I wondered why!

[Geezer]

Dug one out of my "to do" box,
Here are a couple photos of a nice looking blade which would not stop deforming or chipping while honing.
The back is fine... now!

And why didn't the front side hone?

I took a couple hours of chipping and then really looking for "WHY!"
The seller, may he be blessed!, was kind enough to buff/ grind some crud off the show side at the edge. Not apparent to me till I looked closely.
What looks like a wave..is! The blade was thinned in the area at the middle and that is why only this side looks like a frown when honing it. At the very edge, you may see the hone line as a dark line. Look between the arrows to see a better illustration.

Another hour should do the job....

Just sharing an experience!
~Richard