Thread: Finally asking for some honing advice

I've been trying to get an edge on a new wapi but I just can't seem to get it sharp.

Well fed up with the hassle of lapping and soaking the Norton I got a D8EE which is what I am trying to use to sharpen this. Add on to that previously I've not been confident with the one handed method so I've always used my other hand guiding the toe of the blade, and I've made a couple of changes which I think may be causing me problems. I'm no honemeister and, possibly stupidly, I've never had a "shave ready" razor. I've only ever done it myself but I've been quite happy with my two other blades.

It cuts some hairs but in general it just smoothly passes over the rest, no tugging though. In an effort to understand what is going wrong I just got a handheld microscope and I'd just like to check what I'm seeing.

Without the microscope I can see a nice even scratch pattern about 0.5mm wide along the edge. When inspecting with the microscope its generally a nice even scratch pattern (well it looks even to me) though there is still a little work needed in some areas, what I wasn't expecting though was an extra bright line that runs along the very edge of the blade. It is more pronounced on one side than the other. So I'm thinking is this either a wire edge or is it the two planes of the bevel not intersecting properly ?

Now being as every one was saying that the D8EE cuts as fast as the Norton 4K I was taking things slow I've not exactly counted but I reckon I've done between 50 and 75 laps (I know that is a large error but it is the best I can do) Is it that I just need to do some more passes to get the bevel established properly ?

Thanks for any help (and sorry for the long rambling post)

Barney

Sounds like a wire edge if it glides smoothly over your whiskers.
Go back to a coarer hone, give it a few laps and then about 10 on the polishing hone and see what you get.

I get by on a 8EE with about 10 passes and if it is difficult 15 at the most.

R

I've done a little more experimenting. Backhoned a couple of laps and looked again, one side had the shiny strip the other not, backhoned half a lap (ie only one side of the blade) and the shiny strip is now on the other side, do the other half of the lap and shiny is back on first side again. Try this with the strop and same effect can be seen. So is this shiny strip an indicator of the "fin" that stropping is supposed to be evening out.

Anyway about 6 laps of careful one handed honing and the heel of the blade is kinda passing the HHT test, I've never got a blade to pass the HTT without using the Chromium Oxide and then final strop before so this is a big improvement. I know the HHT is not the be all and end all but it is something to go by and by using it I've been relatively happy so far.

I think I'll be extra careful for the next 2 laps and go back to my usual two handed method with which I feel much more comfortable. Result is none of the blade passes HHT. 2 more laps but one handed again and now about half the blade is passing HHT again - I'm going to leave it for a bit, I don't want to screw it up and I'm feeling nervous.

Conclusion :- I'd better get more comfortable honing with one hand.

Barney

You know that Wapi's can be sorta finiky to hone sometimes, I would suggest PM'n Mike Ratliff he deals with these more than most of us.... He might have some real insight for you on Wapi's....

Yeah I nearly bought one from him.

The blade is slightly warped - only heel and toe on one side, and the middle on the other, touches the hone. So I'm using an X-pattern which appears to get the high middle as the heel comes off the hone and then I'm using a rocking motion (starting with the scales tilted down towards the table, so the heel makes contact and gradually lifting them during the stroke so that the middle and then the toe make contact) on the other side.

I feel like I made quite a lot of progress today, the fact that even some of the blade is passing the HHT off the 8K hone which I've yet to get my other razors to do is encouraging to me.

Thanks

Barney

A real quick way to get rid of a wire edge is to lightly run the edge of the blade across a matchstick or other soft wooden object. As in place the blade perpendicular to the surface at the heel of the blade, and draw the edge across like you were doing a TNT. I can't remember where I saw this, whether Lynn's video or somebody else's instructions, but it works like a charm. Wire edge is instantly gone, and a couple of passes on the D8EE and the blade is in near-perfect shaving form.