Thread: Second try at honing...seeking opinions/suggestions...

Hey just curiously, what are you using to take the photos?

It seems in your photos that you're missing the toe. You see how your efforts drop off on the last little bit of blade. That's because it curves up wards. There's many strokes to hone this so I'd take a look in the library at strokes for honing a razor. Swooping x or dare I say the rolling x may help. I believe anyways through what I see in the pictures. These strokes aren't the easiest to pull off and the swooping x would be your best bet.

My 2 cents, not set in stone. It's just my thoughts on what I see.

Originally Posted by andrewmurray86

Hey just curiously, what are you using to take the photos?

All the close up shots are using a USB digital microscope I got from Amazon. Here's the link for the device:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works well on my Mac, and seems to have two different magnifications. Most of the shots are with the highest magnification. Not sure it is 300x, but it's close enough for me.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

It seems in your photos that you're missing the toe. You see how your efforts drop off on the last little bit of blade. That's because it curves up wards. There's many strokes to hone this so I'd take a look in the library at strokes for honing a razor. Swooping x or dare I say the rolling x may help. I believe anyways through what I see in the pictures. These strokes aren't the easiest to pull off and the swooping x would be your best bet.

My 2 cents, not set in stone. It's just my thoughts on what I see.

Yeah, yesterday, when I looked at the edge for straightness, I saw that there is a taper on each end, more on the toe. I seem to be hitting some of the heel, but not the toe at all hardly. The last 1/2-3/4" is where it is missing.

Open to suggestions on what approach to use in this situation, as I've just been doing the x-stroke. Hopefully, I can learn how to do the needed stroke (I read up once about the rolling X and swooping X and am not sure I understood how to do it exactly.

Also interesting in assessments of the edge and how the bevel meets, as I've got limited experience and am still trying to better understand what I'm seeing with the microscope shots.

Thanks!

The heel looks better but still has a bit of a square edge to it and does not match the radius of the rest of the heel, mark a radius with a coin and a sharpie and follow that line. If you don’t round the corner the hook will come back.
Is the spine and blade straight? The edge is not straight, wavy, and a bit smiley at the heel and toe. The spine is also swayed. So you have to decide do you want the edge straight or smiling, then shape the edge first, then hone it.

Here is a thread on how to grind an even smile that will match the spine, it will make future honing much easier. If you want it straight, just bread knife it on the 1k or possibly the diamond plate, depending on how much steel you have to remove.

I would polish the blade more, with some 000 steel wool and wd40, then sand with1000 grit wet and dry and polish with a good metal polish. If you decide to polish after honing you will ruin the edge, Do it now.

You also will have to decide if you want the spike back, if so you have to grind the tip of the razor 90 degrees to the edge to re-shape the corner. Now is the time to make these corrections. These are repairs not honing, but have to be done before honing.

Also looks like the edge of the tang has been hitting the stone, you will have to watch that and use a heel forward stroke, or you will create a double bevel. Might be were the wave came from.

Don’t use 3 layers of tape, it is too squish and will make an uneven bevel, two is plenty and there is not a lot of wear on the spine. You need to use a heel forward X stroke to hone the heel and toe, but first you have to make some repairs or at least some decisions.

Thanks Euclid440. Lots to chew on here.

Heel:
I tried to mark, but need a finer point marker. Will try to round more.

Straightness:
not quite sure what you mean by wavy. Looking at the side, I see a curve to the spine (was that original), and the edge curves at the ends. Do you mean it varies along the edge as well?

It is ok with me w/o the spike. The end also has a point, near the spine, it is not flat across, looks like the way it was made. Thinking it may be hard to adjust that.

Will do 2 layers. Do I keep that on for all 1k work, or do I later go to 1 layer (thinking ahead, as I have much to do first).

Thanks for the guidance!

Will get some 000 steel wool and 1000grit w/d and polish it more.


I'll research more and try to decide whether to have a smile or straight. Will it be harder to hone with a smile?

I did try to do a leading heel X stroke, but would occasionally hit the end of the tang. I see where you're saying the edge is not straight.

If I decide to create a smile, what technique should I use to hone it? I've never honed a blade with a smile.

This weekend, I'll work on cleaning the blade up better. I have 000 steel wool and 1000 grit paper. Will see how it goes and report back.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Just use a simple, heel forward X stoke, keep the heel on the stone until half way across the length then slide the heel off the edge as the toe comes forward in an X to the opposite corner, then reverse for the other side.

Whatever stroke you use, ink the bevel to insure you are making contact with the edge on the full stroke. Keep inking the bevel until you get the pressure and rolling stroke down, so you are making full contact.

It’s not that difficult, just use ink to guide you and don’t use too much pressure, it is more of a pressures shift than an exaggerated roll or rocking motion. Start with a little pressure on the heel and shift the pressure to the toe as it swings around. If you concentrate on the heel and toe, the middle will take care of itself.

I used 1000 grit sandpaper with WD-40, and cleaned up the razor. It looks MUCH better. Thanks! I didn't have much success before with the 0000 steel wool (dry). Here's what it looks like:



What do you think?

I'll take my vernier caliper and measure the width of the blade, mark the shape of the spine onto to edge side and look at trying to shape a smile. I have a diamond plate and 220/1K Norton, and I could probably find some glass to place sandpaper on. I don't have any fine files at all. What would be the best way to shape the edge? Do I run the blade along the surface, as if cutting? I'm assuming I don't want to use the 1K, so as not to damage it (unless I use the side of the stone)?

Haven't done anything like this, so hoping I can get some advice...

Thanks.

Assuming there's no frown , I would hone as is. If you add extra emphasis towards the the heel and toe as you hone it will naturally acquire a slight smile, shouldn't take long the way your razor looks and will offer more practice for a rolling x stroke instead of bread knifing your way to your desired amount of smile.

What Euclid meant by straight, at least how I read it, he was referring to the amount of "tooth" to the edge, looks like micro serrations. As you look at the edge as you move through your progression, the edge will get less and less tooth. By the 8k hone I expect not to be able to see any tooth when I'm done on it (30x, iirc). The tooth is a reflection of the scratch pattern on the bevels, assuming the bevel is set. any scratches in your bevels that are larger than the stria left by your finishing hone will be felt in the shave, ime.