my tool. Record what I did and when. Run them through a rotation. Just a check mark when used. Preventative Maintenance trumps heartbreak all day everyday and twice when the blade is on my face.

Never, well the last time I really needed to hone a razor, we just called it honing. Now-a-days, we have fancier terms.