Thread: Honing help on a couple razors please

Can you give us a picture of this razor? It's really hard to give advice on geometry issues when we don't have a clear idea of what the issues are. Sometimes they are hard enough to figure out with the razor in hand.

Here are a couple pics of each. You can see the Geneva actually has the slightest of smile.

Here is a pic showing the warp

You can see a hint of shadow under the middle.


PS: when I mentioned more pressure I was referring only to the strop. In reference to the comment that strops usually conform the blade. Are there varying opinions on this? I have to admit I have had best results with as little pressure as I can discern.

Here is the other razor which doesn't seem to sharpen properly. I can put an edge on two other razors so I'm thinking it is the degree of curve to the edge which is beyond my skill.

The Geneva looks like a tough one. You can probably get 2/3 of it by honing with the last third (heel) off the hone. But the problem is going to be getting the heel done without RE-honing the toe. This one requires someone more experienced than I.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Do you think an x stroke will help here? If the heel and toe are touching but the center is not, I'm wondering if the rolling of pressure is going to correct that. I imagine that the rolling pressure will be very hard when the end points are making contact. This sounds like a candidate for a very narrow hone. Thoughts?

Yes, I do think it will help. Narrow hones were all the rage several years ago for dealing with problematic razors. They fell away quickly when some of us figured out that the stroke done on a narrow hone was the same that could be done on a wide hone. This is why my earlier post in this thread suggested drawing or imagining a parallel line about an inch from the edge of the hone. If the honer focuses only on that area, and makes sure that contact is made in that area by watching the water wave front travel along the length of the blade from heel to toe in that area of the hone, then a successful rolling of pressure will be accomplished.

As Euclid pointed out, the x stroke does not HAVE to be a full corner to corner trip for the toe of the blade. The x stroke is more about SUBTLE pressure transfer from the heel to the toe during the stroke, and the entire blade can stay on the hone and still accomplish this. I have just found it easier to teach this by creating the "virtual narrow hone" with the parallel line. An imaginary narrow hone accomplishes almost everything a real one can.