Thread: Rolling X Question

I haven't used the rolling x before so this question is more for general knowledge. As this stroke is for an uneven or slightly smiling blade, would you have to use the rolling stroke EVERY time you hone that razor, or does the blade somehow eventual even itself out?

Thanks,

Ryan

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I haven't used the rolling x before so this question is more for general knowledge. As this stroke is for an uneven or slightly smiling blade, Two seperate things when honing , an uneven edge needs to be evened up...and honed accordingly.... A smiling blade was made that way and should be honed using the rolling X and left as a smiling blade..... would you have to use the rolling stroke EVERY time you hone that razor, Yes you would or does the blade somehow eventual even itself out? Lets hope not

Thanks,

Ryan

Hope that explains it

Thanks for the reply Glen, but just for clarification - 1. if the blade is uneven it will level out and one could use a normal x-stroke, and 2. if the blade is smiling a rolling stroke is all that will ever be used.

I should say this is hypothetical, sincle I don't own a smiling razor, and the ones I do have do not (to me) appear to be horribly uneven or warped

If the blade is uneven you have to even it out, I was talking about this in another thread today also.... You have to figure out why the bevel is uneven and correct that problem, Is the spine warped, is the spine uneven because of improper past honing, is just the bevel uneven because of improper past honing???? these are questions that you have to confront and correct OR just keep doing the easy thing and sharpen around the previous bad hone wear....

If you look at some of the old e-bay razors it is amazing what was still considered shaveable... You can actually sharpen around just about any edge problems, even a wavy edge, but don't give it to me to shave with

IMHO if you are going to restore a razor you should try and get the bevel back to as close to the original geometry as possible, if it was a gentle smile then get it back to being that smile... A nice straight edge should be just that, a nice straight even bevel...

Now comes the rub, how much work does it take????
Getting some of these edges back to correct, can take hours of hand work, so is it worth the trouble?????
That is something you have to decide on each razor, I can't even count the times that I have told people please just let me get this shaveable for you, because the amount of work involved for me to correct it, would cost more than that razor is worth....

Sorry got to rambling there so I hope it answered your questions,
ummmm Yes if it is a smiler you will always us the rolling X or a variation of it....

If there is an uneven "width" to the blade, wider at the toe and narrower at the heel as an example then the rolling X would still be the best stroke. That also holds for a blade with a "smile".

Some will say to use an X stroke but have the blade angled at a 30 degree angle, heel leading. That is almost the same as a rolling X stroke.
If you watch the water as you hone and it moves from the heel to the toe of the razor then that is the same as a rolling X stroke.

Thanks guys, that cleared it up for me.