Thread: Honing a W&B wedge, was giving me fits!

Ok I bought a W&B wedge not long ago while at a gun show, say it peaking out from under a glass case and nabbed it. Blade and scales are both in good shape for a razor that is 100+ years old. Well I have been trying to get it honed up so I could shave with this baby and 2 times now I thought oh heck it is taking arm hair I must have it only to be disappointed when it came time to test shave. So I finally purchased a pocket microscope and tonight I learned what an important tool that is to have and what in the world I am supposed to be doing with it!

So I decided that tonight I was going to play with getting a bevel set on this razor. Put on 3 layers of tape got a nice uniform bevel that I could see with my naked eye, removed 1 layer of tape and continued on 15 micron lapping film. Again I got a really nice even bevel, was sticky to the pad of my finger and was biting into my wet nail so I thought ok bevel set. I looked at it with my scope and far as I could see both side of the edge came down and met.

Onto my lesson, So I started going up 4k, 8k and 12k. 4k looked good then I went to 8k. The edge was polished except for what looked like a super fine grey line right at the very edge. I thought what in the world?? Went back to 4k for a bit all looked well, as soon as I would start getting a polish on my edge from 8k out would come this line! Finally under my scope I was able to find that when I had 3 layers of tape I had set my bevel, then once I removed the 1 layer of tape and thought I had re set my bevel I had in fact not!!! There was still stria pattern from the 15um lapping film at the very edge, That was the grey line I was seeing. Im not gonna lie it sure looked like it but, I had not actually brought both sides of the blade to an apex to create a bevel with 2 layers of tape like I had thought. So once I put 3 layers of tape back on and went to the lapping film it took only a few strokes to get my original bevel back and nice stria pattern. then 4k and on up.

Finally I have a wedge razor that I promise you will shave I have not one doubt in my mind! I have been chasing my tail and not getting why in the world I can get edges on every other razor I own except my wedges. Now I can see what in the heck I am doing so I believe my other wedge will be in rotation soon enough

Bottom line learn your tools and it no longer is work. Thanks for letting me get that out fellas, I hope this may help someone some day

Good job getting it figured out. its a good idea to kill the edge before resetting the bevel with a layer of tape removed. Otherwise your bevel tests won't tell you anything.

I will remember that I have another W&B wedge to get too that I have had even longer. I guess honestly I don't know why I was removing a layer of tape in the first place. I feel like I have read that at some point but can not remember for sure. I guess I will just stick with 3 layers of tape and be happy Thank you for the advice Bejay

I have heard of people adding a layer of tape before going to the finishing hone but never removing a layer of tape. In any event good work in figuring it all out in the end.

Bob

Why not start and finish with 4 layers of tape ?
Strop with no tape, weightless, tiny slack..
I love honing W & B.

[QUOTE=JOB15;1681248]Why not start and finish with 4 layers of tape ?
Strop with no tape, weightless, tiny slack..
I love honing W & B.[/QUOTE

Well I went with 3 initially because that is what felt right. Other than that I have no good answer for my actions. Like I said I really have no Idea why I removed 1 layer in the first place. Putting another layer back on was the right thing to do in any event. I finished everything with 3 layers, I have yet to strop it that will come in the a.m. once I get home