Thread: Folded the edge? No problem.

Hypothetical question here:

What hone do you drop down to to fix a folded edge?

Knock on wood, I haven't been there. BUT, I can imagine I'd go back to an 8K. My theory being, no need to drop several hone levels unless what your doing doesn't straighten up.

Thoughts, gents?

I have only dealt with that a couple times, being as they were not mine I went straight to the 1k and reset the bevel.
I probably could have gone to the 5k without issue but that would break a promise I made myself.

I am interested in seeing the in put here.

4k norton.

Depends where it's folded and how. Folded edges create a weak point at the fold of course, so when I see a folded edge I see an eventual chip/edge damage. Mostly I go back to bevel set.

James.

I too would go back to a 1k Nd reset the bevel. In the past I've had edge issues of one sort or another and felt I might be able to go to a4k to fix it only to find that I've given myself a lot of extra work trying to do a bigger job with small tools. You don't want to use the 1k for touch ups but when the job requires some metal to be carved away, get 'er done.

I run the edge once or twice on glass and go back to the 1k. I feel it resets the "over honed" area and makes it even with the other parts of the edge! The times I drop to lower grit and not go to bevel setting is if there is very small microchip here and there. Also curious to other post!

Double O

I would first look at it under magnification and see what I'm dealing with, then it would be either 8k or 1k depending on what I saw. Unless it was super obvious, I would at least try 8k first and see what happens before I reset the bevel.

Ok I had a candidate for an experiment.
My Dovo BL was up for the hones, I have come to the realization that after you know how to strop it is difficult to roll the edge on purpose.
It took me a few tries and a slack strop. I still only managed to roll a 1/4" section badly enough that proper stropping did not fix it.
What happened to that 1/4 " section made me think of another thread "slivers missing from the edge", this is what happened,
a small section disappeared from the edge, if I had not been following the progress intentionally I would have been miffed as it did not look like a rough break.
With that section missing I could have fixed it on the 5k if I wanted to reset the bevel on a 5k.
Lesson 1 for me if stropping will not fix it reset the bevel.
Lesson 2 I need to get a microscope set up for pics

Originally Posted by pfries

Ok I had a candidate for an experiment.
My Dovo BL was up for the hones, I have come to the realization that after you know how to strop it is difficult to roll the edge on purpose.
It took me a few tries and a slack strop. I still only managed to roll a 1/4" section badly enough that proper stropping did not fix it.
What happened to that 1/4 " section made me think of another thread "slivers missing from the edge", this is what happened,
a small section disappeared from the edge, if I had not been following the progress intentionally I would have been miffed as it did not look like a rough break.
With that section missing I could have fixed it on the 5k if I wanted to reset the bevel on a 5k.
Lesson 1 for me if stropping will not fix it reset the bevel.
Lesson 2 I need to get a microscope set up for pics

Resetting a bevel is not that big of a deal when you're already in the neighborhood. Sometimes it's just a few extra swipes on the 1k to finish the job and then up the grits to get it dialed in. I find the swing from 1k to 4k to be the most dramatic. You can have a bevel at 1k but it's serrated. You almost have to reset the bevel again on the 4k in order to make a harmonious transition to the 8k. When I spend a good amount of time at the 4k stage I end up with a very stable edge that's ready for full refinement. Then 4k to 8k is the establishment of a good edge. If all of that goes well, the 12k stage is easy - just 10-15 laps and you're there. My final finishing stage is the 20k or Jnat after the 8k. And those stages seem more specific to the razor at hand. In the end, once you strip away the grief, you have to have the best edge you can get from each grit to achieve the best results. Take your pick, 4k or 1k.....or 8k, whatever. But use a big enough gun to win the fight. Then be sure to follow it up with the best refinement you can manage.

If I thought I honed an edge to the point where it folded over, I would probably go back to at least the 5k/4k or even the 1k if the situation dictated. Then I would do about half the number of strokes I did the first time up through the stones so I didn't thin down the edge so severely as I did the first time.

Half the number of strokes on the 8k/12k and then strop and shave. What I would be looking for at this point is an edge that will not fold as it did the first time around. Fewer strokes will theoretically avoid the problem that occurred the first time around the hones. The old saying "less is more" should prevail at this point also.

Can we agree that a folded edge is usually the result of doing too many strokes in the first place? Each of us will have an opinion on the issue. What causes an edge to fold in the first place. Answer this question and fix the problem.........