Thread: New Ebay Find, Start to Finish

Handled well and properly without shortcuts as some people do just to preserve look but compromising the edge.

Which part of the progression was the standard vodka involved in?

Originally Posted by rodb

I killed a John Barber razor when I first started honing, trying to get it flat. Make the rolling x-stroke your friend, it will help with LOTS of razors. And also help with resale if you ever decide to sell a razor it won't have terrible looking hone wear

I once saw pics of a custom razor I had made, after the owner tried to hone it. It was a smiling razor, with correct spine geometry: curved spine, which means that when the blade is on the hone, the spine is not 'flat'. The owner then kept honing in order to make it flat...
So sad...

Originally Posted by Frameback

Handled well and properly without shortcuts as some people do just to preserve look but compromising the edge.

A rolling X stroke does not in any way compromise the edge.
There is zero benefit to grinding a razor flat, since even a bit of smile in the blade will also have a bit of smile in the spine, which means the spine will not be flat on the hone.

Originally Posted by Frameback

Handled well and properly without shortcuts as some people do just to preserve look but compromising the edge.

Which part of the progression was the standard vodka involved in?

The brainstorming phase.

Originally Posted by Frameback

Handled well and properly without shortcuts as some people do just to preserve look but compromising the edge.

Which part of the progression was the standard vodka involved in?

Fully agree. I like to lay flat all my razors on the hones as a starting point. This takes out variables, which in my experience so far, leads to more repeatable results and the most comfortable shaves achievable.

I'm still mad at myself for trying to hone that JB before I knew how to handle a smiling blade like that.

Another reason not to flatten the spine is that now there is a wide bevel in the center of the blade and it will probably develop a frown or not hold an edge as well there as the steel is to thin in that area, this would be especially true on an extra hollow. As Bruno said some blades have a spine that is not flat due to the blade style

Originally Posted by Bruno

I once saw pics of a custom razor I had made, after the owner tried to hone it. It was a smiling razor, with correct spine geometry: curved spine, which means that when the blade is on the hone, the spine is not 'flat'. The owner then kept honing in order to make it flat...
So sad...

Except many or most vintage razors were smiling to begin with. Grinding them flat is destroying the razor for the sake of not having to learn to hone properly. That is just reinforcement of ineptitude.

Vintage sheffield for example was virtually always smiling. Ive never seen a really straight john barber, joseph rodgers or wade and butcher.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I once saw pics of a custom razor I had made, after the owner tried to hone it. It was a smiling razor, with correct spine geometry: curved spine, which means that when the blade is on the hone, the spine is not 'flat'. The owner then kept honing in order to make it flat...
So sad...

Wheres the "not like" button.....

Originally Posted by Bruno

Vintage sheffield for example was virtually always smiling. Ive never seen a really straight john barber, joseph rodgers or wade and butcher.

I guess this explains why I have MUCH more success with a rolling X style stroke than attempting to hone with straight strokes, even on blades that appear for all intents and purposes to be straight.