Thread: Heel and toe of razor gets sharp, but not the middle.

A photo of the blade/bevel on the other side of the blade from photo #2 might be an idea too.

Bob

This is where I tag out,,, I have only corrected one other problem similar to this,,, so I'm going to let one of the guys that hone regularly/daily give you advice on how you should proceed from here,,,,

What test are you using for sharpness?

Use one layer of tape on the spine and ink on the bevel.

You do have wear on the spine and bevel in the middle, changing the angle in place of more pressure may reach the edge.

Always use tape until you master honing, otherwise you are removing steel needlessly and causing more issues.

Here are 2 more pics. one of each side, maybe these show the differences in wear on both sides.

You want to correct your honing gymnastics to hone "Toward" a smile

There are several ways to do this..

1. In the Wiki is a Barber's manual that describes a technique (not a big fan here)
2. Watch one or all of three Vids

Charlie Lewis aka Spazola has a Vid about honing a smiling blade
Alex aka Philadelph has one much the same
Glen aka gssixgun (Me) has one on honing a smiling wedge

The technique that we all show using what most call a "Swooping Heel Forward" stroke will naturally hone toward a smile and that should solve your issue on all razors and give you a smooth even edge


**This is not a drastic fix it a a gentle push that eliminates the tendency for many people to hone a frown into a blade it also hones around a warp or spine issue**

I am going to bow out here too and leave the advising to more senior honers as too many cooks spoil a pie. Before going I will almost bet the spine/blade has a slight warp/twist and a rolling/rocking X stroke might be the ticket. The bevel looks wider on one side and thinner on the corresponding spot on the other side where you are having your troubles.

Bob

I am testing it on arm hair during honing. I've stropped and shaved parts of my face with it twice, and the toe and heel shave nicely, but the middle pulled like heck.

Thanks gssixgun, I will check out your videos and see if that Swooping Heel Forward does the trick. I appreciate your input. I'll do some studying, then give it a try and hop back on in a while to let y'all know if it solved the problem! I wish there was someone in the Houston Texas area that could mentor me, but like everything else I've ever done,Ii just jump in and sink or swim!

Check the mentor list too but I am pretty sure there are quite a few TX based Mentors and Honers maybe one will see this

or

You can escape the heat and come on up to the Northwoods and hang out with me for a day or two

ok, so after watching gssixgun's assorted videos ( about an hour's worth, as well as some others) and taking a long walk and thinking about what my problem is, I decided to try an experiment. I pulled the stones back out and did about 25 laps on the 8k with my right hand then SWITCHED HANDS and did about 25 more laps on the 8k with my left hand. The reason i did this is i was wondering if some sort of muscle memory in my right hand is causing a problem. I looked at the edge under magnification, and tried the thumb nail, and arm shave tests. The dull portion has gotten significantly smaller. Did switching hands correct the problem i was having, or did a nice long walk and contemplation "reset" my honing process. Either way, a few more laps and i should be ready to strop and shave test again ( with better results I'm sure)