Thread: Bevel Setting a Smile: Heel is dull!

Im bevel setting a new W&B I picked up and the heel just doesnt want to set. The rest of the blade is set fine, but not the heel. Any ideas?

Here a nice tutorial on the different strokes for honing razors with different problems
Strokes for honing a razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Take a look at page 24 of the 1961 barber manual excerpt here, 'Honing Technique For the Advanced Student'. You don't have to follow that exactly but it'll give you the idea. IOW, work on the heel with back and forth strokes or circles but interspersed with X strokes (rolling x if necessary) to keep from putting a step in the bevel. Check with TPT and magnification as you go to keep things even as possible. Just what I would do, not necessarily the only way.

First you will most likely find that the heel was never set in the first place they rarely were... Now if you are an anal retentive idiot like me that just won't cut it, so take a look at the heel by sighting down the tang... You will probably find the the heel is warped... You are going to have to follow Jimmy's advice with the circles and target the heel specifically and use a bit of pressure to yank that heel into line...
BTW expect hours on the hone...

I did an hour of X Honing last night and it seems that the trick from the barber's manual is doing the trick.

Originally Posted by JonnyO

I did an hour of X Honing last night and it seems that the trick from the barber's manual is doing the trick.

Yeah, those old boys knew what they were talking about. Glad to hear that it is working for you.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

First you will most likely find that the heel was never set in the first place they rarely were... Now if you are an anal retentive idiot like me that just won't cut it, so take a look at the heel by sighting down the tang... You will probably find the the heel is warped... You are going to have to follow Jimmy's advice with the circles and target the heel specifically and use a bit of pressure to yank that heel into line...
BTW expect hours on the hone...

Thats really useful. All this time I thought I had problems honing heels. I've had to go back to the bevel a bunch of times because of dull heels, which is especially annoying if it takes you a long time to hone, like it does me.

Good info in the manual. I spent an hour or so last night setting the bevel on a Greaves wedge. It's nearly done but I'm interested to try what the manual recommends.

It's a good thing this thread came up as I'm working on a Wostenholm smiling wedge and having a bit of trouble withe the heel.

Upon setting the bevel do you have to continue to use the same honing method or will a rolling x work?

Originally Posted by doleeo

It's a good thing this thread came up as I'm working on a Wostenholm smiling wedge and having a bit of trouble withe the heel.

Upon setting the bevel do you have to continue to use the same honing method or will a rolling x work?

Whatever works is what you would want to use IMO. On those old Sheffield smiling blades the rolling x is often the best bet.