All good points made by Oz… and your bevel is still not set and the edge is not straight.

First you must straighten the edge, breadknife or high angle honing, then fully set the bevel. You are using too much pressure and the blade is flexing, lifting the edge off the hone.

You cannot hone a razor like a knife.

Many of us have come to razor, as competent knife honers. We have all experienced what you are and come to the realization that honing razors is different than knives.

Yes, some stones are similar, and some technique is also similar, but the goals are quite different.

Getting to sharp is easy, getting to keen and smooth enough to shave facial hair without removing skin can be a trick. A razor must be keen, smooth… and shave comfortably.

Many can produce an edge capable of shaving, but there is a whole other level of shaving that is enjoyable and painless.

Often experienced knife honers come to razors and refuse to embrace the difference, they usually go away frustrated, disenchanted, and some angry, some very skilled and prolific knife makers. If you embrace the fact that the two disciplines are different and are willing, to let go of some “knife technique” you can make room to learn the razor honing process.

It can take at least a year to produce a good shave quality edge, stropping alone can take a year to get to the point where you are consistently improving an edge, a single errant stroke can trash an edge. There is shaving and there is shaving.

Add to the technique the added challenge of restoration and repair of an abused vintage razor. Much of what you are experiencing is that your razors need repair. It is not honing, but repair, and must be done before honing.

Once you are capable of consistently producing a comfortable shaving edge, a year or so later you will notice a marked improvement in your edges in comfort and keenness.


Accept that knife and razor honing are different and require different skills. You have been given good advice, you only need to follow it.

Which is not to say that advise is not available, keep swinging and practice the advice given. Posting photos of razors and edges will assist others in attempting to diagnose your technique.

Flatten your stone on a steel cookie sheet with Wet and Dry. Drywall screen is not flat. If you start out with a stone with issues you will introduce more variables into the honing process. We are talking microns here, eliminate the variables.

With a one dollar cookie sheet and a sheet of 220 wet and dry you can eliminate a big one. It’s a start.