Thread: Reaching th edge

Hi, i just want to get some advise from people who have been doing this for a long time.

My best shaving razor a Hart custom. Honing it today i noticed at the toe end a part on the very edge that reflects light. Nothing massive ,but i have good eyesight and a scope to boot.

That part then isnt touching the hone.

Normally my answer would be to do circles and so on , with the 1k to even that part out that .

What i'm scared of is the fact that 01 steel dissapears quickly and i have a near enough perfectly small, even bevel on this razor and its aesthetically perfect all over.

Also after the 1k there is no light at the edge, its only when i get to the 10k and then Jnat that this occurs. Adding pressure on those stones isnt some thing i do.

How do you guys deal with some thing like that?

Maybe you are changing your stroke style between the 1k and 10k level?
That could be a possibility, I find it troublesome sometimes when switching between different types of hones.

For example my stroke on a 5 inch coticule bout is very different from one on say an 8x3 Black Arkansas.

Just throwing that out there as something to watch for.

If the edge isn't perfectly flat it may require a small roll or swoop at the end to get the toe if the light is at the very end.

Maybe the bevel isn't set. I know the next post will contain this so I'll get it out of the way.

A picture is worth 1000 words. Could you upload one for us to see.
.

If the entire edge is making contact I don't see why that would be. OTOH, if when the razor is laying flat on the hone, there is a slight smile, those areas, heel and point, will need a bit of manipulation as you go through the stroke. Sort of a modified rolling X. At least that is what it sounds like to me without seeing it.

Yes, photos. Are you using a straight stroke?

A heel forward X stroke would automatically put just a bit of pressure on the heel and the tip. You are probably lifting the toe slightly, while trying not to use pressure.

It is not unusual to have to give the tip a bit more attention, usually when I test shave a razor, that is where it need just a little more, if any.

I like square tips and use them often.

Toes have a bad habit of developing a tiny upsweep that's difficult to see over time. This seems especially true of used Japanese razors, but I digress....

I'd start with a few light circles/ellipses with light pressure biased right at the toe on a finisher with a very light slurry, followed by 10 or so light rolling strokes, again, light pressure biased toward the toe.

Inspect, and if you're not quite there, repeat. If you're a long ways off, work backwards another grit stage then come back up when it's good.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the advise.
Its actually the flattest blade I have . Even so I can see on the down stroke that the section near the toe doesn't push the slurry so I do incorporate a bit of a sweep stroke/rolling x .

I assume its fine on the 1k because its a rough stone but on super fine stones there's no hiding.





Attachment 211682


Look at that lovely rosewood.

I did try to remove it with circles and rolling x's but then it occurred to me that I have figured this out on my own.
Maybe experienced honers have another take or method for this kind of thing..

I should return to the 1k

Originally Posted by JOB15

Even so I can see on the down stroke that the section near the toe doesn't push the slurry so I do incorporate a bit of a sweep stroke/rolling x .

That right there is the secret to honing

Watch the water, that little wave of water and slurry that must stay in front of or slightly ride up on the edge..
Never let it disappear under the edge, ride the wave move the steel evenly and equally across the hone that really is all there is to honing..

Whatever honing gymnastics are required to ride that wave is the correct stroke for that particular razor keeping that wave right there tells you exactly how much pressure is required also..

Use the least amount of pressure to keep that wave,

See how easy honing is

Originally Posted by gssixgun

That right there is the secret to honing

Watch the water, that little wave of water and slurry that must stay in front of or slightly ride up on the edge..
Never let it disappear under the edge, ride the wave move the steel evenly and equally across the hone that really is all there is to honing..

Whatever honing gymnastics are required to ride that wave is the correct stroke for that particular razor keeping that wave right there tells you exactly how much pressure is required also..

Use the least amount of pressure to keep that wave,

See how easy honing is

Thanks, I will think on that .

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If the entire edge is making contact I don't see why that would be. OTOH, if when the razor is laying flat on the hone, there is a slight smile, those areas, heel and point, will need a bit of manipulation as you go through the stroke. Sort of a modified rolling X. At least that is what it sounds like to me without seeing it.

The razor does have a slight smile.. That totally passed me by.

What do you mean by modified X?

I tend to do the pressure only rolling x not lifting the toe or heel off the stone. Or maybe the heel a little bit at the end of the stroke.

The semi circle stroke seems to work quite well but its not exactly free flowing .