Antique store find won't sharpen

I have been trying to get an antique store straight razor to be shave ready for two days now. I've done the 1K/4K/8K pyramid, I've tried taping, I've tested it to make sure the blade wasn't warped at all, I've pretty much tried everything I can think of. My NoS Wapi and RollsRazor I've never had a problem with honing, but this antique Oxford razor is driving me crazy. Can someone please help me get this thing to at least pass the arm hair test? I figure if I can get it there, the rest I know how to do. But at this point, I'm at a loss...

You need to stay on the 1k until you can shave arm hair. Try using circles.

A picture might be helpful

Ok, I will try the circle method on the 1K stone to see if I can get it sharper. Also, here's the photos as requested. Had this thing for about a year and haven't been able to get it sharp. Guess I just decided that now's the time to do it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...e/P1020438.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...e/P1020439.jpg

Does your razor have "pakistan" written/etched/stamped anywhere on it?

nope, it says "Oxford Razor Warranted Germany" on one side, and "Germania Cutl. Works Germany" on the other

Be sure to try the magic marker trick along the edge to make sure you're contacting the hone along the entire edge. Once you've established that you're hitting the hone properly, keep at that 1k until it shaves hair easily off the arm.

Don't get discouraged. I've had antique store razors hone up in twenty strokes and I've had other razors take hours. Had a Frederick Reynolds that took two months...

what is your 1k stone?
Second you have to forget about the taping this blade?
why are you taping it?
Lastly
if you have 1k Norton you will not be able to make blade cut arm hair easily. in case you have 1k shapton you should be ok.
1k Norton the best test will be just check the edge under light and see bevel set from heel to the tip.
as soon as you get that you can move on.
gl

Ok, I have combined everyone's advice into one and this is what I'm doing now:

-marker tested the blade and found that the center on one side isn't being touched by the hone, so I have a significant high spot on the blade.

-So the idea would be to continually do the circle method on that side until the marker is gone, correct?

-I ditched the tape, it is now gone.

My 1K stone and 4K/8K stone are both Norton stones and have been leveled on a piece of glass

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bdehlin

-So the idea would be to continually do the circle method on that side until the marker is gone, correct?

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Not necessarily...you might end up with an uneven hone or even worse, a frown. The idea is to use the marker to find out which honing method (or combination of methods) get to all portions of the edge. Here's some different strokes to try Strokes for honing a razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki

If you find that one side of the edge has honewear on the toe and heel while the other side of the blade has honewear in the middle, you may have a warped blade.

So it looks to me like the blade is warped...is there anything I can do to fix it, or is the blade a lost cause?

You can do one of a number of things...you could send it off for an evaluation to see if someone can hone it, you can set it aside until you come up with something to do with it, or you can blunt it and turn it into a toy for the kids or to practice stropping.

As for honing a warped blade, that's beyond my level of expertise...

You can also regrind a warped blade. From your description it seems as if it's not severely warped. It's a lot of work to fix it either way. Are you sure you've got nicely lapped stones? Does the edge of the blade stay in full contact when coming across the hone? Does the water ripple come off evenly? It could be you're putting a bit more pressure on one side. I know I've had high hone spots when i was a bit wonky on my honing.

The water creates an even wave off of the front of the blade as I pass it over the hone, so I think the hone is lapped properly. It might just be a pressure thing since I'm trying the swooping x pattern for the first time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

what is your 1k stone?
Second you have to forget about the taping this blade?
why are you taping it?
Lastly
if you have 1k Norton you will not be able to make blade cut arm hair easily. in case you have 1k shapton you should be ok.
1k Norton the best test will be just check the edge under light and see bevel set from heel to the tip.
as soon as you get that you can move on.
gl

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I have a 1k Norton and I don't have any trouble passing the HAHT .

I don't know why, but I have two Germania Cutlery Works razors, and both have been a complete PITA to hone. That said, I got both of them when I was fairly new to honing, gave up, and haven't tried them again since. It may be that they just need more work to establish a bevel, but when I started I was pretty clueless about what I should be looking for.

I'll give them another go when I get a chance, and try to remember to post here if I find what the problem is.

The spine does not appear warped in your pics but the edge may well be.
Geometry issues always make it a PITA but you may succeed using an X pattern & the near side edge of your hones or narrow hones.

Yeah, it looks to me like the spine is fairly straight and has no warping...just the edge. I've been fairly successful with the x pattern, but it's still not getting sharp in the center of the blade, just the heel and toe. I suppose I'll have to keep at it and hope the warping rights itself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dave5225

I have a 1k Norton and I don't have any trouble passing the HAHT .

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You may have some special stone or doing whole a lot better job then i do.
i am not sure which one.
What is HAHT?YOU MEAN HHT?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bdehlin

Yeah, it looks to me like the spine is fairly straight and has no warping...just the edge. I've been fairly successful with the x pattern, but it's still not getting sharp in the center of the blade, just the heel and toe. I suppose I'll have to keep at it and hope the warping rights itself.

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if you are willing to take care postage of the blade i will hone that blade for you?gl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

if you are willing to take care postage of the blade i will hone that blade for you?gl

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This is a great opportunity... your razor will come back ready to do some work!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

You may have some special stone or doing whole a lot better job then i do.
i am not sure which one.
What is HAHT?YOU MEAN HHT?

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The HAHT is the hanging arm hair test , when the razor will cut off arm hair above the level of the skin . I hone with the least pressure possible , and keep at it until the razor can pass this test , before I go to the 4k .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dave5225

The HAHT is the hanging arm hair test , when the razor will cut off arm hair above the level of the skin . I hone with the least pressure possible , and keep at it until the razor can pass this test , before I go to the 4k .

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This is getting really interesting.
Are you saying your blade cuts arm hair above skin level after 1 k Norton . Is above statement right?
thank you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

if you are willing to take care postage of the blade i will hone that blade for you?gl

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DO THIS!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

This is getting really interesting.
Are you saying your blade cuts arm hair above skin level after 1 k Norton . Is above statement right?
thank you

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Yes , give it a try , it works for me all the time . I think the trick is to keep your edge pressure on the hone as light as possible . I'm not saying I can hone better than you or anyone else , it's just that my results on the Norton 1k are different than yours . :HJ
Or maybe it's because my arm hair is different than yours , and may be easier to cut , I don't know .

Question for you.... is it failing to develop a bevel in the middle on both sides of the edge?
If so, then what you have is a edge with a "frown" shape to it.


Just my $.02,:)

The center of the blade only fails to hone on one side, which is why I believe that the blade is warped. Since I already have two great daily shavers, I'm thinking of this as more of an advanced honing lesson. On top of it, I'm heading to the Rose Bowl Flea Market tomorrow in search of a W&B that's either restorable or shave ready, wish me luck.

One side....ok, then I agree it is probably a warped edge.

Did the blade ever go to Sham for honing? I am curious what happened to the edge since I have a blade with the same problem and it is a Clauss razor.