Thread: One edge is sharper than the other

Hi,

I recently purchased and old Bengall razor from eBay. Have polished it etc so it looks like new. I have now sat down and started honing. I have been honing knives for a while so know small amount about honing but am finding honing a razor a bit different.

I have got one side of the razor super sharp and knocks the hairs off my forearm with ease. The other side is a lot blunter. I am wondering how do i even this up so both sides have equal sharpness.

This is becoming urgent as i am running out of forearm hairs and I am starting to look a bit wierd with one smooth almost hariless arm and the other is extremely hirsute.

Sounds like you have a wire edge on it. The edge is bent upward in one direction making it feel dull on one side and sharp on the other. Have you used a pasted strop? A few strokes will probably take that wire off for you.

edit: I think I misread your post. If you are saying that the heel is sharp but the toe is not, make sure that it's laying flat on your hone...i've got one that does that.

No you read it right the first time. Hmmm strop paste eh. I have a strop which is a piece of leather pasted onto a block of wood (made by dorko solingen, about 18 years old). Is there anything i can use apart from stop paste becuase i will have to order it on line and that could take a few days to arrive.

First forget everything you ever learned about honing knives...

What stones are you using????

I have a soft Arkansas stone and a Kasumi #3K/#8K ceramic block. I have been doing most of the honing on the Kasumi

It is also possible that your bevel only extends to the razor's edge on one side.

Is a test for a wire edge to use a pin to see if catches on the razor edge. I just tried that and there doesnt seem to be a catch

ok i was following Lynns instructions on how to set a bevel. I can get sort of sharp enough to lift hairs but its not he razor sharp that is required

Also, how did you lap your hones?

Did you strop the razor before testing it? if so, you may have rolled the edge by using too much pressure, or lifting the spine. Also, lifting the spine while honing can do the same. Have you read through the wiki?