Thread: Spine and edge while honing

Since your razors are used and vintage (old) they probably have some oxidation on the edge. First establish your base for comparison. Feel the edge using the thumb test and the thumbnail test. Then perform 25 round trip laps on the 4000 hone and test the edge again. Also make sure that the edge is uniformly shiny along the entire length of the edge. If the thumbnail test feels like there is a bump or a catch in it then perform another 25 laps on the 4000 stone until the razor passes the thumbnail test. Then all the nicks will be out. The thumbnail test should also cut into your thumbnail uniformly along the entire length of the edge. When your razor passes this test then move on to the 8000 stone, not before.

Hope this helps,

Sorry, I forgot about the pressure to use. At this stage ( an old edge ) use 1-2 lbs of pressure, not a light pressure, on the 4000 stone. After the razor passes both tests then lighten up on the pressure.

Hope this helps,