Henkels Friodur Warped Edge?

I've got a new (old stock) SS 7/8 Friodur/Henkels that I've been trying to get shave ready. After many (>300) laps on a freshly lapped Norton 4K, I've got no bevel at the heel and toe on one side, and the other side has no bevel in the middle. Basically, those parts without the bevel are not hitting the stone. I've looked closely with my Radioshack plastic microscope...believe me there is no bevel in those spots. My technique is good (I have successfully honed 3 ebay specials that now give a close, smooth shave and pass the HHT), and I pay attention to details. What gives? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks,

instantcrow

I've got the exact same problem with a Wapi (I guess 1 problem out of three for that price ain't so bad aye?). I think the spine is bent. I've read that you can hammer it out, but let's wait for some honemiesters to show up.

-Brian

No honemeister here, but try this: Take a magic marker and color the edge of the blade black on both sides. Then do 5-10 laps on the 4K, and observe whether the marker is rubbing off evenly. If it matches the pattern of the bevel, then we've learned that either there is something wrong with the blade or with your stroke. It sounds like the problem is probably the blade.

Usually, you can get these blades shaving, but you'll have to learn a few tricks. Let's figure out what the problem is and go from there. :)

Josh

I think mine is the blade for sure. I honed up two others (Wapi's) and they came out pretty good (one perfect and the other needs a little more work). I've read in the forum that others have come across this issue [bent spine] here and there with these things.

When it's bent, what's the best way to approach hammering these things out?

I have an old Genco (that I bought on ebay to learn to hone) with exactly the same problem. Viewed from the end, the edge is slightly u-shaped. I did the magic marker trick and it confirmed the problem.

By the way, my Wapi has a slight twist; while the spine and edge are both pretty straight, they don't have a plane in common.

Needless to say, I've had some trouble getting both to shaving condition on my Norton. I've been thinking of getting a narrow coticule and having a go with that, but I'll be watching this thread for tips!

bth88,

I have a sneaking suspicion that if you were to attempt hammering the offending parts of the straight razor straight, you would end up with an assortment of shards. These things are hardened to the point of brittleness and tend to lose parts when struck or dropped. If you can wear away enough metal to get surfaces into the same plane, it should work just fine, other wise you have a nice looking piece of steel with a well respected name on it that will make a nice candidate for a cute little wooden frame to be hung somewhere.

good luck, Bruce

Warped blades are not uncommon. After that much honing with the Norton though, you definitely have some HSI (Hone Scene Investigation) to do. Hammering the spine is a possibility but I wouldn't recommend it as it's really easy to crack the steel. Given the amount of warpage, you might do better with a narrow stone that would allow you to hone with the contour of the warp. Call me and we can talk about some options.

I've had a few of these that I really didn't think ever had a final grinding. I have used as many as 500 circle strokes with them to correct the problem with not much impact or damage to the blade. Normally I would think that that is way too much and I would have expected some significant flattening. If the blade truly has some warpage to it, a 45 degree angle stroke seems to work the best.

Have fun.

Lynn