Thread: Honing Geneva razors

I have tried to hone about 5 Geneva razors. I have not had much luck getting a decent edge from any of them. At this point, I think they are the brand of razor that I most dread attempting to hone as I just have not had much success in getting a sharp edge on them. I feel like this brand of razor is my Kryptonite. I mean no intended implication of my being a superhoner, but I really struggle with this brand.

Does anyone have any experience or advice to relay about Geneva razors? I have honed a wide variety of razors but I just can't get these sharp. Any advice would be appreciated!

I've got several Geneva's. Some hone easy and some are a pain in the butt. I picked the one below from a local shop for $12. It was in really good shape and no chips or bug bites on the blade. Holli4pirating came over shortly after the purchase and we decided to bring it to life. We used a Japanese 1200/8000 on the 1200 side w/slurry to set the bevel (this hone will be replaced some day but it was cheap and my first hone), then BBW, coticule. Well that was the plan. Seems like this blade took forever to hone. Much longer than I recall any other blade. The problem was getting the bevel keen over the whole length. Man was this blade hard. It looked like it was never used and now I know why.

My solution and tip to you is

1) Mark the edge w/ marker, allow to dry and then do a few x-pattern strokes. Look at the marked edge and see if the marker has been removed over the length of the edge. If the edge is clean the entire length ( or most of it) and doesn't show that the blade is warped the blade is flat and can be honed flat on the hone. If the blade is warped you will need to work off the edge of the home with extremely light or no pressure. Be sure the corners on the hone are rounded off.

2) Use a slurry and do circles w/ pressure towards the edge on one side at a time for a period of time. I set me oven timer for 60 minutes and it counts down in minutes/seconds. Do 1 minute per side.

3) Do about 10 x-pattern strokes and then the TNT. Repeat #1 until you get good results. Increase the time per side w/ circles if the TNT is way off.

4 )Next perform the x-patter for around 10 strokes. Be sure to flood the bevel setting hone and watch how the water runs up the edge. We noticed that the water ran up the side of the blade well in some sopts and not at all in other. Rapid back and forth motion on the one side w/ pressure more towards where the water didn't run up the side of the blade for, say 10 to 15 strokes, then back to the x-pattern and watch the water again. Repeat until the water runs up the side of the blade to the spine on both sides.

5) Try cutting some hairs on your arm, hand or leg at different spots along the length of the edge. I try to cut one hair at a time. They should cut w/o effort. I try to get them to pop.

6) If you can cut hairs off the bevel setter you can more onto tiyr next hone and the process will be the same as any other blade. I check the ability to cut hairs after each hone until I finish.

This Geneva is one of my better,smoother straights now but boy was it a pain to hone. Once you get them sharp you will love your's also. Good luck.

Utopian would you please be more specific about problem with genco's.
I have never had problems with them. I have problems with dovo's (some) fromm . etc.Problems were .
Some will get sharp enough to shave ok not great shave. i sharpened a little more and all of a sudden bubbles appears .another case was stainless steel blades i get sharp almost edge is in sharpness i want again i check edge it seems like melting not all other the edge but most part of it.some edges just cracks before gets sharp enough.
that is why i am asking what happens when you sharp genco's.
i should say this .
I had razor by name Larkin . i did sharpen this blade and it is in great shape went to shave test it wasn't comfortable shave.then i went back put this blade on my yellow green escher nothing good happen .then i went Chinese 12 again no positive result and this time i was getting mad . i decided to use my last option Brown Escher guess what again not a good result .I had 1 more and didn't think this will work.I put it on charnley forest stone . shaved with it that blade was a such nice smooth shaver.This happens not often but does.

FWIW...

Geneva / Genco's like many other's of the American steel razors are pretty hard in comparison to their Solingen and Sheffield brethern....

They like to be in the 4k and 8k range, that is where they take on sharpness the best...

Ron I am not sure of the hones you are using so I was leaving it pretty vague there...

The geneva I honed took an edge easier than any other razor I've honed before. After setting the bevel, I just used the Norton, and if memory serves, double taped the spine, did a few pyramids, and just used a straight pattern (didnt use the x pattern). After that 1 micron dia then CroOx. It was the most cooperative razor I've dealt with.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to imply I'm a superhoner either, or that I have the honing experience of the OP.

I don't remember what I honed them with but I have done one Geneva and a Genco Fluid Steel (I believe that Genco is the same company as Geneva ?) and they honed up real nice , HHT, without a great deal of effort.

The pyramid brand was aweful to set the bevel. The Antler one was really easy to set the bevel.

Originally Posted by Leighton

The pyramid brand was aweful to set the bevel. The Antler one was really easy to set the bevel.

Do you know any more about the brand differences?

Thanks for the responses so far guys. What precipitated this question in the first place was one of the people taking me up on my honing offer had a Geneva he wanted me to do. While I'm a little worried about it, I'm willing to give it a shot but thought I should check in with the experts. I think all the Genevas I've tried to hone had a triangle logo on the tang. Blade warping is not the problem but I am aware of the marker test. I rarely avail myself of it because I instead use a stereomicroscope to examine my honing progress to make sure that I am cutting along the entire length of the edge.

My lower grits hones are Norton 220, 1k, 4k, and 8k. I usually do a straight sequential progression but occasionally follow the pyramids. In addition I often use a 10x3 natural coticule as an alternative method, pretty much following the progression described by Bart. I am extremely conscious of the need to get a good bevel before moving up on hone progressions. I have on occasion with Genevas gone all the way back to the bevel setting a couple of times when I did not end up with a decent edge. Basically, my problem has been that I just never seem to be able to get them sharp enough to shave well. I was kind of hoping that the steel was just crap and the ones I have honed do seem to have a different sort of steel. I don't know how else to describe it other than that it is shinier than most other steels. Though it does seem to be relatively hard, I've honed stainless razors and others that also are hard steel. The edges progress along in honing and improve in the thumb pad test, but I just have not gotten a decent shave from any of them.

I have honed at least two Larkins without any trouble.

I have a couple Genevas of my own that I haven't touched for well over a year. You can probably guess why. They are buried in a shoebox somewhere. I will have to dig them out and try again and see if I can conquer this demon.

Sorry I can't give more specific details, but I can't think of anything more about this brand that makes it difficult for me. I have been up front and warned the person who wanted me to hone his Geneva that I have had trouble with them. I do hope he does send it to me anyway so that I can give it another shot.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have a few Geneva Pyramid razors and 2 were easy to hone... one was/is a nightmare. I may have to bust it out and give it another working over to see what happens now.