Thread: Even honing and terminology

I wanted to know exactly what setting the bevel means. I think this is when you are creating the basic cutting edge right? So setting the bevel is setting the initial angle of the cutting edge. Then finer grit hones and finishing hones refine the edge that you have created.

Also, I am just learning how to hone and notice sometimes while honing that one side feels differently on the hone than the other. For example, sometimes one side will start to "suction" to the hone while the other doesn't as much. Does this mean that I need to start doing more passes on the side that is not suctioning as much to try and get it to the point where it will start to feel more like the other? If I didn't, would this create a razor that cuts much better going one way than the other?

One thing you left out, was what kind of razor we are working on, and the initial condition of the razor... this would help quite a bit.....

But in general your statement is correct, the bevel is the meeting of the 2 sides of the razors edge into an equal, even, sharp point, or V.......

How you get there is a matter of opinion, and practice, but you have to get there, the single biggest mistake I see when I am honing razors that somebody else has attempted to hone, is in the lack of an established bevel.....
That first bevel, regardless of how you get there, should feel sticky sharp, when you touch it with your thumb pad, or the TPT (thumb pad test) it should be that way from the heel to the toe, some people use the Thumb Nail Test (TNT) but I have never felt as comfortable with it for testing sharpness I use it to check the initial edge for microchips and rough spots..... Then as you progress using whatever method you might chose, you are just refining and polishing that bevel.....

What Glen said.

I also like to think of the initial bevel creation as if it's the foundation of a house. If it's not robust and solid, everything you build on top will be compromised.

James.

Don't stress over the lack of suction on one side or the other. Ideally, both would feel the same but often it is the spine that causes a different feel and not the edge. It seems (to me) that a perfectly uniform width bevel on both sides is more often the exception than the rule.

Thanks a lot for the thoughts!

So when you are done setting the bevel on a razor (I would think that something like the 4k Norton would be appropriate for this in general), it should be sticky sharp? So it should be sticky on the thumb and drag all the way on the thumbnail? I like using the thumbnail better as it is a lot more difficult to cut oneself. I have cut my thumb before, I guess I dragged it for too long ;-)

Yes, it should be sticky sharp off a 1K, 4K and a 8K. The finer the grit the less the sensation of "teeth" on the edge.

By the way, how can you tell there is no well established bevel on a razor? What are the characteristics of such a razor?

Originally Posted by Lobop

By the way, how can you tell there is no well established bevel on a razor? What are the characteristics of such a razor?

It's dull

No seriously, pretty much unless you have had the razor honed by an experienced "Honemiester" it most likely doesn't have a bevel...... I still don't know what kind of razor we are talking about here, and that would really help narrow down my answers... Without some info I am only giving the most general of answers.....

Originally Posted by Lobop

By the way, how can you tell there is no well established bevel on a razor? What are the characteristics of such a razor?

Use the TNT. If the bevel is not developed then it will fail to dig into the nail for the full length of the edge. The places where the edge skates across the nail is dull, where it catches there is a nick and where it digs into the nail it is sharp. You want a uniform cutting into the nail. Do not use any pressure with this test. Also use the TPT . Try to correlate the results from the TNT and the TPT. The thumbnail test is done only on the coarser grits like the 1000 and the 4000. Not anything finer in grit.

Hope this helps,

One other thing: sometimes a blade will feel fairly sharp along it's entire length, but not have a proper bevel set. For instance, if the razor was sharpened for a long time on a pasted hanging strop. A properly set bevel will be sharp along it's entire length and ink applied to the bevel will be evenly and completely removed within a couple strokes on a hone. Anywhere ink remains after a couple strokes is a place that's not contacting the hone. You should keep working on your coarse hone until it passes this test or your fine hones won't be doing you any good.