Thread: 2nd Attempt at Honing

A few weeks back I posted a thread about my first attempt at honing. Other than a small chip, that little KAMA was simple to hone and came out very sharp.

My 2nd honing attempt has not been quite so simple.

I picked up three antique store razors this week: an Oxford, a Lee's Warranted, and a Keen Kutter.

I decided to try the Oxford first. It had some minor chipping in the bevel, so I followed the advice in a thread I found here, and I dulled/killed the edge to get a fresh start.

After that, I couldn't seem to set a good bevel. It just wouldn't get sharp. I found a vid online which suggested that old razors tend to have worn spines, so multiple layers of tape can be necessary. I tried 3 layers of tape, and suddenly it started to sharpen up.

I have Naniwa hones, and took it through the 1k, 5k, 8k, 12k, and then Shapton 16k. I finished with .5 and .25 diamond spray, and then some stropping. It was popping arm hairs and felt sharp, so I tried shaving with it.

Unfortunately, while it can shave, it certainly wasn't the best shave. The KAMA I honed a few weeks back cuts through whiskers much more efficiently.

So what's the next step for this not-quite shave ready razor? The 3 layers of tape apparently worked, do I try that again and continue to try to set a better bevel? Should I try some of the higher grit stones and just try to refine it somewhat? Experiment with another layer of tape (or one less) to see what happens?

Also, is there a way to tell how far a spine has been worn, and how many layers of tape might be needed, or is that a trial and error situation? For example, is there a standard spine width, and is there a relationship between spine and blade width to get a proper bevel angle?

Thanks!

Worn spines should have worn edges too. Unless there is something very wrong with the razor, you never should need three layers of tape. How much hone wear is there?

Killing the edge before starting honing is about equivalent to breaking your leg before starting to train for a marathon. What is the point in dulling an edge that you are trying to sharpen?

If you are not happy with the shave, then you can try honing on a midrange hone, but the odds are that the bevel set is not complete. You actually can shave off of a 1k hone's edge. If you cannot, then the odds are low that your work on the higher grit hones will fix it.

Have you looked at the bevel under magnification e.g. loupe, microscope? Have you inked the edge to see where and how you are progressing? I agree with Utopian - If the bevel isn't completely set your efforts are for nil. Good luck hope you succeed!

As far as spine to blade width ratio goes, yes there is a standard ratio. The range is from 3.5-4.0 to 1.0

I agree the bevel may be lacking but did you strop it with 3 layers of tape ? Wondering if the edge actually met leather.

Originally Posted by Utopian

As far as spine to blade width ratio goes, yes there is a standard ratio. The range is from 3.5-4.0 to 1.0

Note that the width should be the 'active width' in other words from the edge to the upper most spot on the spine that still touches the hone.

Thanks for the replies, folks.

Sounds like I used too much tape (I was also concerned what how that would affect stropping). I'll drop it down a layer and try again. It didn't want to sharpen up at all with one layer, and took off when I added more layers, but that could be a correlation vs causation issue.

Also, would a set of calipers be something to invest in?

Originally Posted by sonnythehooligan

Also, would a set of calipers be something to invest in?

In my opinion yes. They only cost $10-$15

I have honed several Oxford razors and don't see any reason why you would need more than one layer of tape unless something is quite wrong with it. Is there any chance that you could post photos of the razor?

When you killed/dulled the edge did you do so to the point that the chipping also disappeared? If you did that it will take quite some time on a 1K to really reset the bevel with one layer of tape on the spine. You have to get the bevels to meet at the edge all along the blade to have a bevel set. It does not matter how much you polish the bevels if they have not met to form an edge.

Bob