Thread: Need some insight please

So I have a couple of razors that I've purchased off of ebay. A spike and a genco. The genco shaves a lot better than the spike, but I can't get either of them to shave well. The hones i have a norton 220/1000 4000/8000 and a chinese 12k. I used these on my w&b wedge and I love it.

From what I can see neither of the two problem razors have even bevels let alone good edges. So my first question is should I send these to someone more experienced than myself, or keep working with them? The second question is, should i take it further than a chinese 12k?

Maybe it could be my lack of experience honing, but i'd really like to get a much better shave with my blades and the good feeling knowing that i honed them myself. any insight is appreciated.

If the bevels are not even, the first thing to do is find out why, bad hone job, warped blade, edge deterioration. Then take the razor to your bevel setting grit and make the bevel right. The rest will be easy or at least easier. If you have a small microscope such as the radio shack model, please use it, it will help immensely.

Before you get so frustrated that you decide to quit, I would send both those razors out and get them professionally honed. Then you could spend some time learning the art of maintaining the edge. You should be able to get somewhere between 3 and 6 months between honing by rotating those razors and maintaining them properly.

While you are doing that, you can pick up another razor, maybe off the classifieds section, and start learning how to use your stones.

Just an idea.

Ray

You shouldn't have to take it any further than the 12k. Because you're going to have to start by setting the bevel, I'd go ahead and start with several strokes on the 220 and work my way up.

Something I found when I did my first full honing was that the key to getting a good edge is to put the work in at the bevel set stage.

Rather like building a house, if the foundations arent right, the rest wont be either!

You need to make sure that you have a sharp, even bevel before you move onto any finer grits. All the other stones do is refine that inital bevel, so if the bevel is pants at the start, all the other stones will get you is polished pants! :-)

My test for a good bevel is that you can shave arm hair (at skin level) all the way along the blade after the 1k stone. If you cant shave arm hair after the bevel set, you dont have a good bevel, and you will need to stay on the 1k until you can.

If the razor wont take a bevel after a reasonable amount of strokes then its probably the case that you have some warpage, or a frown or smile or other amuse bouche! It may be worth sending the razors out to be honed by a pro at this point, rather than just grinding away steel on the hone if you're not sure how to fix it.

I was lucky, my first attempt was a razor in pretty good nick so it took to the stones very well and honed up really nicely. If I'd gotten a razor with warpage, edge deterioration etc... I'd have definately found it much harder!

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Thanks a lot for the advice. The replies to this thread has most definitely confirmed everything I've read ab honing. I'm gonna give it another shot and take my time before I give in and send them out. I'm usually a really quick learner. I'm too stubborn for quitting

now about bevel setting. what are your opinions on tape vs. no tape? seems i've read about setting bevel with 3 layers and then going down to 1 once it's time to polish and finish. i've also read about starting with 2 and going down to none at all.

So with some patience I've gotten the genco where it should be. Time to move on to the spike Thanks to everyone who chimed in on my thread.

edit: just shaved with it, and i must say i'm damn proud of myself. thanks again to those who helped.