Thread: *razzle frazzle grumble* Warped Edge

if you repeat (a few or perhaps many times) whatever you did to remove the ink during the marker test along the length of the bevel in only two strokes, then I think I can say with confidence that your bevel will (with perseverance) set

but don't get sloppy or you can ruin the work you've already done. at least, that is my short experience with asymmetrical spines

OK, now I am freaking frustrated.

I decided to try something a bit different today, so I started with a taped spine. I did some exaggerated rolling x strokes, and used the marker test liberally, and I found that I was making progress. I set a bevel--it was feeling like a sharp pocket knife, like Lynn recommends, but not cutting any arm hair at that point. I figured "Don't push it, less is more, etc." so I moved to the 4K. Again, rolling Xs, marker test, making sure the edge was contacting...I was seeing slow but sure progress under the mag this time, so there was improvement over yesterday, but I wasn't feeling any gain in keenness...still the sharp pocket knife feeling. I tried a 4K/8K pyramid, again with marker test and the rolling Xs. The bevel was getting polished, the marker was going away, but NO GAIN IN KEENNESS. At the end of the pyramid, I have a nicely polished bevel under the microscope, and a razor that won't cut a damn thing.

So apparently that bevel wasn't set at all.

Back to square one.

Yeah I don't think the bevel was set

I think "less is more" applies to post-bevel setting...

Anyway I don't know your arm hair - maybe red is often finer? Anyway when I set a bevel, it has to be able to cut hair before I'll move on to 4k or finer. Calibrated for my arm hair of course...

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Yeah I don't think the bevel was set

I think "less is more" applies to post-bevel setting...

Anyway I don't know your arm hair - maybe red is often finer? Anyway when I set a bevel, it has to be able to cut hair before I'll move on to 4k or finer. Calibrated for my arm hair of course...

Darn my fine red hair.

Can you send me your arm? Left is fine, or whatever. I'll send it back good as new, minus some hair, of course.

I promise.

I give up. I give up i give up igiveupigiveup.

4 hours. FOUR HOURS of honing on this thing. I honed in a bit of a smile after reading Smythe's post here--this razor had a frown when I got it, and it seemed to have all the problems he described. Plus, it just made sense for a swaybacked razor to have a matching smile.

So I was making progress. I taped the spine because if I hadn't, there would be no spine left, and I got to where I was mostly hitting on points with my strokes using the marker test. Iwas using Lynn's 45 degree strokes, and after a while I was noticing some real progress. I got to where the heel was a really nice feeling bevel--popping hairs and sticky. But the toe WOULD NOT GET SHARP. I tried circles and back honing on just the toe, I tried extra tape on the toe. I tried toe-leading 45 degree strokes, and NOTHING HAPPENED. No change whatsoever in the feel of that toe. I have half a bevel, and a rapidly shrinking razor.

Enough.

I looked into my crystal coticule ball and saw that your away stroke is good, but your return stroke is missing good contact with the toe.

Fix it and you'll have a nice, sharp bevel from toe to heel

I snagged a mint Genco Master Barber off ebay for $15 several months ago. It was beautiful. When I started honing it I was horrified to find it was warped.

I could see if I just kept it flat on the stones, it was going to have big scalloped bevels. I tried rolling X strokes off the edge of the stones and that helped, but I couldn't get it as smooth shaving as I wanted. Finally I tried diamond lapping film in narrow 1-inch strips. That worked like a charm.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I looked into my crystal coticule ball and saw that your away stroke is good, but your return stroke is missing good contact with the toe.

Fix it and you'll have a nice, sharp bevel from toe to heel

You should go on the road! Yeah. That was it in the end. It was, predictably, MY fault. The initial warp was eliminated by honing in a smile, but the final issues with the bevel at the toe were uneven strokes on the return.

I now have a very nice bevel, easily shaving arm hair along the entire length of the blade.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

O_S, it's not a known brand--a Japanese made blade called "Rongin."

Warped edges might be a problem, but it also could be an excuse to buy a narrow hone. That might work.


Skizzo