What is the angle set by the spine of a full hollow on the hone ?
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What is the angle set by the spine of a full hollow on the hone ?
Same as an angle of 1/2 or 1/4 hollow or a wedge. The angle depends on the thickness of the spine and the size of the blade. Grind is irrelevant.
arctan of (spine width/(2 * razor depth))
Razor depth = 5/8 6/8, etc... that measurement.
Keep in mind that's the angle of each side of the razor (grind angle), so the angle of the edge itself is 2x that.
My understanding is that the angle total angle of the cutting edge of a straight razor is generally somewhere between 15° and 20°. Measured from an imaginary center line running from the edge of the straight razor through a point in the middle of the back of the razor you would have two halves, each having an angle of between 7.5° and 10°.
When honing a straight razor (on a perfectly flat stone), the blade rests upon the front cutting edge as well as the outer edge of the spine of the razor. It is these two contact points that determine the actual 'angle' of the straight razor. As the razor is honed this angle may actually change very, very slightly due to wear on either cutting edge or spine. However, in practice any slight angle alteration is of no practical significance.
As sparq so correctly points out, the depth of the grind or method of hollowing play no part in determining actual edge angle. However, the grind and hollowing DO affect the ease of sharpening, the weight, the feel, the flexibility and (to some measure) the performance of the razor.
Another method:
Attachment 33990
Some real info is right here to be found...
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...zor-angle.html
And please feel free to add to this data base... All of you ;)
Bear in mind these measurements are not quite as accurate with Wade & Butcher razors, whose grinders seem to have been incapable of producing a symmetrical grind :cen
