Thread: Bevel Setting Problem

I was hoping someone could help diagnose what I am doing wrong here. I am attempting to set a bevel on an H. Boker which had a fairly rounded bevel when I got it. I put on a layer of tape and did about 20 laps on a 1k norton stone. It was popping hairs pretty easily from the heel to the midpoint of the blade, but from the midpoint to the toe it didn't seem to work. Under magnification the bevel looked great on the heel side, but it didn't look like I had hit the toe side of the blade at all.

I read up on the forums a bit and then tried 3 layers of tape with an angled stroke with moderate pressure (about 20 laps). The result was about the same, but the bevel seemed to get a little wider on the heel... so I decided to stop and seek help here.

I am being very careful to keep the blade flat on the hone, but I just don't seem to be hitting either side of the toe part of the blade. Does anyone have any advice?

Have you tried the magic marker test (apply magic marker to the bevel area on both sides, do a few strokes, and see where the marker comes off). It may be that you're not getting the toe-half of the blade on the hone.

It could also be that there was significant blunting on the toe-half but not on the back half, in which case you need to keep going till you get the bevel set.

Or maybe it's something else all together...

Side note - I don't like using tape in general, but I don't think adding and adding tape will help much. I'd say stick with one layer and try to figure things out there.

I agree with holli4 on the marker and no need for more than one layer of tape. Have you been to the SRP Wiki and checked out the honing section ? If the razor won't lay flat on the hone from heel to point you may need to go with a heel leading 45 degree angle or with the rolling x. The latter is explained in the Wiki. Here is a video with Lynn and Glen honing at an SRP get together. The circles and Xs technique Lynn is using is very effective IME. Maybe an advance technique though .... like the rolling X. Welcome to SRP.

+1 to what Holli said, especially about the marker test.
+1 to what Jimmy said, especially about rolling x's. You may have a slight bend in the blade.

Also watch the water on the hone. Is the water being pushed at the toe the same as it is at the heel?

Originally Posted by jgar

I read up on the forums a bit and then tried 3 layers of tape with an angled stroke with moderate pressure (about 20 laps). The result was about the same, but the bevel seemed to get a little wider on the heel...

what are you doing is opposite what should you do.

so I decided to stop and seek help here.

The best decision .

I am being very careful to keep the blade flat on the hone, but I just don't seem to be hitting either side of the toe part of the blade. Does anyone have any advice?

It will help if we can see pictures of the blade.
what has been said before me i agree.
you can do rolling x or straight x doesn't matter as long as you hit the toe side of the blade.
is your blade does have smile face?
You haven't said anything about your stones? which stone and grit you are using to set the bevel.
do you have narrow stones?
Give us a little more information and picture we would be able to help more.gl

From what you've said, I would try a rolling X stroke with one layer of tape. Here is a good Wiki article that demonstrates the different strokes for honing a razor.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks Guys.

I am using a 1k norton stone that is 3" or 4" wide. I had done a magic marker test initially which showed no contact on either side of the blade towards the toe. This razor does not appear to have a smile.

I was able to make contact with a little pressure added to the the toe part of the blade during a couple of laps, but I didn't think this was the right way to go about it.

My thinking was that I would have to keep removing metal from the heel until everything evened up, but it is looking like this may remove a lot of metal (maybe too much) in this case.

I will re-read the links you guys posted, and I will try to post some pictures tonight and go from there.

For that toe issue give this 1961 barber manual excerpt on honing here a read. It is in the SRP Wiki help files as a PDF. It shows in text and illustration how to approach the issue you're dealing with.

I agree with what has been said so far. The one main visual cue to pay attention to is how the water is pushed in front of the edge as you perform the honing stroke. The water should flow from heel to toe. If it does not that means the edge is not making contact with the hone at the point where the water flows under the edge. The solution is controlling the pressure along the edge of the razor. The rolling X stroke handles this very well. You are rolling the point of contact from heel to toe and the water will be pushed in front of the edge as you stroke the hone.

Hope this helps,

If, the bevel was very rounded then it will take more than 40 laps when using the Norton 1000. That is a slow cutting hone. I always use a 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. It is much faster cutting and much easier on the edge than a diamond hone. Just cut a piece of sandpaper to fit on top of the Norton 1000, wet the sandpaper and hone, lay it on top, press it down and start honing. 50-100 laps usually does the trick. If not then go back to a coarser grit of sandpaper, like 325 or 500.