Thread: Help setting an edge

If I buy razors from forum members whom I trust (and know what they're doing) I strop them as is. If I get one from ebay I do just as jscott said. I reset the base at the 4k side. Only I go backwards first, with spine at the front and blade trailing behind. This is just to reset the base. Then, just exactly as jscott said, I start my pyramids with blade edge facing normally. I always tape the spines on my razors to avoid hone wear, though you'll find different schools of thought in this forum on the need to do this. You'll have to decide to tape the spines or not from the start since this changes the actual bevel on the edge drastically. I find that this not only protects the blade during honing but the raised bevel makes the razor a little more forgiving with careless stropping in the evenings. Remove the tape immediatley after honing as the tape can trap moisture. You know this but stupid me had to learn this the hard way!
Ernest

JScott,

This has confused me since I bought my Norton last year: Mine is actually really slow. Doing 40 laps on an eBay razor, regardless of the pressure, wouldn't do beans. My Norton 4K doesn't seem any faster than my Belgian blue, which seems really odd to me.

That's what prompted me to get a DMT diamond hone. Maybe my Norton 4K is defective. It seems like some members think the 4K is fast, and others find it takes an eternity to do anything.

Steve, your 6x2 DMT will work very well for resetting the bevels on your eBay finds. Do tape the spine, because it'll wear them quickly. Perform X-patterns with light, even pressure. Do sets of 20 laps, doing a thumbnail test periodically to see how you're progressing. When the razor bites into the nail smoothly and evenly all along the edge, you're ready to go to the Belgian blue.

Have fun,
Josh

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

JScott,

This has confused me since I bought my Norton last year: Mine is actually really slow. Doing 40 laps on an eBay razor, regardless of the pressure, wouldn't do beans. My Norton 4K doesn't seem any faster than my Belgian blue, which seems really odd to me.

That's what prompted me to get a DMT diamond hone. Maybe my Norton 4K is defective. It seems like some members think the 4K is fast, and others find it takes an eternity to do anything.

Steve, your 6x2 DMT will work very well for resetting the bevels on your eBay finds. Do tape the spine, because it'll wear them quickly. Perform X-patterns with light, even pressure. Do sets of 20 laps, doing a thumbnail test periodically to see how you're progressing. When the razor bites into the nail smoothly and evenly all along the edge, you're ready to go to the Belgian blue.

Have fun,
Josh

Thank you, Josh! This is great information for me

Razors from Ebay usually have one thing in common, oxidised (rusted) steel on the edge. Before any decent bevel can be developed the oxidized steel needs to be removed. Usually either a 1200 DMT or 1000 grit sandpaper is used to remove this. Occasionally a 4K Norton will do the job. Use your microscope to look at your starting edge/bevel. Check every 20 laps or so. What you are looking for is a lack of rust colored spots/pits on the bevel and a uniform texture on the bevel and also on the edge. The 1000 grit range is very harsh on the edge of a razor so do no more than is necessary with that grit range.

Just my two cents,