Thread: HELP! Having trouble honing a couple of blades.

Okay, here's the deal. I'm having some trouble setting the bevel on two blades I have restored (many hours of hand sanding). One is a 7/8" Bengal and the other is a 13/16" BUR with the following etched on the blade "ACCIATO MAGNETICO GARANTITO 10 ANNI".
I have the Naniwa 1k, 5k and 8k and haven't had any problems with setting the bevel and getting other blades to shave ready.
The two just don't want to co-operate. I did Lynn's recommended 40 circles (each way) and then 10 X's. Neither would cut butter... So back to the stone's I went. More circles followed by X's. Still nada. After a good 30 minutes of this I decided to stop banging my head against the wall and try a different blade that I have been meaning to hone for some time. It is a full (maybe half, I can't tell the dif) hollow Geo Wostenholm IXL 5/8". One pass on the circles and 5 X's and no problem shaving arm hair.
Either I'm doing something wrong on these bigger blades or they simply need more time on the stones. Or, I'm not holding my tongue properly. Whatever it is, I could use a little guidance.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to your replies.

Cheers
Scott

Is there any damage or chipping on the edge? Do you have a loupe to look at the edge after a series of X strokes or circles?

Try starting out with two or even three layers of tape on the spine and get a basic bevel set. Under a loupe this bevel should look smooth, even but not highly polished and should have no micro chipping on the edge. Nor should there be a wire edge, but you should be able to shave arm hair with it.

Once this bevel is set move down to one layer of tape and set a true bevel. This part should be a pretty quick exercise and once this bevel also appears to be right under the loupe you can start moving up to higher grits.

Some razors do have harder steels and can take more time to get the bevel set. Damage to the edge can also make the bevel take longer to set, and edges that look fine to the naked eye can actually be tarnished or rusted under a loupe. You'll need to get past this bad steel before you can get a decent edge.

If you really cant get the edge right though, it may be better to send the razor out to a pro rather than increasing the hone wear.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Have you used the black marker on the edges of the recalcitrant pair ? IOW, are you sure you're making contact between edge and hone from heel to point consistently ?

Thanks for the feedback guys.
The blades are in very good condition and are free of any damage. The BUR only needed a little Autosol to tidy up and the blade edge is in excellent shape. The Bengall was a mess and I spent about 8-10 hours hand sanding it before trying to set the bevel.
JimmyHAD, I haven't tried the black marker yet but will do on Sunday when I get time.
Stubear, I will try the tape as well and will post my results.

Thanks again guys.
Have a great weekend.

Cheers
Scott.