Thread: "The Survivor" Suggestions Please

I'd go pretty hard on the heel & stabiliser to bring back some semblance of a smile.
As below:

If you do end up removing a lot of the stabilizer, I use a Dremel with a fine sanding drum at slow speed, and pay attention to the direction of rotation, for just the thick part of the stabilizer.

BTW if you use a Dremel, do get a variable speed and a flex shaft… will change your life… much more control. If you are buying new, get the lithium battery powered and eliminate another cord on the bench that can knock a razor off the bench. The batteries hold a charge well and charge quickly.

Hang the rotary tool from a bungee cord from a hook in the ceiling, fashion a hook to store the flex shaft out of the way when not in use, a coat hanger works or couple of nails in the wall. If you buy a flex shaft, make sure it will fit you rotary, there are course and fine thread end caps. One size does not fit all.

The trick to staying out of trouble with a Dremel is, knowing when to stop.

I use it for heavy work and do detail and edge work by hand with a diamond file.

When you get that little voice in your head that, “this may not be a good idea”, you are probably right, do it by hand…

Progress Update: Raised the stabilizer a bit. But from my test bevel, not enough. Went to my Naniwa Pro 1K, but there is still a wave in the edge with bad steel and it is taking forever to try and get rid of so I'm going to go back down to my DMT 325 and possibly go with a bigger smile. But as I worked the blade on the stones, this is what the blade (or maybe my technique) was dictating for the shape of the edge. And thanks onimaru55 for the photoshopped pic, gives me a much better idea of what I should be doing.

So guys, here it is, I'm finished for now. I've read about even bevels, the bevel is very even along the length of the blade. Is this an indication that the profile of the edge is "correct"? I would have preferred to put a bigger smile on it, as was suggested, but I was afraid it would mess up the bevel. Would a bigger smile have messed up the bevel particularly considering this is a near wedge or 1/4 hollow? Please give me your harshest evaluations. I'm looking to learn.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I'd go pretty hard on the heel & stabiliser to bring back some semblance of a smile.
As below:

How did you know onimaru55 how much of the stabilizer to remove? Your photo would have been pretty much spot on perfect. I took slightly less off and the edge at the heel reflects I should have taken a bit more off.

Looks good, but you might thin the stabilizer tapered towards the edge, hand diamond file or very light touch with a slow spinning fine grit drum on a Dremel with the blade flat on the bench.

Remove just enough, so it does not hit the stabilizer and the heel gets honed all the way to the edge. Ink the stabilizer to test.

You want to be able to shave off the heel and tip.

Originally Posted by 57vert

How did you know onimaru55 how much of the stabilizer to remove? Your photo would have been pretty much spot on perfect. I took slightly less off and the edge at the heel reflects I should have taken a bit more off.

Years of training grasshopper . lol.

Nahh really it's just years of frustrating honing on less than ideal geometries & seeing enough smiling blades. I just now know what a razor is suppose to look like . Tho f you asked me to measure or give figures I'd be dead in the water which is why I could probably never make one.
What you did btw looks pretty ok & it's good to err on less steel removal than too much.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Looks good, but you might thin the stabilizer tapered towards the edge, hand diamond file or very light touch with a slow spinning fine grit drum on a Dremel with the blade flat on the bench.

Remove just enough, so it does not hit the stabilizer and the heel gets honed all the way to the edge. Ink the stabilizer to test.

You want to be able to shave off the heel and tip.

And would it be better to thin the stabilizer or move the stabilizer up more?

Lots of geometry here eh ? :<0)
You did good. The bevel doesn't look the same on both sides but that could be the hone wear or camera angle or both.
On the show side it is wide at the toe but tapers back even enough. You may be done as far as the stabilizer goes.

This razor maybe a little different because of the hollow but to explain :::



The stabilizer on this one ends before it reaches the edge.(red arrow) That is what you would do if you wanted to raise it.
Rounding the heel more is what you did and this moves the edge more forward and off the stabilizer. It can still get in the way and you will notice that if it shows hone marks when you hone. The added height or (thickness) will keep the edge off the hone near the heel until you hone the stabilizer down enough. Takes forever and looks like poo.
On this razor you can see how the edge ends right at the stabilizer. (yellow arrow) You may notice it is a little higher there. This is not due to a frown or caused by the stabilizer. This blade is a weee bit warped. On the other side it has small bevel at the heel and toe and is tall in the center. But that is a whole nuther set of geometry problems. :<0)

The more you mess with these things the clearer it becomes. If you feel likes it's time to stop ,, stop.
If you get it to shave and you like the look of it, you have succeeded.

Originally Posted by 57vert

And would it be better to thin the stabilizer or move the stabilizer up more?

Just going on that pic, it looks like you could hone that as is.