Thread: am i out of my mind

is it common practice to run an edge across some glass, and start over, or should i continue to work on the current bevel.

Unless you want to practice honing, I don't see why you would do that. Even if you do want to practice honing, I think it would make more sense to find more razors rather than dull up one that is already shave ready.

Sounds like you've been to Bart's site. I think he does that just to show you that the edge is dull and no longer shaves arm hair, so he can hone it up and show you how to hone. That's it. You don't have to drag it across a glass at all, as a matter of fact, I wouldn't even recommend that. I hope this is what your asking....?

this is a razor that has been toying with me, not wanting to get sharp enough for some reason. and as for barts site i have never seen it, i thought that maybe starting with a clean slate would help in the long run

I like to shave with mine.

Originally Posted by wvloony

this is a razor that has been toying with me, not wanting to get sharp enough for some reason. and as for barts site i have never seen it, i thought that maybe starting with a clean slate would help in the long run

There is a school of thought that dulling the blade first will prevent 'false positives' in the honing. I don't use that technique personally. If a razor is dull or not keen enough I hone it until I think it is shave ready. If upon shave testing I feel it needs more TLC I hone more until I am happy with the edge. Just the way I do it, not the only way.

I like to do things for a reason. Dulling it on glass can be useful, but if your razor is already dull I'm not sure what are you trying to get out of it.

Honing isn't rocket science, but it's not voodoo black magic either.
You have to remove steel until there is an edge that's good for shaving. Any course of action should be ultimately in service to that goal.

If you're not getting the razor sharp, I don't think there is any reason to make it any duller. All work you do in honing, be it one stroke or a twenty, moves you closer to shave ready, and I personally don't think there is any reason to move backwards.

Originally Posted by wvloony

this is a razor that has been toying with me, not wanting to get sharp enough for some reason. and as for barts site i have never seen it, i thought that maybe starting with a clean slate would help in the long run

This might be something you've already done being you've taken the time to post. Have you tried to walk way from that razor for a while? A clean slate of mind/focus if you will.

Conversely amigos, I have found there are times to simply begin over.

When you are new there will be errors in stroke etc. You are unlikely to know or notice or attribute the appropriate weight to what was right or wrong in a given session.

Simply continuing stroke after stroke on finer hones is unlikely to lead to a perfectly flat true/ sharp, smooth edge when there is some bad effect already on the edge.

Many times I ruined the edge in shaving, or so it seemed. Resorting to the simple 5 or 10 touch-up strokes did not return the edge to what it had been before. neither did 20 or 50 strokes on the finish hone work.

So far I have mentioned two possible scenarios, though both stem from beginner error.

Most experienced shavers would say that going all the way back to 1k is too far. I cannot say for sure, it sounds OK but that will depend on the real unknown reason as to why the edge will not come on as the whether 1 4/5 or 8 is the right place to begin.

I have not found many(any) to agree but again I will say a razor left unused for 30-130 years will have some corrosive damage which may be unseen even at 100x magnification. Resharpened it may shave once or twice before becoming harsh(almost like descriptions of an overhoned edge) continuing attempts to refresh the edge on a fine hone gets you nowhere slowly.

This effect may go unnoticed if your rotation runs into scores. Or is repaired through extensive restoration. Or perhaps it is a non existing effect I have become attached to. Nevertheless it does seem to be in my experience of only using vintage razors in very good condition that several bevel resets are required before the razor settles into its own. I am not saying that every one has only given 2 shaves, some may go a week or two; but after a couple sharpenings 2 months or more afterwhich resetting is unnecessary as it has become better than new.

In this I do not use a glass but a fine finish hone to joint the edge. When it again cuts hair I know the bevel is set. Re-progressing up to the finish hone quick and easy when the bevel is set right.

It is also important I think, though it can be more or less depending on how things are done, That the edge must match your style of stroke. You may have a pro honed edge that has started to drag, but in trying to rehone it, it takes more than it would seem proper for its state. This may be simply because your way and his do not match exactly. once you have recut things with your hand the rest will follow. but such may also go way beyond what is needed for shaving being merely imagined(as are all our problems with this stuff)