Thread: What am I doing wrong?

Sure, I'd be willing to look at it and I'd try to help you figure out why it's being difficult to hone. In other words, I wouldn't just hone it, I'd try to help figure it out so that you can re-hone it later on your own. I'd look at it under a scope and assess what parts of the blade are and are not being honed. (Though you're probably already seeing that by the marker test.) Then we would work out how to reach the entire length of blade.

If interested, send me a PM.

By the way, if it is an issue of some parts along the length of the edge are being honed and some are not, as revealed by the marker test, then it is not a problem of taping versus not taping.

so if i lift the heel a bit as I do my x and i get the whole blade to touch that way. Will that get the razor sharp along it's whole edge? I lapped my norton 4/8 k on a peice of granite, I read about that technique on this site. What do you use?

can we get pics at least?

Tyronix, as soon as you lift the heel, only the tip will touch the hone and the rest of the razor won't.
Sending the razor to Utopian is a great idea.
You'll get an idea about how it should be for later reference when you'll get the razor back.

Try using two hands when sharpening - use your stronger hand for holding the handle, and your thumb and fore-finger pressing ever-so slightly on the spine and at the tip as you lift the heel up to make sure the blade comes into contact with the stone for the entire stroke.

I know in Lynn's video he is using only one hand, but in my seminars, I've seen a lot of people inadvertently lifting the knife off the stone, thus missing the tip area.

Originally Posted by tryonix

I have read tons of honing articles and seen all the videos. I am using light pressure and an x stroke. I put marker on the blade and for some reason the entire surface of the blade does not make contact with the hone. I have lapped the hones, and I have had the bevel set by a professional. I spent an hour doing stroke after stroke and the entire surface of the blade is still not touched. I am keeping the blade flat. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
A very frustrated shaver

Originally Posted by tryonix

It was honed by a hoenmiester - and I tried with and without tape - also its the point of the blade that isnt touching

Originally Posted by tryonix

so if i lift the heel a bit as I do my x and i get the whole blade to touch that way. Will that get the razor sharp along it's whole edge? I lapped my norton 4/8 k on a peice of granite, I read about that technique on this site. What do you use?

Ok after reading the info you have slowly given out on this.....

You are using a lapped Norton 4/8 and you the done countless strokes with tape/without tape, and you are saying that the edge by the toe is not getting sharp... I think I have that so far...

Dumb question what kind of razor is this???? Hollow,??? Wedge,?? smiling blade????


BTW I also vote to send it to Ron, but if you are going to struggle through this as it seems you are leaning toward, the more info you give the faster any of us can help you out....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Ok after reading the info you have slowly given out on this.....

I also vote to send it to Ron, but if you are going to struggle through this as it seems you are leaning toward, the more info you give the faster any of us can help you out....

Exactly,
Also, if you had the bevel set by a honemeister why don't you ask him to chime in here... I mean, there are not that many here and all of them I can think about would be more than happy to share that info with you. In fact, if you sent it out to get a bevel set, I'm kind of surprised that you didn't get any info about what it would take to smooth out the bevel. Like the G-man said, more info would help... pictures too if possible.

Ok , here are some pics, This is after 10 laps on a norton 8k using an x stroke.

wait, was it honed initially by the art of shaving? if so you might consider sending it to Utopian for a look.. Ive seen a few stories of the AOS "professionally honed" blades coming back without being shave ready, or a proper bevel.

But if it's just the toe that isn't getting sharp, do like olivia said. how are you testing the edge?

Man I just honed one of these on last Friday IIRC does this razor have the SS scales, Really heavy SS scales????