Thread: Avoiding a frown

How do you avoid eventually honing a frown, esp. if using x-stroke? What's the best way to turn that frown into a smile?

I'm using a coticule+slurry for bevel setting, toe and heel have been responding, but the middle section has not been as sharp as I want, and in my attempts to get it sharper I've developed a slight frown.

I'm at a point where I plan to send the blade to Lynn to be fixed, but want to avoid doing this to my other razors...

-Chief

Circles for bevel setting........LIGHT to NO pressure in center of stroke/blade and slightly more pressure at heel and toe.

you might try to start over and bread knife it and begin anew and try pyramid this time after bread knifing the edge.

1961 Barbering Text - Honing.pdf on page 24
File:Help Files Permanent Archive Barbering Textbooks 1961 Barbering Text - Honing.pdf - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I have only honed in a frown once. It was my first time trying to hone and I was using a ton of presure. Everything I read after that say that presure is the only cause of a frown. So, back off the presure.

The only way I know of to get rid of an existing frown is to breadknife and reprofile the blade. If its really small using pressure like they mention in the barbers manual might help, but I'd think you'd need to go down to your bevel setter. Somebody here may know a better way to get rid of an existing frown, I'd like to know what it is, if there is one.

You know you missed a perfect opportunity for a god-awful thread title. "How do I turn this frown upside down?!"

I have had a bit of success with honing out mild frowns (actually, mild frowns are all I have ever had) by judicious use of tape - tape in the middle part of the spine, leaving the heel and toe parts of the spine tape free. I use the taped part as a fulcrum and apply pressure to toe and heel respectively. Kinda works. But breadknifing might be faster/more even.

Best way to avoid a frown is to deliberately try to make the edge a smiler - an additional benefit of that approach is that the tip and heel of the edge tend to get honed properly.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I have had a bit of success with honing out mild frowns (actually, mild frowns are all I have ever had) by judicious use of tape - tape in the middle part of the spine, leaving the heel and toe parts of the spine tape free. I use the taped part as a fulcrum and apply pressure to toe and heel respectively. Kinda works. But breadknifing might be faster/more even.

Best way to avoid a frown is to deliberately try to make the edge a smiler - an additional benefit of that approach is that the tip and heel of the edge tend to get honed properly.

James.

I've tackled them with tape and bread-knifed them, and I think that tape is better for my mental health. I'm not sure why, but it seems faster (probably all mental).

Like you said, honing a razor focusing on the toe and heel seems to work well for me in avoiding frowns.

Originally Posted by richmondesi

I've tackled them with tape and bread-knifed them, and I think that tape is better for my mental health. I'm not sure why, but it seems faster (probably all mental).

Like you said, honing a razor focusing on the toe and heel seems to work well for me in avoiding frowns.

I have to Agree with you about tape is better?
This is why tape is better.
when you have frowns problem is not at the edge of the blade. Problem is in the back of the blade.
Most people sees edge is not even and thinks that is it . This is the problem and i have to fix.
Lets say you do fix by breadknifing and edge is straight. Now you go back to hone as your straight back hasn't been fixed you will have again same problem all over.
Now lets say you do use tape the fix problem.
You tape most honed location of the back and hone the blade. Rest- less honed back of the blades gets honed and you do fix the back problem. while doing this you are automatically fix the edge. Edge evens up.
you take tape of and hone without tape or just use new tape but cover whole back . You will have your problem fixed. hope this helps.

That's very helpful. Thanks, Sham!