Thread: Honing Razors With A Jig and Stationary Blade

Here's how Dovo's are made and sharpened. It looks like the bevel is set on a wheel and the edge is finished by hand on a stone

In all honesty, regardless of what is been sharpened, chisels, plane blades, a knife etc etc IMO keeping a consistent angle over the full length of the blade is much more important than the angle itself. I wasn't to sure about razors but from reading here that seems to hold true.

Originally Posted by rodb

Here's how Dovo's are made and sharpened. It looks like the bevel is set on a wheel and the edge is finished by hand on a stone

While I like the video, I find this one more 'informative'/hands on/even while in German which I don't speak.

I also find that there's a reason that factory edges need to be 'properly honed'. Just like 'Most' mass produced high performance engines such as Vette's etc benefit from being torn down and checked for clearances, proper torquing and carefully re-assembled so do mass produced straight razors /just like my direct from the factory Revisor. Decent shave from the factory Excellent Shave after resetting the bevel and honing to the 12K level

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_-s0phRZng

I'd be willing to use your "jig" for experimenting on one of my axes ( not my Gransfors Bruks though), or other edged tools, but not for my straight razors.

Thank you for showing us a photo of your invention.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I'd be willing to use your "jig" for experimenting on one of my axes ( not my Gransfors Bruks though), or other edged tools, but not for my straight razors.

Thank you for showing us a photo of your invention.

You're welcome. Maybe I'll upload a video or at least a pic of sharpening being done. I think those photos probably are too confusing. I don't care whether it works out for razors or not. I like everything about straight razors and all sorts of knives and tools. It's all good!

A video would be nice,,,,,Your photos are fine,, I'm mechanically illiterate & I understand your setup just fine,,,

I think the flaw, if any, in your process is the "Stationary Blade". When honing a razor, the one thing that is "not" always stationary is the blade. It is constantly maneuvered by an experienced honer over a stationary hone to keep contact with the sharpening surface.

With the thick rigid blade in your image, the sharpening rod by the sheer rigidness of the blade always adjusts to the blade edge. With the thin and "not rigid" edge of the straight razor, this does not happen.

Honing a razor requires the hand of an experienced razor honer to bring the blade over a honing surface while keeping the edge/bevel in contact with the hone.

Your system seems to keep a static blade in contact with the honing surface by the the rigidness of the blade. Honing a razor keeps the edge of the razor in contact with the honing surface by the skill of the of the honer.

Regard,

Howard

Being an engineer myself I can see where you are coming from. I have sharpened knives for the greater part of my life and always I returned to the traditional way of sharpening on whetstones. I find that professional mechanical sharpening tools make the knife or whatever other implement wear out far too quickly. This it fine if you are a woodworking professional and do not care to spend too much time sharpening. Having the blade in your hand, one has far better control over the process.

This is even more so with razors, the amount of metal to be taken off to sharpen the blade is so very little that not ever do you want to lose control of the process. Mastering it takes a while, which surely will go a lot quicker with good advise and instructions.

Theoretically the sharpening process of razors is not unlike knives, but it is far more critical and way less controllable, The cutting edge of the razor so much thinner than any knife. It is a skill as much as it is an art and it requires a very light touch which only comes with lots of time and practice.

It may help to watch Lynn Abrams video's on Youtube, they really give an excellent impression of what to look for and how to do it. I think it's a great place to start.

Good luck,
John.

there is a built in jig on every razor I have seen ,, the spine , but it looks cool tc

Originally Posted by johnpeter

It seems to me that somebody had a very similar idea and went ahead and put it on the market. They claim that the device may well be used for straight razors too, that I would like to see. Looking at the different grades of sharpening stones, it just might be possible.

If anybody can find out more, or actually has hand on experience, I would be very interested.

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