Thread: Shape of the bevel on the edge doesn't lie!

I came across an interesting problem while restoring an Invicta (E.M. Dickinson Sheffield) 6/8". After cleaning it up and getting a nice shine on the blade ready for putting the edge on the blade, I commnenced putting the bevel on it. One side was a great set of parallel lines but the other side had a taper (bigger at the toe of the blade thinner at the heel). First thought was too much pressure one way? After doing a few strokes, no this wasn't the problem. Too much steel on side compared to other to the other (ie, poorly hollow ground)? Didn't seem to be.
Sat with it a while (as you do we these things) and had this thought. Are the edges of the spine parallel? We assume they are 'cos I tell you I couldn't see any wobble. Maybe a few little teeny gaps when put against a straight edge but nothing that should have created this problem.
Got out the vernier calipers and measured the thickness of the spine and lo & behold I had a taper with a difference of about .001 in. Not much but enough to make the bevel on one side become wedged shape while the other side was straight.
So I made a little jig to hold the blade and carefully sanded the sides of the spine parallel. Reworked the edge and it has come out a treat - parallel bevels on both sides.
So a bevel taper doesn't lie but it might not be because of differences in pressure when honing. It may be a result of a wedged spine.

Happy shaving!