Thread: Hard to Hone Razors

You need to track down that razor and find out what happened with it!

Originally Posted by Utopian

You need to track down that razor and find out what happened with it!

Well a moderator owns it- so it won't go far without someone knowing about it. Glen- good luck man! If you DO in fact get it shaving, please let me know EXACTLY how! lol

I just recently acquired a TI "LeGrelot" 6/8 from Edwin Jagger-although "pre-honed"-it wasn't nearly shave ready.

Although a very hard steel, I was able to form a beautiful bevel on a Shapton 1K glass hone-then as I progressed and refined the edge-it promptly lost its "bite"-negative TPT. Over 6 hours or so later and just about every hone I have

Finally, with a balsa strop and .5 micron diamond paste, it is now a reasonably good shaver-but I was close to calling it "unhone-able".

Persistence and Patience.... will get you through the tough to hone blades.

I tend to agree that the bevel has not been set. I know I have been guilty of doing this.

I have looked under magnification at a couple of edges that looked to be perfectly set. But they did not hone through to sharpness.

Next step for me was to put the pen marker on the spine and the edge and start again. The problem was I had not developed a perfect V edge. On one blade I had to go to a 400 grit hone to rectify matters.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

I need to disagree here- at least in my experience. There has been one razor that I could not get sharp. Good, but old Sheffield brand- a known one. Anyway- I honed this thing for literally hours- maybe 6 or 7 when all was said and done. It was carbon steel. No matter what I tried, the bevel would not get there. It would SEEM like it was- very sharp, passed the TNT, I even looked at the very edge straight up (to see the joining sides) under a microscope and things looked perfect. Still no matter what, it would not cut hair. Went through grits from 325 up to 8k and nothing. Up in grits, back down to 325 for a couple hours, etc. Just would not cut a hair. I swear everything about the bevel looked and felt perfect. I gave up and sent it back to the owner telling him to send it to Glen to see if he could do it and see if it frustrated him endlessly.

So at this point, I cannot answer one way or another, but do know there was a razor that I couldn't get sharp. Until I see THAT razor cutting hair- I won't believe in Glen's "any razor can pop hair" approach.

Oh woe unto you Alex!

The razor gods, and in particular, Glens little brother Thor, will get you for disagreeing with the Glens insight!

I only have Shaptons (glasstones) (besides some old arkansas stones), and like a lot of folks, I have a few razors that defy my best efforts.

I was wondering if there's something to what seems to be the 'different stones for different razors' point of view? What about it, HADdicts? If you have no luck on one stone, do you move to another type of stone? Have better luck with Eschers than Shaptons?

Just curious,

cass

Originally Posted by cassady

I only have Shaptons (glasstones) (besides some old arkansas stones), and like a lot of folks, I have a few razors that defy my best efforts.

I was wondering if there's something to what seems to be the 'different stones for different razors' point of view? What about it, HADdicts? If you have no luck on one stone, do you move to another type of stone? Have better luck with Eschers than Shaptons?

Just curious,

cass

I can only speak for myself. While I don't have a lot of stones (yet ) it's a part of the fun just to try different kind of pieces and take that feeling what kind of result is build up.
Of course I can manage with a one stone only but in my case it's not the option. Maybe I loose more money but for me it's only a money and the experiences are more worth than saving. I live only once and when I find something interesting for me I put a lot energy in to that. It helps to prevent ordinary life's ......hmmm......boredom..
cheers

Tony

I've hone a few razors from scratch, and they mostly go fairly well - until I hit upon this Clauss - it has magically appearing pits. I set the bevel on the 1k, under magnification it is shiny black, the bevel is even, and has no micro chipping or any pitting. I start to go up the 4k and a few passes on the 8k, go under the microscope, and the pits have reappeared.

I've honed it for close to 12 hours, but have hardly even taken off 1/32nd of steel - either that steel is hella hard, or it's swiss cheese and just mocking me.

I feel your pain, greenwoz, Glen, Alex...all of you! Boy, do I feel your pain!

But like everything else, we must carry on! Defeat is not an option! And other worldly epithets!

Mark

Originally Posted by cassady

I only have Shaptons (glasstones) (besides some old arkansas stones), and like a lot of folks, I have a few razors that defy my best efforts.

I was wondering if there's something to what seems to be the 'different stones for different razors' point of view? What about it, HADdicts? If you have no luck on one stone, do you move to another type of stone? Have better luck with Eschers than Shaptons?

Just curious,

cass

It has been said many times that certain razors respond better to certain stones. I have seen this myself. OTOH, sometimes I wonder if it isn't the Indian rather then the arrow.

I have run into an occasional "stubborn" razor. Each time it has been a well known brand and it seemed that the more I honed them, the more they simply perplexed me. I don't have a clue why this happens, but it does and I can only say that it's good to know I am not alone here........

What I have found is that usually just doing something different will bring the razor around. Sometimes it is changing a stone, sometimes more polishing strokes and sometimes a progression of pastes if I am getting close.
It is rare that I'll go all the way back to square one although I used to removing a lot of steel on the way. One good test on a stubborn razor is Glen's method of staying on the 4K stone until the razor shaves the hair on your arm and then go from there.

Have fun,

Lynn