Thread: Sharp on One Side

I honed up a recent ebay blade which was in good condition. It was not too far off from shaving sharp when I got it. I went through the conservative honing pyramid twice and then did three rounds of 3X on the 8000 and 10 on a 12000 Chinese stone.

I tested the razor as I was going and it smoothly popped hairs off my arm and I thought it was good to go. I took it for a test shave and realized that it was a good shaver going one way, but turning the blade over it was barely cutting hairs. So when I shave with "Side A" of the blade facing up it is OK, but with "Side B" facing up it is not so good. I suspect that it has something to do with my honing technique.

The blade is a half hollow and in overall good shape.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You're likely not exerting the same force on one side as you do on the other. Make sure you have your thumb on the edge side of the shank on top and your forefinger on the spine side underneath regardless of which way you're going on the hone.

X

Honing technique issue 95% likely. Are you really dominant with one hand as opposed to the other? The difference in pressure can be imperceptible to the honer. It helps overall if you start doing things with both hands just in the course of life itself. If you're a righty, deliberately start using your left hand. Let it feel more, coordinate more, be more delierate, and the biggest one - get the muscle memory of honing into the less dominant hand.

Well... there's only one edge... Two things come to mind.

1. (unlikely) very severely uneven bevel. Almost like a wood chisel. One bevel side almost non-existent and the other fairly wide. The razor would still shave, but demand fairly different shaving angles depending on which side touches your face. This condition is easy to spot: just compare both bevel sides. I don't think this is going to be the problem.

2. (more likely, imo) you have folded over the edge a bit to one side, during the stropping. By this, the edge resembles the letter "J" a bit. It will cut reasonably well when the curl faces up and bad when it faces down. A good stropping session, on a taut strop, enough pressure to feel the strop exerting a clear, but gentle draw on the razor, can possibly realign the edge. Give it 60 laps.

Keep us posted,
Best regards,

Bart.

Up to this point I have had the luxury of only doing some light maintenance honing on the razors. This time I was not too far off and stopped before getting too far off course. Luckily, with the help of Bart, Howard, Xman and reviewing David Polan's videos http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...eo-series.html, was able to analyze the inconsistencies in my technique.

I started with stropping and concentrating on keeping the strop as taught as possible, but this did not correct the problem. It was time to revisit the hones, but with more mindfulness this time.

In reflecting on how I had been honing, I believed that the edge was not centered due to unconscious inconsistencies in pressure and possibly switching hands. The un-centered edge would require the blade to be held at different angles on each side to get the same cutting performance. The chisel example would apply.

The solution: Take as many variables for inconsistencies out of the process. I had been standing. In reviewing the honing videos available and applying principles of precision long distance shooting I realized I could increase my stability thus consistency with the more support. I decided to sit instead of stand. The hones were on a table which would put them right about diaphragm level.

I also decided to hone (as in David Polan's videos) using one hand rolling the blade on the spine. I know there are some who advocate switching hands, and that is how I did it up to this point. I strop with one hand and have never had a problem maintaining an edge on my other razors for 8+ months with only the strop. The point being as in stropping, the one hand exerts minimal and more consistent pressure, but at a slower speed.

With a return to the hones and the above changes in approach I started out with
5X 4000 and 5X 8000
3X 4000 and 5X 8000
1X 4000 and 5X 8000
1X 4000 and 5X 8000
1X 4000 and 5X 8000

then moved to the 8000 and 12000 where I did 3 rounds of 1X 8000 and 10X 12000. Hairs were popping with equal efficiency on both sides using the same angle. I went to the strop and everything worked out the way it should.

The point of all this is sometimes a new (used razor) will present a challenge that requires some examination of technique and procedure, or perhaps, in this case, expose that I had been getting away with less than consistent technique.

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