Thread: Honing out microchips on my Wostenholm IXL

As some of you already know I'm still learning how to hone... and one of my eBay specials, a 5/8" Geo. Wostenholm IXL square point, is not getting "really" shave ready...

Someone mentioned that the older Sheffield steels were a harder grade steel than the usual carbon steel and thusly harder to hone, but they also had a tendency to microchip...

I've been looking and searching through the forum msg. traffic, am I right in assuming that a good way to hone a blade that's micro-chipping is by "back-honing", ie. honing with the edge facing rear-wards ie. the same direction as in stropping?

If that's correct, then I'll try that as well...

Also, do you guys have any other tips for honing a hard blade that might be microchipping?

Thanks in advance,

Tony

Originally Posted by tgparker

the older Sheffield steels were a harder grade steel than the usual carbon steel and thusly harder to hone, and also had a tendency to microchip...

Opinions differ of course, but in my experience the vintage sheffields use noticeably softer steel than modern razors and even vintage Eskilstuna, Solingen, and American makes. Thiers-Issard uses sheffield steel in their razors and gets it very hard indeed, but the vintage sheffield guys seem to have kept theirs pretty soft as razors go. However, their razors tend to have very wide bevels, whether from design or from use I don't know, and this makes them pretty slow honing because there's so much steel to remove.

Vintage razors of all points of origin have the problem that frequently the steel at the edge is oxidized and rotten and won't hold up, often crumbling away under the hone. If this is the case (and it's likely) you simply have to hone through this rotten steel to get to deeper steel that is still in good shape.

If you don't have one yet you should acquire an inexpensive microscope like the 60x-100x scope from radio shack, this is a small handheld unit that costs $10. This will give you a better idea of what's going on with your edge. It's also helpful to use this in conjunction with a magic marker to help hilight troublesome areas of the blade.

The back honing would not be an appropriate technique. That is usually performed on razors with a "wire edge ( overhoned)"

If the edge is microchipping then the old steel must be removed. Use 1000 grit sandpaper for fast removal or a 4k hone with a bit of pressure. Use an X pattern, some pressure for the first half of the laps then lighten up on the last half of the laps.

Never a backhoning fan. At best as a last resort......

Lynn

I have to agree with the masses here, don't backhone. I agree that the sheffield steel razors are really not that hard. I have a few U.S made razors and I find them much harder to hone with much harder steel. If you want to see tough as nails steel try honing a TI Damascus. It really has a tendency to microchip so you have to be real slow and careful with it.