Thread: this bevel is scaring me

Bought this ebayer cheap, eyes wide-open knowing it would be a fixer-upper. Sure enough it arrived with 2 ugly nicks out neqr the toe, with some pitting for good measure. Really the pitting isn't near as bad as the pictures show, contrast is bumped up quite a bit.
I decided to see if I could get the nicks out before I put too much elbow-grease into the thing. This is where I stand after working the nicks out on my 1200.








Problem is obvious -- bevel and hone wear are uneven, way deep toward the toe, hardly any near the heel. There's a lot of razor here, pretty good shine left, I think I can buff it up pretty well, but I don't want to start that until I'm pretty sure I can get a better bevel. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

When you "Buff" it up you can actually eliminate a ton of the bad spine wear during the restoration...

The best analogy I have been able to come up with is a rutted road... If you continue to drive in the ruts (uneven spine and bevel) they just get deeper (more uneven wear)... BUT if you smooth those ruts out (restore, then tape the spine) you can get a nice smooth drive (bevel) again... That is the best I can explain it...I hope it helps

I'm feeling way tired and stupid tonite -- tape the whole spine? Or just part of it?

What do you mean? Are you saying to level out the spine wear by grinding down the spine at the heel? I have a few razors that have odd bevel patterns, I might need to get you some pics, GS. Get your educated opinion on 'em.

Originally Posted by stimpy52

I'm feeling way tired and stupid tonite -- tape the whole spine? Or just part of it?

The whole spine, and this is one time if needed, to use 2 layers of tape to straighten out the bevel...

Originally Posted by blockhead

What do you mean? Are you saying to level out the spine wear by grinding down the spine at the heel? I have a few razors that have odd bevel patterns, I might need to get you some pics, GS. Get your educated opinion on 'em.

Yeah I knew this is going to be a little confusing when I wrote it..
Looking for before and after pics on some of my restores to have it make more sense....


OK found one

http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...m-restore.html


Look at the second before pic see the uneven spine wear???
Now look at the after pic see how it has been "smoothed up"????

You can do that with sanding, or using a buffer and greaseless compounds, you are basiacally doing a minor re-grind...

To be completely honest, it doesn't matter WHAT the bevel looks like, as long as you get it sharp and it shaves well. Now most people would rather have a nice, small, even bevel but it isn't always gonna happen. I can't say I agree with Glen's analogy. Sure, you can round off the honewear and hide it by buffing, but once you hone it without tape, the wear would come right back. Once there are thicker and thinner sections on the spine, the geometry will never be quite the same. You can hand sand/buff etc. but the problem will still be lying underneath. Only a full regrind can completely alter honewear and the resulting bevel without "assistance" from things like tape. We all have our own opinions though.

With all that being said- that bevel isn't going to hurt your chances for a good shave as-is.

Maybe this razor has possibilities or it might have a simple case of

"<Lynn> Buying old nasty razors is not always a restoration dream......sometimes you just end up with a shiney pitted razor with a flattened spine and a worked out bevel.....:-) "

Thanks, Glen. If you scroll through that post, you will find that I also questioned you on this back then! I guess I am just concerned about some razors that I have that have a bit more wear at the toe, although I should not really be that worried. As Philadelph stated, it boils down to aesthetics. In most cases. I am sure that on some blades there could be a real problem but for the most part it is a question of what is pleasing to the eye. The two razors in question were ones that were gifted to me by Max, and he said that they had centuries of use left in them. Maybe I need to stop obsessing about little stuff like this, as it more than likely will have no bearing on how the razor shaves.

The real question would be about how razors get that way, wouldn't it? How does one consistently hone a razor in a manner that would give you more pronounced wear on the toe? I mean, to the point that it is VERY obvious? I will have to get some pics up, as the one I am talking about doesn't really have THAT much of a smile, but has a MUCH thinner spine at the toe than the heel. But I will start my own thread for that. Sorry, Stimpy!

Originally Posted by blockhead

The real question would be about how razors get that way, wouldn't it? How does one consistently hone a razor in a manner that would give you more pronounced wear on the toe? I mean, to the point that it is VERY obvious?

Too much pressure.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Too much pressure.

And/Or not honing the whole blade.