Thread: Honing my first wedge

Hello all. I've recently started learning the art of honing. I purchased a 4k/8k norton stone, and got started. However, I'm currently in the process of trying to get a W&B wedge of mine shave-ready and have a few questions. First of all, is the 4k sufficient to create a bevel on this razor, which is very dull after having hand-sanded it back to its former glory, in a reasonable amount of time (ie before I die of old age)? I'm hesitant to use tape on the spine, so as I understand there is a lot of metal that needs to be removed. Also for whatever reason (probably due to uneven sanding on my part), the hone patterns on the edge and spine are very uneven (for some reason the hone isn't touching the middle of the blade - I guess it is very slightly concave) - is this 'ok' and I should just continue, or are there any special techniques I should use in this case? And finally, my current strategy is just using the 4k in the standard X pattern (no pyramids or nothing), at least until a bevel is established; what I'm wondering is whether this is the right approach, or would it be faster to forgoe the X pattern and just hone straight up and down? The hone is wide enough that I can get the entire razor length on it at once, so I'm just not sure if there is any point to doing the X pattern in this case. Anyway, sorry for the long read, and thanks for any advice you can provide!

There are very very few true wedges out there, most everything you find is a 1/8 or 1/4 wedge... This does not make them any easier to hone...
If you are going to go traditional and leave off the tape and try and do this on a 4k hone it will take HOURS AND HOURS of honing...
Even with tape it will take HOURS...
On some of these old wedges it will take a goodly hour on a 1k stone and 1 layer of tape just to sort out the old bevels, and get one even bevel from end to end... then at that point in time you can actually start to hone....

Don't want to discourage you but getting a wedge right takes time...

Now keep in mind you could take the really easy way and start with Dovo Green then Red then Black paste and get a shaving edge with a quickness with a slightly loose strop... This just tweaks up the existing bevel but it is possible

If you only have a 4/8K then, depending on the condition of the edge now, you will set the bevel long before old age… but you will feel much closer to old age.
You should have a bevel setter… you could use an old sharpening stone (or an old oil stone), make sure it is flat and use the fine side to set the bevel first… then continue sharpening on the 4K to remove the scratches from the sharpening stone.
Then polish the edge with the 8K (of you are using an oil stone to set the bevel… wash the razor before going to the water stone (4/8K)… you do not want oil on a water stone.

Weather the edge is straight or smiling it is recommended you use the “X” stroke… sometimes the edge may have a very slight smile and without the “X” stroke you wont get the very end of the tow or heel. Also you may what to “rock” the blade from heel to toe as you hone to make sure you get the entire edge evenly.

It is common for near wedge razors to have uneven bevels… very few have absolutely even bevels so don’t worry.

Thanks, Glen. I don't mind spending hours honing it (god know I've spent enough time on this razor simply restoring it), I just wanted to know if the 4k would get the job done eventually, or whether I was essentially just wasting my time. Also, I don't have any of those Dovo pastes, but since I'm still on the bevel-establishing part I guess they wouldn't do me any good anyway.

Cool, if you are going to go for it check out the webcast as there are vids running from the NC meetup...
On there Lynn shows precisely how to do a circle honing stroke, LEARN it you will save time and steel using it....
Also on there I demonstrate most of the various X strokes that Smythe is referring to... and a new X-vs "straight down the hone" mix that really produces an even edge...

i would so don't hone this wedge . To hone wedge will take some time and knowledge to know what are you doing.My help could be a little but i hope this will help. as you mention your blades middle doesn't touch hone.
to resolve this you could to this.
use tape in that portion of the blade, easiest
hone blade until get right edge ( will take out a lot metal ) second one
3 rd you can grind it.
4th use narrow hone
This is what i can think about now.
GL.

Just IMHO.....my advice is to send it to Lynn for honing or another honemiester of your choice. If you don't want to do that buy a DMT 1200 diamond plate or a Naniwa 1k to set the bevel. If you are going to be honing razors you'll never regret the small investment. It will pay for itself in time and by alleviating frustration. Definitely use at least one layer of tape to avoid flattening the spine with all of the honing you'll have to do to get the bevel set. If you haven't read it already take a look at "Lynn Abrams on Honing" in the SRP Wiki here. He addresses honing a wedge in a couple of different places within the article.