Thread: How to Hone a Wedge (no hollow)

Is there a how to on how to hone a true blue unhollowed wedge? Do you just need say 3 layers of electric tape to create an angle? Does anybody not use tape? I just bought two old W&B wedges on the bay.

I've never seen a true "flat grind" wedge. Others probably have though. I seem to recall Joe Chandler saying he'd never seen a true flat grind either. I have a Bengall that is closer to a flat grind than even two of the choppers I own. At a glance looking at the toe head on, you'd swear it was a perfect triangle. Even so, upon closer inspection, that Bengall still has a very slight hollow to it.

Your idea for honing should work just fine and prevent you from not only honing forever, but would also eliminate the potential for hefty and uneven spine wear that wedges seem to exhibit much more frequently than hollow ground razors.

Chris L

If you tape the spine, you will develop a distinct V or U at the edge of the blade

However, if you ever need to remove that V, you will have to remove a lot of metal.

Just think about that before you use tape.

Developing the new V with tape is easy. Removing it will take forever.

I give you this warning not because taping a wedge is such a bad thing, but plastic is not metal and you will find your V is not as precise with a taped spine, because the plastic also gets honed and so you may end up with a curved V not a precise flat edged V. Flat V's are good, Curved V's are bad.

So my advice would be to try first to get a grippy edge without taping. If you can do this at the 8000 grit level, then move onto Chromium Oxide on a flat bed leather hone. Don't overhone or you will quickly loose that grippy edge.

When you have smoothed the edge on the Chromium Oxide then go to a flat bed leather hone to strop and then see if you are happy with the shave.

If you can not get this process to work for you, then, go to the tape.

For the record, I have found it is easy to get that grippy edge on a "full" wedge with 1000 grit wet and dry
paper but I find it easy to overhone and loose the grippy edge as I progress to refine and smooth the edge.

So once you have a grippy edge, I have found that less strokes rather than more in your polishing development is better.

I hope this makes sense.

Originally Posted by English

If you tape the spine, you will develop a distinct V or U at the edge of the blade

However, if you ever need to remove that V, you will have to remove a lot of metal.

Just think about that before you use tape.

Developing the new V with tape is easy. Removing it will take forever.

I give you this warning not because taping a wedge is such a bad thing, but plastic is not metal and you will find your V is not as precise with a taped spine, because the plastic also gets honed and so you may end up with a curved V not a precise flat edged V. Flat V's are good, Curved V's are bad.

So my advice would be to try first to get a grippy edge without taping. If you can do this at the 8000 grit level, then move onto Chromium Oxide on a flat bed leather hone. Don't overhone or you will quickly loose that grippy edge.

When you have smoothed the edge on the Chromium Oxide then go to a flat bed leather hone to strop and then see if you are happy with the shave.

If you can not get this process to work for you, then, go to the tape.

For the record, I have found it is easy to get that grippy edge on a "full" wedge with 1000 grit wet and dry
paper but I find it easy to overhone and loose the grippy edge as I progress to refine and smooth the edge.

So once you have a grippy edge, I have found that less strokes rather than more in your polishing development is better.

I hope this makes sense.

it does make sense and I've had good luck wtih 1k paper so I'll try it. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Chris L

I've never seen a true "flat grind" wedge. Others probably have though. I seem to recall Joe Chandler saying he'd never seen a true flat grind either. I have a Bengall that is closer to a flat grind than even two of the choppers I own. At a glance looking at the toe head on, you'd swear it was a perfect triangle. Even so, upon closer inspection, that Bengall still has a very slight hollow to it.

Your idea for honing should work just fine and prevent you from not only honing forever, but would also eliminate the potential for hefty and uneven spine wear that wedges seem to exhibit much more frequently than hollow ground razors.

Chris L

you are right! one is mm from being a true triangle but not quite, and the other is a couple of mm, so I may just be able to hone these straight up.

I suspect I can address the honing of the tape issue by doing professional strokes rather than x strokes so that the tape wear is even.