Thread: Removing Tiny Chips

Honemeisters, I have a couple of ebay blades that I picked up real reasonable that have tiny chips on the edge. I'm talking 1/32nd to 1/64th. Nothing deeper that the bevel.

My question is will these come out if I just reset the bevel and do a normal honing or do I need to do something alittle more drastic?

TIA,

Draw the blade in circles over a medium coarse. One hundred circles on one side, flip and the same on the other. TNT (Sharpness tests explained - Straight Razor Place Wiki) to feel for bumps. Repeat if necessary. I roll the pressure up and down the edge throughout just like during the Rolling X.

X

PS What does your sig say TIA?

The idea is to remove metal but to keep symmetry between both sides of the bevel. Like Xman said circles but I do 10 on each side and also another 10 of a paddling or swatting motion in between. Not a lot of pressure but more then just the weight of the blade. Magnification with a hand held microscope or eye loupe is very helpful to me. I check the blade with a loupe or microscope as I am progressing as well as doing the TNT.

I have done the bread slicing thing on seriously chipped blades but now I try to avoid that as it is pay me now or pay me later situation. One way or the other you have to work to get the bevel back on. I always tape the spine with one layer when I hone but even if you don't normally tape spines it is advisable to do so if you are removing chips in this fashion.

Thanks guys I will definitely use your methods. I am very familiar with circle stroke sharpening as that is my preferred method for sharpening my knives. Never thought to use for razors.

Thanks X and Jimmy

Ooh yeah xman TIA = thanks in advance

Sorry, I meant the oriental characters in your signature, but thanks for the netspeak lesson.

X

lol it does look like you asked tia.

Circular or japanese style honing is good when the blade has no smile or frown at all. If you have a blade with a big smile, circular honing will just wear in the middle of the blade, typically. Just pay attention and use caution.

Instead of circles, I just do back and forth passes if there is a big chip. On chips like you've described, I prefer to just hone normally with perhaps a bit of pressure. I'd rather be patient and ensure that the edge of the blade is properly shaped and even on both sides of the bevel than save myself 15 minutes. Haste does make waste, I've found after several years of haste.

Slowing down in my life has made me enjoy it much more.

Originally Posted by Ben325e

Circular or japanese style honing is good when the blade has no smile or frown at all. If you have a blade with a big smile, circular honing will just wear in the middle of the blade, typically.

Unless one does as i do and roll the blade from heel to tip and back during the circles.

X

Actually just finished them last night. Used a combination of light bread knifing on hone steel, circular on hone steel to start cutting the bevel, then the aggressive Norton pyramid in the wiki, followed by the non-aggressive pyramid to finish. 25 laps on linen and 50 laps on leather strop.

Shaved wonderfully.

Sorry Xman thought you meant the acronym. The kanji stands for Shooter.

Thanks for the ideas guys!!!