Thread: Undercutting better on one side?

If a razor is undercutting fantastically on one side but not so well on the other should the poor side be worked more than the side that is undercutting like mad?


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Keep it even until they perform the same. If you work one side more your bevel will be skewed, you want to keep them as even as possible.

You could try lightly killing the edge on your finger nail in the hopes of bringing both sides together at the same time. It is more common for me to have an area of the blade, like heel or toe, not undercutting, than one side. In any event, if you are not getting an even undercut your bevel is not set, which means it is not formed into a perfect 'V', likely more like a lopsided 'U'. I find a 30x loupe to be my best determining method for deciding when I need to move up or how I need to adjust my honing. Also, how is the hone wear? Are you using tape?

When I get this issue, it's usually because I am using different pressure on the away stroke versus the towards stroke. Also, when I am handholding a stone, it is usually at a light angle and doesn't undercut in one direction.

If one side is done and the other is not there yet, I don't' think killing the edge will change that. You just have to keep going till both bevels meet. At that point both sides will undercut the water.

Originally Posted by RezDog

You could try lightly killing the edge on your finger nail in the hopes of bringing both sides together at the same time. It is more common for me to have an area of the blade, like heel or toe, not undercutting, than one side. In any event, if you are not getting an even undercut your bevel is not set, which means it is not formed into a perfect 'V', likely more like a lopsided 'U'. I find a 30x loupe to be my best determining method for deciding when I need to move up or how I need to adjust my honing. Also, how is the hone wear? Are you using tape?

Its a brand new razor. Not using tape. Im learning how to hone on it. I free hand knives all the time and would consider myself pretty good at it but with razors, which I thought would be a lot easier, have their own little quirks. I'm finding that equal pressure plays a big role. I can feel the edge changing after one sloppy stroke so I'm guessing consistency is the key here. I tried to set the bevel but maybe I didn't go long enough. Not sure if both sides were undercutting with the 1k.

Razors are definitely NOT a lot easier than free-handing knives; in fact, they can be a lot harder, or at least trickier, and you have to pay much closer attention to see/feel/hear if you are doing it to the desired effect. I have experienced the one side thing. Just keep honing both sides all along the bevel until you are undercutting equally on both sides.

Learning to read "the wave" as I call it was one of the milestones for me in razor honing.

It means you are using uneven pressure while honing

Using uneven pressure while honing without tape as a beginner, most often leads to twice the issues

Read the Wave is absolutely correct if you lose the wave you are no longer honing correctly.. There are actually two forces at work when honing..

Pressure
Torque

You have to learn to adjust them to keep that wave /undercutting even at all times

What do you mean by "lose the wave"?

Reading / Riding that wave adjusts pressure and torque for you while honing

As you set the bevel the wave will be more in front of the edge and because of the bevel irregularities you will need to apply more pressure & torque to keep it there EVENLY throughout the stroke..

As the edge gets "sharper" and the bevel gets smoother the wave will begin to undercut and ride up on the blade face, you will dial down the Pressure and Torque to keep it EVEN as you do each stroke..

As you get into the finishing aspect of honing the Pressure and Torque will be very light because the edge will want to almost suction to the hone, but the undercut of that wave needs to stay even as you do each stroke

If you lose the wave because you are either not Torquing toward the edge or you are wrongly applying downward pressure and the water goes UNDER the edge you are no longer honing you are just wasting steel or worse honing right behind the bevel and wrecking your earlier work

Reading that wave as stated above will keep everything correct