Thread: bevel setting & honing a wedge?

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

Well.....depends...on which you're talking about, a true wedge, i.e. a razor shaped like an axe head or a razor that is slightly hollowed but as stiff as a wedge?

If the first, and the spine doesn't lift enough to eliminate contact higher on the blade, then, "and this is me" I use 3 layers of tape and determine if the edge is being contacted. If not, or minimally and creating a very wide bevel, I'll use (not generally recommended...due to softness of the tape) 4 layers and carefully hone.

If 4 layers isn't enough.....sounds, IMHO, like a candidate for a re-grind!!

Late Edit: You mentioned a 1/4 hollow. It should hone and bevel set like any other grind, providing the spine hasn't been ground away by too much excessive or aggressive honing without tape!!



Regards,

Howard

One is a true wedge, the othor is a qtr hollow (I believe). I'll try to take some photos and insert them later.

Originally Posted by lethalgraphix

One is a true wedge, the othor is a qtr hollow (I believe). I'll try to take some photos and insert them later.

Photos would be a very good idea as true wedges are extremely rare to non existent. If you can lay a straight edge across the blade on your "true edge" from spine to edge. Then check and see if you can see light under the straight edge. If you see light, even a small amount, chances are it is not a "true wedge". Check out the definition true wedge here The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Library .

Bob

It's not a "True" wedge they really are very rare just like Bob said

It has a hollow,, look at the grind line at the tang, how much it has been worn we have no idea

Regardless take the advice above, start with 3 layers do a couple of laps, look for the bevel, use a Marker to color the edge to see better if you must... You can always remove tape if it isn't needed, I find taking a layer of tape off much easier then adding steel back on


The razor will tell you exactly what you need to know,

You can measure
You can guess
or
You can put the razor on the hones and Know for a fact

Yea, now that the photos are up, that is a very nice condition near wedge. Looks like it is not a smiling wedge either so it should be easy to hone if it has no warps and/or twists. Have fun.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Yea, now that the photos are up, that is a very nice condition near wedge. Looks like it is not a smiling wedge either so it should be easy to hone if it has no warps and/or twists. Have fun.

Bob

So the "tell" is the slight grind you can see at the heel & the slight bump at the spine before going into the blade?
So 2-3 pieces?

Originally Posted by lethalgraphix

So the "tell" is the slight grind you can see at the heel & the slight bump at the spine before going into the blade?
So 2-3 pieces?

No, the tell for me is my Mod 1 Mark 1 eyeball thinking it is seeing a very slight concavity to the blade from the end on shot. To confirm it use a straight edge as I suggested.

As for layers of tape, I don't know what to suggest as I usually take 2 measurements and plug those into the excel file linked to and that gives me a start point for the few near wedges that I have had.

That said, I would follow Glen's advice in post #13.

Bob

Originally Posted by lethalgraphix

So the "tell" is the slight grind you can see at the heel & the slight bump at the spine before going into the blade?
So 2-3 pieces?

I'll bring a straight edge home this evening and do a shot. Plus my other so called wedges.

Originally Posted by lethalgraphix

I'll bring a straight edge home this evening and do a shot. Plus my other so called wedges.

The term "wedge" is used generally very loosely today to describe a blade with a very heavy grind. It might be more proper to call them "near wedges" instead as illustrated in the site's library. I must be getting old, have a couple of rulers in the desk drawer in front of me to use as straight edges.

Bob

I have a flat screen monitor and I laid a straight edge against one of the OPs pics - it has a hollow alright.

Regards,
Neil

Here is a J Rodgers wedge from well back into the 1800s. I laid a 6 inch hook rule across the width of the blade. There is about .025" of air space under the rule which makes the blade just about a full wedge.