Thread: *razzle frazzle grumble* Warped Edge

Soooo...I got this razor, and it had a bit of a frown. Quite a bit, actually. I tried the method suggested somewhere here of using an "exaggerated rolling X" to hone down the heel and toe, and I got to where the edge was straight. So I thought I was golden....

Then I tried to hone, and after the bevel was there I couldn't get an edge set to save my life--it was all over the place. So under magnification, I checked and on the "front" of the blade, the heel and toe were being polished, but the center was not. Checking the back, the reverse was true (please see my crappy picture). I assume there must be a kind of bow in the center of the blade, though it appears flat when on a straight edge/flat surface....

If that is the case, I can see polishing the OUTSIDE of the bow with a rolling X....but what about the inside (The area marked NOT OK in my crappy picture)? The warp is too narrow to fit any part of the hone into, we're talking like less than a half an inch, I'd have to be honing right on the very edge of the hone to make any contact...is there another way? Some kind of selective taping or something?

Anything? Help!

I know it sounds terrible, but you may want to tape the edge and hone the spine until it is even...

Interesting , I think i'll follow- I'd like to know the outcome and possible solutions


thanks Garry

In an update, I tried to get a bit more "scientimific" tonight. The marker test? Ink totally worn away across the bevel in two strokes. But still no joy on getting an edge, and the scratches in those areas remain unpolished after several passes. WHAT GIVES??? Could it be bad steel?

Is there still ink at the very edge in spots after the two-pass marker test, and were they the same as your previous honing strokes? got a loupe?

The ink was gone out to the edge under 100x magnification. What I can't be sure of was the nature of the strokes...I might have been more careful, to be honest. I was getting a bit frustrated, and my strokes might have been getting a bit more uncontrolled there toward the end...

Are you sure it is actually straight lined along the edge and not a bit of frown remains?

I have a 9mm or so wide strip of stone scrap from hone sawing-been meaning to use it but have not. You could try your luck with a ripe stick.-- Abrasive embedded in a stick
or side sharpening with pressure.

Originally Posted by kevint

Are you sure it is actually straight lined along the edge and not a bit of frown remains?

I have a 9mm or so wide strip of stone scrap from hone sawing-been meaning to use it but have not. You could try your luck with a ripe stick.-- Abrasive embedded in a stick
or side sharpening with pressure.

Well, I checked by setting the razor edge down on the hone and it looked flat, but you're right, there could be a couple of micrometers there. I'll look into it...

And I have been contemplating the stick idea. I have some thin strips of wood, I could try putting some of my heretical powders on there and see how it goes.

I also just realized--the razor has a bit of a swayback. Would that effect the honing? Should I be trying to put a matching smile on this blade?

Sounds like a warped blade.

No real solutions for you, I'm sorry to say. The ones I've come across like that were brandy new, and as such I returned them to the vendor.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Sounds like a warped blade.

No real solutions for you, I'm sorry to say. The ones I've come across like that were brandy new, and as such I returned them to the vendor.

I agree . I ran into this problem with a W&B Bow razor . After about 2 hours of honing on the 1k , I realized that there wouldn't be much left of the blade if I did hone it straight , so I set it aside and moved on .