Thread: bevel setting & honing a wedge?

I haven't honed as many razors as some of these guys but for me if there is little to no hone wear I use 1 layer of tape but it the hone wear is a little more I use 2 layers of tape. the tape I use is 3M 88 witch is about 8.5 thousandths thick. I've heard of thicker tape but where I live the 88 is the best I can find. while i'm setting the bevel I watch the tape closely and if it wears I change it often. after the bevel is set then the tape doesn't wear that much for me. anyway that's the way I do it.

Originally Posted by rhensley

I haven't honed as many razors as some of these guys but for me if there is little to no hone wear I use 1 layer of tape but it the hone wear is a little more I use 2 layers of tape. the tape I use is 3M 88 witch is about 8.5 thousandths thick. I've heard of thicker tape but where I live the 88 is the best I can find. while i'm setting the bevel I watch the tape closely and if it wears I change it often. after the bevel is set then the tape doesn't wear that much for me. anyway that's the way I do it.

This is what I thought, but could find no proof. The 2wedges I have little to no wear. The Joseph Rodgers has noticeable spine wear on one side only, but this wear is minor at best. I planned to do the single layer method, but there is no telling what the previous years of honing have done to the angle.

So I'll throw 1layer on and see how even the bevel shows and go from there.

I kept hearing stories of how hard wedges were compared to hollows, but this must be in particular to "smiling wedges" or wrapped blades.

I went through this just recently. I have trouble getting my wedges as sharp as my hollows. I feel with the combination of generally wider bevels and little to no blade flex, that wedges require a softer touch earlier in the honing process as well as a little extra time on each hone.