Thread: Latest project, critiques please

So this is my latest effort, a Torrey 5/8 with a sway back. I love the looks of a swayback, but as a neophyte honer, why do I keep torturing myself? Also, until I got going I didn't realize the spine was bent. I'm actually happy with just being able to get a good edge on it. The shave tomorrow AM will tell the tale. But as can hopefully be seen in the photos, on one side the bevel widens toward the heel and toe, and on the opposite the bevel narrows toward the heel and toe. I know this is due to the bent spine. I had to adjust the stabilizer and reshape the toe to get the edge where it is. Before reshaping the stabilizer and toe the bevel completely disappeared before getting to the end of the heel and toe. When I started the edge was quite straight. As I worked the blade I introduced a slight smile to reflect the sway back.

There were some VERY small chips in the edge. So my progression was DMT325 (chip removal & smile adjustment), Naniwa Pro 1000 (bevel set), Norton 4k/8k, Naniwa 12K.

From what you see and I've explained, what would you have done differently? What can still be done to make it better?

I don't see any evidence of a stabiliser on that razor. Do you mean you reshaped the heel ?

As long as the 2 sides meet you're doing ok. Well done honing into a smile.

looks ok from here. How does it shave, after all that is the biggest reason to fix them up.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I don't see any evidence of a stabiliser on that razor. Do you mean you reshaped the heel ?

As long as the 2 sides meet you're doing ok. Well done honing into a smile.

Ya, sorry, meant heel.......

Looks good, the warp looks slight and the edge ok. Just make sure you are honing to the edge.

Yea, did you remove the stabilizer completely?

When you round a heel, I like to leave a little more without a big a swoop so you have a little more heel to shave with. I do use the heel a lot while shaving.

Go easy with the 325 it can cause chipping. Pick up a 600 or 1200 grit diamond file, (Easy Lap) to reshape the edge and stabilizers. It will give you a lot more of control.

You can polish the notch where the blade meets the tang with a paper towel or 1k W&D wrapped over a clipped straight coffee stir stick.

Other than that looks good.

So I shaved with it this morning. Excellent shave, sharp without being harsh. I gotta say, I love these Torreys. I have a couple others with different shaped blades and all are excellent shavers. I used my aftershave balm that has some alcohol in it on purpose to see how much sting got left behind. Only one small sting at the corner of my upper lip.
As always guys, thank for your time on helping me.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Looks good, the warp looks slight and the edge ok. Just make sure you are honing to the edge.

Yea, did you remove the stabilizer completely?

When you round a heel, I like to leave a little more without a big a swoop so you have a little more heel to shave with. I do use the heel a lot while shaving.

Go easy with the 325 it can cause chipping. Pick up a 600 or 1200 grit diamond file, (Easy Lap) to reshape the edge and stabilizers. It will give you a lot more of control.

You can polish the notch where the blade meets the tang with a paper towel or 1k W&D wrapped over a clipped straight coffee stir stick.

Other than that looks good.

Sorry, what is meant honing to the edge? Making sure to get to the edge or adjusting you honing technique to match the particular characteristics of the blade at hand?

With the heel (and toe for that matter) the bevel tapered off to nothing at the heel and left about 1/16" untouched. Used rolling X strokes, circles with pressure applied just at the heel, and it still did nothing so I took off that portion of the heel. Is there a technique I could have used to get the bevel to the end?

Thanks

If it was caused by the warp, a rolling X stroke should have got the heel honed.

Honing to the edge is just that, adjusting the X stroke, so the pressure point transfers from the heel to the toe as you progress, across and down the stone. Not quite a rocking motion, just a pressure shift.

It is not unusual to end up with a bevel of different widths because of a smile, (the distance from edge to spine), different width of the spine and the warp of the blade. The bevel will be the opposite width will on the other side.

If you do not alter the pressure with a slight rocking motion, your bevel will not be on the stone and the new bevel will not reach the edge and be completely sharp from heel to toe.

Some Sharpie ink will tell you where you hone is making contact with the bevel and you adjust the pressure or rocking accordingly, to reach the edge.

You should begin the stroke with the toe in the upper right corner and end with the toe in the middle of the hone at the end. If you do too aggressive an angle the heel comes off the hone in the first inch of lateral travel and does not get honed.

Check the library for more information and there are some good videos by GSSixgun and others. It does take some practice and patients to properly hone some problem razors but can be done.

I think you did a great job. You have to remember that this is more Art than Science.

Keep up the good work!