Thread: To sharpen the heel or not to sharpen the heel? That is the question.

Soo glad I came across this thread. If it is ok with you guys I'd like to know how to proceed with this blade. The spine has a slight smile. It is an extra hollow. And I had to butter knife it. It had a wicked crack in the blade.

I mute the very point of a razor and the heel - like a mm of each and not much muting, just a little on my finest stone, just so they can't scratch or cut on the tip.

I had a french tip razor early in my shaving history where the edge went out the tip and up a little (e.g., it went around the tip like a machete), I don't know why. I didn't mute it at the time and got a fillet type cut from it.

I never hang the heel, like glen says, it turns into a digging tool if done too often. just mute the last little bit of it if you're worried about getting an unwanted scratch or dig.

Originally Posted by razornut

Soo glad I came across this thread. If it is ok with you guys I'd like to know how to proceed with this blade. The spine has a slight smile. It is an extra hollow. And I had to butter knife it. It had a wicked crack in the blade.

I'd personally round that corner off a little bit on the back. It can't do anything good. I'd only round as much off as it took to get it cosmetically not looking squared up there, which would probably be a few strokes on a hard 1k stone. Then you can hone the whole edge without it getting in the way.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I'd personally round that corner off a little bit on the back. It can't do anything good. I'd only round as much off as it took to get it cosmetically not looking squared up there, which would probably be a few strokes on a hard 1k stone. Then you can hone the whole edge without it getting in the way.

+1 Yeppers

Originally Posted by razornut

Soo glad I came across this thread. If it is ok with you guys I'd like to know how to proceed with this blade. The spine has a slight smile. It is an extra hollow. And I had to butter knife it. It had a wicked crack in the blade.

Check out the video by Gssixgun I mentioned earlier to get a visual example of rounding the heel. Also it shows how to quickly get the bevel going again after you breadknife a blade.

Yup, that will cut you.

Take a dime and try different radius with a sharpie till you get one you like and it doesn’t look like you dropped it. Then take a diamond plate and resting the razor on the spine lightly file the corner to match the sharpie ink. WD40 removes the ink if you want to change the radius. It is much easier to remove and redraw ink, than to put steel back on.

The steel is very thin here so go easy, it comes off quick. Take your time, make it look good. After you do a few you can do it by eye.

I shave with the whole blade, so I hone the whole blade.

Sometimes you have to thin the stabilizer to get the heel on the stone, another job for the diamond plate. EZE lap diamond stick excel here.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I'd personally round that corner off a little bit on the back. It can't do anything good. I'd only round as much off as it took to get it cosmetically not looking squared up there, which would probably be a few strokes on a hard 1k stone. Then you can hone the whole edge without it getting in the way.

IF the razor is as heavily breadknifed as op says it is, I would say more than a cosmetic rounding of the heel might be needed as establishing a new bevel will quickly eat into the heel again.
I would mark a point on the blade approx 1/16" forward of the stabiliser & grind a gradual curve back towards the tang. It will not be this razor's only honing so it's good to future proof IMHO.