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I have one of those strange Carl Melcher straights, where one side of the blade is completely flat(like a true old style wedge), and the other side is hollow ground.
Does anybody have any advice for honing this style blade? Is this similar to the Japanese blades I have seen?
Not touching this puppy until I have word from one of you pros!
IIRC, they are called micro-tomes. Jimmyhad had a thread about sharpening them, but I cant recall exactly where I saw it. You might be able to find it by looking through his posts, or I am sure if you wait he will be along to tell you about his experience with them.
I've honed one up too. You have to build up the spine, one way or another. I used electrical tape to attach a toothpick just below the spine on the flat side. It wasn't ideal, because the toothpick was not as long as the blade, and the toothpick had the tapered ends, but I got the thing to shave.
Weren't these medical tools and not shaving tools?
Yes they were for slicing tissue samples. If I was to do it again I would use 4 layers on the flat side rather than the 3 that I used on the Puma in that thread .....but I'll never do another. :nono:Quote:
Originally Posted by Disburden
medical tool? goodness! Guess I'm a chump.
What might its purpose have been? and has anybody tried to shave with it honing the single side?
Now Im all curious!
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Originally Posted by Magpie
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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
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Originally Posted by holli4pirating
Makes more sense reading backwards.
Good thread.....Quote:
Originally Posted by janivar123
Also see this PDF
http://webmight.com/~psneeley/downlo...e%20Use%20.pdf
About page ten is a section on the blade. There is
an interesting bit on sharpening on vibrating glass with Vienna
chalk and other 'classified' abrasives on glass. There is
also some interesting bits on inspection of the edge
with a microscope.
Early on in the paper are bits on correct angle....
Yeah, its a microtome.
I honed one up that I had from school, but because it was a cheap no name one the edge only lasted a couple of shaves and then I had to rehone it. You could see the edge collapsing under a loupe.
I followed Jimmys advice in the thread linked above and I got there in the end. But it was definately not an experience I want to repeat any time soon..! Definately very difficult to hone.
Ok,
I have done what reading I can, and have yet to see any mention on the proper sharpening of these knives for use as a "sectioning" tool.
If I were to hone this up using only the one side bevel, and the other side flat like it apears, what would the result be?
Would it not be a perfectly fine shave? or would it be removing my face so I can see it on my microscope? :tameshigiri:
As I said in the thread I posted on honing the Puma microtone, it can be done and made to shave well. Of course that was a Puma and it goes without saying a quality blade. The trick is to only run your multiple layers of tape on the flat side. The hollow side one layer or none depending on your preference. There is no bevel on the flat side so you must create an initial bevel before you can even set it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Magpie
The amount of tape to buildup on the flat side's spine depends on how narrow a bevel you want. What you're trying to do is have it roughly equal to the hollow ground side. I had bought the puma on a buy it now where the seller only showed the hollow side in a photo and called it a straight razor in the description. It was be out fifty bucks or hone it up. It is a good shaver but as I said before, I'll never do another.
I've never honed one. If I did I don't think I'd get past wondering if in its previous service it was slicing tissue infected with CJD. Prions on that edge? Call me paranoid. I admit it.
Chris L
how you know name of that disease ? +prions.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisL
in fact there is no way you can kill prions.
Exactly. No way to kill them is my understanding.Quote:
Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl
Maybe a blast furnace?
I can't recall when I first heard of CJD. Maybe back when there was that Mad Cow scare in the UK and in the U.S.?
Chris L
Gad !! Never heard of prions before and I just looked it up in google :eek: I think I may just hide under the bed from here on out. :rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl
My prion infested blade cries out to be honed and examined for diseases under my 400 magnificatin lens.
But I am still curious about only honing on the concave side of the blade. Isnt that what all those styles of microtone blade edges were indicating? some cuts were best achieved with a differeant angle and single bevel?
I,m not asking how to hone a microtone blade into a face shavor, Im asking how do you hone a microten blade into a microtone blade?
THen I wil experiment with shaveing, and altering
Good question and I have no idea. :) ....:gl:Quote:
Originally Posted by Magpie
If you want to hone just one side, hone just one side. I don't understand what the complication is there...
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Originally Posted by holli4pirating
Oh, I dont know,, maybe things like "Do I polish the flat surface?" Or Hone it at all for that matter?
If so, would you do "side" flip "side" or would you hone the bevel first, and THEN polish the back? or visa verse?
That sort of thing.
Take a look at the bevel on the hollow side and the edge on the flat side with an eye loupe or a microscope and that might give you something to go with. IOW, if it isn't damaged and has the factory profile that will give you an idea of the intent of the design.
But you said you only want to hone one side, right? To me that implies you do not want to do anything to the other side. Perhaps I misread something?Quote:
Originally Posted by Magpie
You hone flat side and take bar out another side. it is sounds add but that is the way to right honing microtone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Magpie