Thread: Problems setting bevel

Its been a while since i've had a problem I had to post about and usually I would just go to the chat and ask someone there but this is bound to be a problem others will face so I thought it merited a thread.

I finally got around to honing a Wade and Butcher custom that I had bought from AaronX. Is gorgeous work. There was no bevel on it though. No problem I thought, i've managed to hone successfully before. I'll nail this one easy. Started on 8K norton which did for AGES until something appeaing like an edge appeard. It was particularly difficult because there is a curve to the tip. But its getting there. When satisfied I took it to the 4K for a while and then finished on the japanese hone I have. This is a usual progression for me. My Dovo Black star which was honed originally by poona (he set the bevel a while back and its been excellent) has been dealt with this way when it needed a touch up with excellent results.

So i'm honing the W+B fine and the edge LOOKS fine- i'm using my new microscope to see the edge. It looks identical to the edge of the Dovo by the naked eye as well. And it also feels like its dragging when I run my thumb over it so it feels like it SHOULD be sharp.

Then I run it over the back of my arm to test hairs there. Nothing. Nothing at all. I mean its not even catching the hairs there painfully. Its running over them like silk.

What the SMURF???

So while I go touch up the Dovo and reluctantly shave with it, please tell me- whats going wrong here? Is there no bevel set? It *looks* the same but if it cant pick up hair on the back of my arm there is no WAY its going near the hair on my face!

Started on 8K norton which did for AGES until something appeaing like an edge appeard. It was particularly difficult because there is a curve to the tip. But its getting there. When satisfied I took it to the 4K for a while and then finished on the japanese hone


if you done this then you have done it wrong.this could be typing mistake i don;t know.
Now how you do set bevel
should go
4k
8k
then japanese i am not sure grit of it.they are different should be at least >8k
then you can go to chr o2 ,strop s etc
As you said you do have microscope
after setting bevel with 4k check the edge should looks like this ^^^^^^^
8k edge this -------------
more you go up edge should like smoother
hope this helps
no go back for 4k or have to do a lot more on 8k(will make you tired) and let us know result
good luck hope this helps.
just don't give up easely

Yeah, if it's not catching the hairs at all, then the bevel is not set. It's hard to say whether the dragging feeling during your TNT is the correct feeling or something else, but there's no reason for the blade to slide over arm hair if there's a proper bevel.

I'd say hit the 4k again and proceed as recommended above.

It was a typo I started on the 4k. Then went to the 8k. The japanese hone has no set grit but I estimate it to be between 12 and 16k.

Sounds like the edge is still thick. You probably have the beggining of a bevel, but it isn't getting the edge thin yet. Do you have a 1K grit? I hand grinded a blade down square, far beyond the bevel to take out a frown, and it took forever on a 1K to get a sharp bevel back. So long that I almost gave up. So I imagine on a 4K it would take far too long to go from square or round edge to triangle bevel.

When you set the bevel, there is a very precise sharp V formed. If you run your thumb on the edge, you will not cut it, but you will feel a hairy gritty feel to the edge. You can achieve this with 1000 grit wet and dry paper that you can purchase at Halfords. 1000, grit or 1200 grit or 1500 grit, they will all work. If you don't get the gritty feeling, you have not pressed hard enough. Usually 5 to 10 return passes are sufficient on this low grit paper.

The 4K then makes the gritty feel reduce, but the hairy feeling remains.

Same again with the 8K but the hairy feel gets finer.

The hairy feel is the grip that catches your arm hairs. No hairy feeling no gripping and cutting of the arm hairs.

If the hairy feeling goes, you have over honed or pressed to hard or put a burr on the blade and will need to go back to the 1000 grit.

If you have chromium oxide or flat bed newspaper, this will finally finish your honing by polishing the edge to a mirror shine. This polishing will make the blade edge feel smoother on your face.

Finally, to bring the edge in line, a good stropping (50 passes minimum) on leather is essential. Then, your arm hairs should cover the blade in little bits and your shave should be great. The shave gets better then after each honing.

Incidentally, after the leather honing. you should not feel the edge, but if you do, the edge should frighten you and you should feel the blade almost stick to your skin.. Re strop a few returns if you do do this.

Hope this helps.

I have 1200 grit sandpaper so i'll use that. Does it need to be wet? Does it need to be attached to glass?

I dont have ChrOx sadly.

Sandy,

There is nothing wrong with a "sensible" amount of pressure being added when creating the bevel. For ages, all I used was the 4K side of the Norton to set bevels, and I found some pressure was useful when doing so. Two hands, a bit of pressure, some circle-work occasionally.

Good luck,

James.

Circle work? Is that from the same school as this guys honing technique?

YouTube - Straight Razor Honing on a Brick (This is a joke)