Thread: Can't keep an edge

Extra tape will do little to prevent a flexing blade. Reduced pressure will prevent it.

Originally Posted by cau

This CH Laurent is a 5/8 full hollow. I'm a bit concerned that if I use [too much] pressure, I'll flex the blade and just widen the bevel instead of flattening the existing bevel. Is that why you recommend a second layer of tape? To counteract the blade flex? If so, I might try that if I need to go back to 1K on this blade. As few bevels as I hope to have to set in the next few years, if I could succeed with this King I wouldn't need the new Naniwa. I'd rather dedicate the money toward a new finisher.

The best finisher in the world won't be worth two cents if your bevels are not set properly. It may not seem as glamorous, but the bevel setter is the most important hone in your progression.

So pressure is the thing we cannot quantify and does not translate well, with words.

Don’t use so much, that you flex the blade, but use more than you are, so you flatten the bevel and hone to the edge.

Ink the bevel and do a couple of laps, then look at it. If you are not reaching the edge or not removing ink and steel, use a bit more pressure.

Keep inking the bevel and watching what different amounts of pressure do to the contact on the bevel. If the bevels are inked and you use too much the blade will flex and lift the edge off the stone, (use a bit less). If you use lite pressure and are reaching the edge, just not fully, (then you need a bit more pressure).

You can ink the edge by lightly placing the sharpie on the edge and running it from heel to toe. The edge will bite into the fiber tip lightly and ink, just the tip on both sides of the bevel, which is all you really need, just takes a second. Colored ink, it is much easier to see with the naked eye.

There are 2 options, more pressure or more laps. Somewhere between is the happy medium. Also the condition of the spine, hone wear, straightness and condition of the existing bevel comes into play.

Sounds like this razor will be a good one to learn how much pressure is just right for you.

I’ve been mentoring a guy off line and telling him for months to add a bit more pressure, he finally got it the other day. Just keep inking and trying, eventually it will come together for you.
The King is a fine stone, there are others that feel smoother or rougher, may be a bit faster or slower, but they all leave 1k stria.

Adding tape increases the angle, if the spine has excessive hone wear or was last honed with tape, you will need to increase the angle with tape or flatten the whole bevel to the new angle, it will also be wider without or less tape. The width really does not matter other than looks, it will not be that much wider...

Honing circles until you have flattened the bevels will speed up the bevel set. Once you are honing to the edge and have a flat bevel, then do X laps to even out the stria pattern and straighten the edge. Here again use the amount of pressure that is needed to hone to the edge. Use ink to chart your progress.

Some excellent info there!!!


I certainly learned something!!

Ian

Thank you for the quick reply. I sincerely appreciate it. May I ask a few more questions? The Joseph Allen razor has a lopsided smile towards the toe end of the blade. I am contemplating using black tape on the spine near the gap making the smile. I can hone the toe end w/o tape, but the heel end is difficult. Will using the tape help. The opposite side of the blade the edge is rather even. Maybe a bit heavy on the heal end.
Next question. You said just keep honing on the Ark stone. I have three diamond hones, course, med, and fine. Would the course diamond expedite the process?
Last question. I have read and heard about the use of black tape on the spine. I tried it once but the lub would cause the tape to come loose. The question is, what is the purpose of the tape, and how would you keep it attached to the spine edge if the lubrications continue to loosen the adhesive?
Again. Please know that I really and deeply appreciate the help I receive from anyone here on this site.

Thank you for the information. First know that I am completely illiterate on computers. I have been cruzing this site, and it is all confusing to me. It is like reading Russian. Posting a picture. I have absolutely no idea how to do that. You mention read this thread first, but no thread is referenced so I don't understand what thread to go to.

Hi Utopian,
You say it is pretty much o.k. to start a new thread. How do you do that?

Marshall,
You mention 1000 grit. What brand, and where do you buy it with confidence. I would appreciate knowing this. Currently I have three sets of hones, Diamond, Water stones up to 8000 and Arkansas (soft, black and translucent). I bought the Arkansas from "Best Sharpening Stones. Com".
Thank you for your perspective.

Originally Posted by Glock27

Marshall,
You mention 1000 grit. What brand, and where do you buy it with confidence. I would appreciate knowing this. Currently I have three sets of hones, Diamond, Water stones up to 8000 and Arkansas (soft, black and translucent). I bought the Arkansas from "Best Sharpening Stones. Com".
Thank you for your perspective.

You mention having water stones already, what brand are they?

The four commonly recommended hone brands are Norton, King, Naniwa, and Shapton. Lynn at "Straight Razor Designs.com" has quite a few 1000 grit water stone options, and all of them should work for straight razors. Look at the left side of the screen under categories, and click the "Sharpening Center" tab. Every water stone on that page will work with straight razors.

The cheapest option will be either the Naniwa Traditional 1000, or the King 1000. Everyone here seems to ignore the the Traditional but it got a pretty good Review from Lynn, and if it's good enough for him it would be more than good enough for me. Unfortunately Lynn doesn't carry King water stones so you'll have to find that elsewhere. My go-to is Amazon. As for myself, I went with the Norton 1000 because I started off with their 4000/8000 combination hone and wanted to keep it all in the same line start to finish. When it came time to replace those, I stayed with the same hones because they work and I didn't want to learn a new system. Only difference was I went with single grit stones rather than combination stones.

Edit/Bonus:

Originally Posted by Glock27

Hi Utopian,
You say it is pretty much o.k. to start a new thread. How do you do that?

If you're in a section of the forums where that is allowed, toward the top of the page on the left you'll see a "Start New Thread" button.

Originally Posted by Glock27

Hi Utopian,
You say it is pretty much o.k. to start a new thread. How do you do that?

At the top left of each forum is a big button that reads +Post New Thread. Just click that & start typing. (See pic below)

To add pictures follow this tutorial:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/site-...-pictures.html