Thread: Honing this TI toe

Gents, I'm not able to get a good edge on the toe of this razor. I think it's because it has a slight smile (half smile?!)/fade at the tip.

Tips appreciated on overcoming this challenge - rolling x-stroke?

I would say a rolling X or more of a windshield wiper stroke

Use the magic marker on the edge and find the stroke that removes it all.

Raise the toe to get the heel and the heel to get the toe. Whatever stroke but there are very few blades that are dead flat.

Yeah the windscreen wiper occurred to me but wanted some input before going off my instinct.

Thanks, all.

What does the other side look like?

Hard to say from a photo, but it looks like you do not have much of a bevel at the toe. If so, more than likely the edge is warped, and you are not making full contact at the edge. It does not take much warp or twist to lift the edge off the stone.

Put the razor on a flat surface and see if the blade has a warp or twist. As said Ink the bevel and see where you are making contact. You can also ink the spine and do a single stroke on a high grit stone, just to see where the spine is making contact.

You do have some deep scratches on the spine over the heel and at the tang. Pay attention to your stroke as honing on the tang will lift the edge off the stone.

If twisted or warped, you will have to adjust your stroke to compensate. You will not be able to hone the razor with both the heel and toe on the stone at the same time. You will need to hang the heel off the stone to hone the tip and hone the razor with one inch of the stone from the right edge if you are right-handed.

Also make sure you are not using too much pressure as a razor without a stabilizer will flex easily. And you should be using tape to protect the spine, at least until you have mastered honing.

Post a pic of the other side and good shots of the bevels and spine.

Well, here's my two cents. Normally if the toe isn't getting any love I don't worry about it. That last 3/16" or so doesn't need to shave. But you have a good 1/2" there to be concerned with and so corrective action is called for. Rolling x works. But me, I am usually inclined to straghten out the bevel instead of working around it, if practical. (sometimes it's not!) If you look at your edge you will see it has a sharp bend right under the trailing part of the first capital "E" in the blade etch. By hitting your bevel setter or even a somewhat coarser stone, maybe a 600k synthetic or around there, and placing a finger on the blade right there at the "E" but closer to edge than spine, and just doing back and forths on one side and then the other, you will reduce that point and restore the edge to a straight edge or a slight smile, whatever blows your skirt up. Me, I would NOT use tape, but do make sure you are not applying all your pressure to the spine. Yes, some spine steel should come off. It is natural. It maintains the design bevel angle. But too much spine removal and you are making the bevel angle too acute. Of course it is your razor, tape it if you want. Just saying what I do and don't.

Another thing. If you hone in hand, you automatically avoid many common honing mistakes by letting razor and hone find their own alignment and letting the hone yield to excessive pressure. Honing in hand, coupled with a hearty x stroke, almost automatically rolls the hone enough to catch a slight smile from end to end, and you can deliberately roll the hone for deeper smiles, or hold it more rigidly and use less x stroke for very straight edges.

The razor is not far gone. Yeah there may be some warp but I can't tell from the pics. When you see deep wear at the spine on the toe end and a very slender whisp of a bevel at the toe on that same side, and the opposite on the other side of the razor, and reverse at the heel, you have a classic twisted razor. The edge is not parallel to the spine. In extreme cases you have to either kludge around it and not fix the real problem because the steel just isn't there, or toss the razor. EXTREME cases. Usually, if you just hone it, it will hone. A bevel having consistent surface width from one end of the razor to the other is NOT a requirement. A razor with bevel width on one side equal to the other, is not required either, but is usually correctible if you insist. A frown can always be dealt with, and should. What you have, you can either work with it or fix it. Me, I would fix it but you don't have to.

The sharpie test is an excellent diagnostic! I enthusiastically agree with that recommendation, but you pretty much already know what you got.

Wow, thanks for the thorough replies, all.

I'm in the deal with it not work around it camp, so will try and correct it tonight.

The spine looks pretty wonky with uneven wear and the tap and wobble is a fail.

I've not taped the spine and do hone with hone in left hand.

I'll play around with some of these tactics you've kindly suggested and scrutinise the sharpie test more closely.

Thanks for the tips, this forum is just as helpful now as when I first joined in the noughties.