Thread: new razor

Just recieved brand new 6/8 bismark red handled broke the ceal and it has been been prehoned i did'nt ask for prehoned but i can see hone wear on the spine weard thing is the hone wear runs down the spine from toe and stops well before the heal i put it on my 3inch wide coticule layed the spine flat and the toe a good quarter of the end does'nt touch the hone i fliped over and that side rocks side to side as if the spine has a high point in the middle i've worked it up and down a 1k it is a little better but i stopped because i was getting spine wear and the toe on one side was developing a uneaven fat bevel as i am not sure this was going to work i thought best left alone this is my third dovo they all seem to have similar problems i get them on the hone by altering my stroke but i should be able to hone flat what is the best way to tackle these kind of problems.

When i looked at the spine wear i just new it was'nt going to lay flat on hone because the hone wear literaly on went 3 quarters down the spine i have honed many of razor and i always get spine wear the full lenght of spine

It would appear the razor was not ground “true” or is warped at the factory either way will make it more difficult to properly hone then one that was ground true and the blade unwrapped. Though annoying, it is common occurrence with some vintage razors as well as newly manufactured ones because they are all ground by hand.

First you may want to contact the vendor and let them know of the issue, I am sure they would be happy to set things “straight”.

If you prefer to try with it in that condition you must first determine if the blade is indeed warped…
Look down the spine from the tail end (sighting down the barrel), the spine should be straight. Flip the blade down and look along the edge, the edge should be straight. If you can see any warp then you may have a bad one… get it replaced.
If you cannot see the warp then lay the blade flat on the hone, there should be no perceptible space between the edge and the hone from heel to toe for most of the edge (except for smiling edge razors)… if you can see space (but cannot see as in the previous paragraph) then you have a mild one… it may still be usable.

If you are have one that is warped the best thing to do is not to hone straight up and down the hone or you will get uneven hone were. Instead hone using the “X” stroke on the last ½ inch of the long edge of the hone, this will ensure that the entire edge will contact the hone along that “strip” of the hone during the stroke, a narrow hone (about 1.5”) to get the job done as well.

If I have not explained this well there are articles witch mentions honing a warped blade in the SRP Wikki
Here
Bevel-setting in theory and practice - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Scroll down to Troubleshooting

And here
A simple honing method with DMT-E, Belgian Blue Whetstone and Coticule - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Hope this helps and please keep us informed of your progress (good or bad).

Sounds like a typical Dovo grind. Has your Coticule been lapped? I hone hundreds of these on a regular basis and do see the grind wear you are talking about, but rarely, if ever the rocking you describe. They typically lay flat on the hone and hone up nicely. The other thing is that it is doubtful your razor has been honed Gary if the seal had not been broken.

Lynn

Gary,

I have a Dovo Best 5/8 1/2 hollow that has a very slight warp about 1 cm long at the toe.

I did exactly what smythe suggested, and all was well with the honing after that

Best regards

Russ

I have had warped blades before and i normally use rolling x with marker to indicacte whats happening. i always lap hones regular with dmtc i check them like clock work but this blade. After run up and down my naniwa 1k it is a lot better but i dearn't over do because of spine wear but the toe is not completly touch hone and when i flip onto the other side the toe isnot touching at all so i've ended up with the bevel on one a little wider. Less presure while honing is better but i find if i lay razor on hone and slight twist the razor that gets the bevel flatin that area and doing x stroke which i always do just gets the toe on the other but by slightly twisting would i be using to much pressure

one thing i'm not sure on how much of the cutting should be on the hone i always find the very heal and toe where the blade just curve the marker is always left be hind no matter how flat my hones are, if i raise the edge slight this eliminates the marker. If marker is left in those areas does it realy matter. I'm sure many people have noticed this.

Originally Posted by smythe

It would appear the razor was not ground “true” or is warped at the factory either way will make it more difficult to properly hone then one that was ground true and the blade unwrapped. Though annoying, it is common occurrence with some vintage razors as well as newly manufactured ones because they are all ground by hand.

First you may want to contact the vendor and let them know of the issue, I am sure they would be happy to set things “straight”.

If you prefer to try with it in that condition you must first determine if the blade is indeed warped…
Look down the spine from the tail end (sighting down the barrel), the spine should be straight. Flip the blade down and look along the edge, the edge should be straight. If you can see any warp then you may have a bad one… get it replaced.
If you cannot see the warp then lay the blade flat on the hone, there should be no perceptible space between the edge and the hone from heel to toe for most of the edge (except for smiling edge razors)… if you can see space (but cannot see as in the previous paragraph) then you have a mild one… it may still be usable.

If you are have one that is warped the best thing to do is not to hone straight up and down the hone or you will get uneven hone were. Instead hone using the “X” stroke on the last ½ inch of the long edge of the hone, this will ensure that the entire edge will contact the hone along that “strip” of the hone during the stroke, a narrow hone (about 1.5”) to get the job done as well.

If I have not explained this well there are articles witch mentions honing a warped blade in the SRP Wikki
Here
Bevel-setting in theory and practice - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Scroll down to Troubleshooting

And here
A simple honing method with DMT-E, Belgian Blue Whetstone and Coticule - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Hope this helps and please keep us informed of your progress (good or bad).

My spine looks ok and the blade does its hard to say but when i lay it flat on hone one side is just not touch only just if i twist razor forward a little it make contact the other side problem toe is not making cotact but worse.

Do you mean hone on the edge of the hone the thickness part so just spin hone around and use the edge sounds a good idea but my hones are combo and the naniwa plus i do have tiny bbw/combo that would be better. i have managed to hone the blade its just nicer to hone if it laid flat ah well i've had a lot like this.

Originally Posted by gary haywood

IIf marker is left in those areas does it realy matter.

I'm not sure if I am understanding your question correctly ? If marker isn't removed then the edge isn't coming in contact with the hone. IME that matters.

Jim what i mean is where the heal curves and the toe marker is left in those areas if i roll marker vanishes like in the barbers text you post but i watched lynn hone and he hones flat. i find my self honing with rolling x or watching the wave of water along the edge which helps i ajust to that if say the heal or toe was left with a good quqrter or just under i would defanatly roll my stroke. Even blades with square point and no curve i've had to raise slight to get the ver toe or nose i've tryed the 45 degree honing and that does not work for me rolling x works straight away and its fairly easy once you get the flow of it infact i find it easier than flat honing.