Thread: Bizarre, disturbing honing experience

I bought a less expensive (at a cnote, I won't say 'cheap') kamisori with a western grind. As soon as the enveloped arrived, I tossed in a back pack and went hunting for a few days. I figured I'd hit that between time in the forest.

The first indication was that the whole knife was REALLY bent in a banana shape. When I went to set the bevel, sho' nuff, it was very bellied. BUT...so was my first razor and it's a GREAT shaver. I knew from that experience to expect a long, long session on the DMT red and this did not disappoint.

My son needed to do some sharpening too, so i had a full range with me: coarse, medium, fine, and jnat with naguras. I took this new razor through the whole progression, being totally certain the bevel was set. Not having a strop, or anyone around with hair, I had no way to test it really. Note that I did this same progression with a dull pocket knife and got it popping hairs at the skin with no issue.

I got home tonight, stropped it up and went to shave with it and....nothing. And by nothing I don't mean "tuggy" or "harsh" or "dull" I mean...it wouldn't cut, at all. It literally just skated over the hair. It 'caught' on the against the grain stroke, and would kind of pull my cheek up in a comical sort of way. But it won't cut no way no how.

Have you all ever seen anything like this? Have I missed something super basic????

can you post good pics of the razor?

Tonto no understand?...............Keeeymosabe take a smiling Nippon and makey straight? No work. Banana shape good. Kemosabe learn to swoop razor upon stone. Go to town now.

Two thoughts. One did you look at it with a loupe? Any chance you over honed it and the edge fell apart?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Tonto no understand?...............Keeeymosabe take a smiling Nippon and makey straight? No work. Banana shape good. Kemosabe learn to swoop razor upon stone. Go to town now.

Pretty much, but it will be useful to see pics to be sure

Remember, most of the reasonably priced Kamisori seem to be from trade-ins that a large Japanese distributor had. The individuals that owned them had varying levels of experience honing. Also, like American straights, they probably were ground to order with what the owner wanted for a shape.
I have in my meager group a couple that were bowed High in the center of the bevel end to end, one that was sharpened at a angle to the centerline of the blade, and a couple smiling and all could be brought to shaving sharp with time and effort. Not that they even approach the width that they left the forge with.
Get some feedback from the fotos and see where to go next.

~Richard

Sharptonn nailed it again. I think he forgot the part about 19 degrees on one side non on the other and having to do the honing while barefoot, legs crossed pillow under buttox.

Two important ideas here:

1. I have JORCO that has PRECISELY this same issue with bent spine geometry. It bevel set the same way, and shaves beautifully.

2. Off of the same stone I used here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEtb9k3APYM

In this video there are some lessons on strokes used for smiling edges. I like his videos, they are very informative. Basically with a smiling edge you have two options. Heel leading with a swoop on the end of the stroke and a rolling X.

Rezdog, thanks. But I THINK I got all the smile out of it? Am I wrong?