Thread: The perfect bevel..

I think what throws people about bevels sometimes when honing is that the bevel reflects the current wear of that particular razor. In many cases especially when new guys hone is that we have razors with wavy bevels, uneven pressure applied to the spine or bevel, more pressure applied to the spine than the bevel on one side or both and a myriad of other things that come with the learning curve. In some cases the razor will lay flat on the stone and in others not.

The exercise then becomes more about establishing a bevel that meets equally on both sides at the edge. You can't put metal back on the bevel and pretty much take it from it's current condition. With small bevels and new razors, this is usually not problematic. On older razors with a lot of wear it can be.

So the keys are how you approach what you want the result to be and for me, that is usually simply to make the razor a good shaver. Tape can be the solution, but usually with a razor that has significant wear, one layer will not alter the damage done already and clearly establish a nice micro bevel or secondary bevel. There is always the rolling X stroke as an alternative or even starting off with a very abrasive stone and removing metal until the razor will lay flat on the stone which can really be a chore sometimes. On a razor in good condition, deciding to use tape and create a secondary bevel is usually not problematic. It is just a matter of preference.

Originally Posted by Lynn

I think what throws people about bevels sometimes when honing is that the bevel reflects the current wear of that particular razor. In many cases especially when new guys hone is that we have razors with wavy bevels, uneven pressure applied to the spine or bevel, more pressure applied to the spine than the bevel on one side or both and a myriad of other things that come with the learning curve. In some cases the razor will lay flat on the stone and in others not.

The exercise then becomes more about establishing a bevel that meets equally on both sides at the edge. You can't put metal back on the bevel and pretty much take it from it's current condition. With small bevels and new razors, this is usually not problematic. On older razors with a lot of wear it can be.

So the keys are how you approach what you want the result to be and for me, that is usually simply to make the razor a good shaver. Tape can be the solution, but usually with a razor that has significant wear, one layer will not alter the damage done already and clearly establish a nice micro bevel or secondary bevel. There is always the rolling X stroke as an alternative or even starting off with a very abrasive stone and removing metal until the razor will lay flat on the stone which can really be a chore sometimes. On a razor in good condition, deciding to use tape and create a secondary bevel is usually not problematic. It is just a matter of preference.

Thanks Lynn.. I take a few things from your message.

First and foremost, the all important topic of even pressure. It took me a long time to get it right. That's a skill I don't ever want to take for granted. It's easy to blame a wavy bevel on the blade, when more often it's self induced by uneven pressure.

You verbalized what I was struggling to communicate. I am often faced with trying to fix someone else's honing issues and that's what leads to the double bevel. I am fortunate to be getting bevels that are nice, straight, and set properly. Though narrower.

I got in the habit of using tape because early on I didn't want to waste away the spine as I learned. Later I found that many of my razors had decorative spines and or, finishes on the spine that I didn't want to destroy. So the tape stuck. no pun intended..

My take-away from this.. Don't fret the double bevel if the new one is set properly.