New Hones, a Troublesome Vintage....

[Denvernoob]

I decided to add to my 12k Naniwa finishing stone and get a Norton 220/1k Combo a well as a Norton 4k/8k combo. A local retailer had a deal I couldn't refuse so I got them well discounted. Having used the 12k a few times I had a pretty good idea how things would go...

I touched up 3 razors on the 4k/8k that were all new production and had set bevels, so I had no need to go down to the 1k. Those blades came out great! I took my time and went through 2 short and 1 long pyramid progression, did a final polish on the 12k and voila...great shavers.

I then decided to take out my nemesis...a 5/8 vintage from Whipped Dog. It was my first straight, and has a couple of challenges for sure. Significant hone wear on the spine (seemingly even), a well widened bevel as a result, and a nice chip that I put there with the help of my sink and faucet...alas....time to grind away a bit of metal on the 1k and bring it back to life....right?!?

I had to take it to the 220 briefly to get the chip out...no biggie. I then went to set the bevel on the 1k...and thought I had done well...went through the pyramids...and the edge just wouldn't come to life. I then took the 1k back out, used a marker...and the heel just won't hit the stone on either side of the blade. 45 degree angle of attack, circles, none of it. I applied a bit or torque...nope! So in short, I have a 2/3 sharp, 1/3 dull challenging razor. Granted I am a total greenhorn to honing, hence why my good geometry razors went fine...

So any theories on how one like me might learn from this wretched razor so I can make it a thing of beauty once again?

TIA,
Ted