So I have been working on learning to hone.

First attempts months ago were trying to bring back an ebay W&B using the Red Trader barber hones. There was some pitting right on the edge so I needed to hone that out. Needless to say I got nowhere *sloooowlllyyyy* and spent far to many hours on this. It was kind of sharp but not nearly shave ready and I didn't have the microscope to see the edge yet. I kind of left this be for awhile since I wasn't shaving with the straights yet anyway.

Since switching to straights I figured I'd start working on learning honing again. So I went back to the same W&B but this time was armed with a Norton 220/1000 to get a good bevel. Took quite a bit of work with this as the pitting was deeper then I thought. I was getting a little fed up and got a little aggressive with this. I finally got through the bad metal on the edge (as seen through the RS microscope) and then moved onto a Blue/Yellow combo stone but still couldn't get a decent edge on it. I think the bevel isn't even from my aggressiveness earlier and I also put on a lot of hone wear.. probably should have taped the spine while I was honing out the bad metal. Live and learn.....

So I figured I'd move onto what should be a smaller easier honing project. A LeGrelot I bought a few weeks ago. It shaved nice the first day but then pulled and was uncomfortable ever since so I haven't used it much. I started on the couticle and gave it 5 nice easy passes. Edge didn't seem any sharper. Five more.... still not sharper. Repeat several more times. Under the 'scope I could see I was basically polishing the top edge of the bevel (nearest the heel) not the edge itself. The top edge was nice and shiny but the edge was still darker.

So I taped the spine and started over. Immediately the feel of the razor on the stone changed. Now it felt more like it was getting sharper and starting to stick to the stone. After I number of passes I checked it on the scope again. One side looked pretty good the whole way across but on the other side some areas the edge was getting shiny (and loosing the little bright dots it had earlier) but in other places the edge was still dark and I was polishing slightly lower down the bevel not the edge.

OK... so I took it down to the blue with a little bit of pressure for a few passes to see about setting a good bevel. Every five passes I checked it under the scope and was making nice progress getting the edge to look flat/shiny and it was starting to get really sticky feeling on the TPT. The front of the razor would pass the HHT but not the rear. So I worked on the back more and got it looking/feeling sharper but still not passing HHT. I didn't want to overhone so I then took it to the couticle again. Made 5 passes or so and checked it under the scope and the edge was getting polished up pretty nicely. Another 5 passes or so and it looked better then I had ever gotten an edge before so I figured I'd call it a night (been working on it for maybe 2 hours slowly and I'm getting tired) and try it in the morning.

I bring it over to the sink to wash off the slurry. Then dry it carefully with a paper towl, close the blade and set it on the counter top. As I'm moving my hand away the paper towl (in the same hand) snags on the monkey tail of the LeGrelot and pulls it to the abyss. I watch in slow motion as it falls to my tiled floor. Hits the floor (blade closed), bounces with the blade now opened and hits the floor again.

I stop breathing... I can't look.....

The blade is partially in the scales again sitting on the floor. The blade didn't shatter, the scales are intact. I slowly put the paper towl down and reach for the LeGrelot to check it out.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The blade had bit into a scale on the second bounce and a small chip of blade is imbedded in the scale. I'd much prefer it still be attached to the blade itself. Right out of the middle of the blade. It is small chip.... the metal itself on the broken edge is slightly curled out where the chip is. Other then that and the bite in the scale the rest of the razor looks OK.

I think it can be honed out but obviously I will be making the LeGrelot a little skinnier. For course stones I have the Norton 220/1000 combo stone and a DMT8C.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

I assume while I am working on getting the chip out I keep the spine taped to avoid loads of hone wear?

Should I backhone at least until the curled part of the chip is gone?

Should I work on another ebay special to figure this all out before touching the LeGrelot again?

Comments, suggestions, rude remarks?

Thanks,

Shawn