Bevel setting on a smiling near wedge with uneven spine wear.

The title sums it up. I've been messing around with an old Sheffield for some time now. Months to be exact. The razor itself is a Joseph Allen and Sons 11/16 smiling near wedge. It has uneven spine wear from years of use and abuse. I have been taping the spine but never can seem to get it sharp enough no matter how many layers of tape I use and the messed up hone wear can be seen through the tape. I know I'm in way over my head but I do want to shave with it because back in the day when it was honed up when I got it it shaved well. I'm thinking the problem is coming from the bevel set but there are many variables in question. Stroke style, how many strokes etc.

What are some good pointers for dealing with a razor like this.. I am not going to send it away to be honed. This razor and I have a bone to pick and I am not going to let it beat me.

How do I absolutely know without a doubt the bevel is set? At this moment I've got it to shave arm hair with ease all the way along the blade, the marker test shows its touching along the whole edge and it feels sticky to the tough when on the thumb pad.

Basically I need some help here.. please....

How many razors have you honed to shave ready?
If you are new to honing I would put it away until you are more experienced.
Or I would send it out to a pro.
If you continue, you are just adding more problems that still need to be fixed.
Suck up your pride, send it out, and do touch ups on it.

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Originally Posted by Chevhead

How many razors have you honed to shave ready?
If you are new to honing I would put it away until you are more experienced.
Or I would send it out to a pro.
If you continue, you are just adding more problems that still need to be fixed.
Suck up your pride, send it out, and do touch ups on it.

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1 but that same one more then once.

there is few post about similar honing of str8s with bad spines
noting multiple layers of tape honed down to the right shape, then a clean layer or two over it for actually honing.

I'll admit honing a smiling wedge is hard enough to learn on a good blade, let alone a defective one

I spent several hours honing a smiling 5/8" W&B with a uneven spine a real PITA it was

once the bevel is truly set, the biggest issue I found was keeping a constant range of motion without pressure on the edge as you progress through the grits

if you are sure the bevel is set, continue through the grits but ensure you are using no pressure & only the weight of the blade this way you will not be wearing your tape out even more
hopefully it will work out

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Originally Posted by Substance

there is few post about similar honing of str8s with bad spines
noting multiple layers of tape honed down to the right shape, then a clean layer or two over it for actually honing.

I'll admit honing a smiling wedge is hard enough to learn on a good blade, let alone a defective one

I spent several hours honing a smiling 5/8" W&B with a uneven spine a real PITA it was

once the bevel is truly set, the biggest issue I found was keeping a constant range of motion without pressure on the edge as you progress through the grits

if you are sure the bevel is set, continue through the grits but ensure you are using no pressure & only the weight of the blade this way you will not be wearing your tape out even more
hopefully it will work out

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Could you go more into depth on the first part about the multiple layers of tape honed down to the right shape... the right shape being even hone wear?

I believe too much pressure has been one of the causes my failure to achieve shave ready

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Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

1 but that same one more then once.

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My advice is put it away for a while.
Honing a razor in good shape is pretty easy.
One with problems can drive you crazy.!

Like Glen says: Honing isn't hard...until it is!
(Or something like that) :)

When the hone wear is crazy uneven one of the things that you can do is put on two layers of tape. Take your bevel setter, 1K, and do a heel leading stroke with a j hook or a swoop at the end, except, put a little more pressure on the tape than the edge. What you will do is wear the high spots of tape lower once it is heavily worn add another layer of tape and then work the edge. In theory it will mimic the original spine and straighten it out. Then the remaining challenge is to get your stroke smooth enough to work the edge. Pressure is part of a grinding stroke that is really for restoration, as in removing chips and making a bevel from scratch as in the blade has been restored and there is no bevel. I have to say that a smiling razor is a challenge and a razor with geometry issues is a challenge. Put the two together and we are talking about advanced honing. Oh and it's a wedge, it's a big challenge. Chevhead is likely correct but if you insist...

I had a razor that upset m for a month until I recieved a vintage with a obvious blade warpon the stroke coming twards me. watched some videos on a solution and found the rolling x stroke. That warped blade is now my finest shaver. but it set off an ah ha moment in my head and and i ran and grabbed the razor out of my closet and noticed when the blade come twards me it was perfect. and when it was going away it was not, which set off yet another ah ha moment. when i watched the blade coming twards me the water came twards me the entire length of the blade and going away the water dident on the tip of the blade... now I know what these guys are saying when they say watch the water displacement.... they both shave great now....

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Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Could you go more into depth on the first part about the multiple layers of tape honed down to the right shape... the right shape being even hone wear?

I believe too much pressure has been one of the causes my failure to achieve shave ready

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As Rezdog noted

Gonna take your guys advice and shelf it for a while.

Once you are done taking your break pull it back out and get busy again. How are you supposed to get the experience needed if you don't go back to it? I agree with a lot of what Rezdog said. Being a smiler is one thing, being a wedge is another and when you have both on a single blade is a whole other beast, but the beast can be tamed and after you succeed with this razor almost all others will be routine.

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Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Once you are done taking your break pull it back out and get busy again. How are you supposed to get the experience needed if you don't go back to it? I agree with a lot of what Rezdog said. Being a smiler is one thing, being a wedge is another and when you have both on a single blade is a whole other beast, but the beast can be tamed and after you succeed with this razor almost all others will be routine.

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I am only giving that razor a break to hone a few others I have lying around. Once I can achieve shave ready on more then one razor I will then take this razor back out and give it a go. If nothing else it has taught me patience. I just need some practice before having at this razor. Nothing worse then diving into something before you're ready. The rolling x stroke combined with honing the tape down and then adding layers and honing again making sure my stoke is even is a little over my head.

Thanks for the encouragement brother!

On the bright side it is those persnickety buggers that you learn the most from. Best of luck when have at her again.

Bob

Don't give up on the Sheffield. You will learn so much from it. bend it to your will and it will reward you. I just finish restoring and honing a WB 7/8 Near Wedge for my shave arsenal, it was badly pitted I probably spent over 15-20 hours hand sanding the rust off it and created some irregularities on the spine as a result. When it came to bevel setting I had to push the heel and toe a lot to get it to hone somewhat evenly. mark your edge and see what is coming off and what is not try to compensate for this with pressure at the early stages, be very patient this old Brit steel is like impossible hard stuff It took me at least an hour and a half just to set the bevel. then another 15 minutes and I was done with a progression of 1-3-8-12k naniwas. study GSSixguns videos on honing smiling wedge it helped me. I hope you keep trying you will succeed be patient you will get it. I just finished shaving with My WB for the first time after all I put into it and its an absolute Lawn Mower I think It may be my best.Attachment 195358

I Wish You Good Luck

Perfect candidate to seek out mentoring IMO.