PILES OF SMILES

[MODINE]

I have two razors with smiles. When I hone the smiling razors, they do not seem to maintain a consistent sharpness across the entire edge. The heel may be sharp one time, then the middle another time, then the tip. Back and forth we go, where she stops nobody knows. The bevel is set. We are talking about “finishing” the razor with a J-Nat and or Escher. I have no pictures. I have no camera.
I have read up on the rolling X pattern in wiki by R.Baldridge. When performing the rolling X it looks to be a scything motion on the hone surface with the heel making contact then the mid section then the tip of the blade. What about the spine of the blade? Should it also be making contact with the hone? Is this more of a wrist motion while holding the razor to the hone?
I have better success with my hones sitting flat on a stable surface while in a seated position. I have tried holding them in my hand with mixed results. I’m a little paranoid with letting my thumb creep up the side of the hone. Pardon me if I missed something off wiki and a pre-emptive thanks to all who respond, I have to bail off the internet before our IT dept rats me out. I’ll check back later.

[loueedacat]

What about the spine of the blade? Should it also be making contact with the hone?

YES

Is this more of a wrist motion while holding the razor to the hone?

YES

I have tried holding them in my hand with mixed results.

One advantage of holding in hand is you can hold it at an angle that might make it easier to do the rolling X, but many many do a rollning x with the hone on the table.

[dave5225]

What about the spine of the blade? Should it also be making contact with the hone?

The spine should always be in contact with the hone , no matter what kind of razor you're honing . Lifting the spine while the edge is in contact with the hone will change the angle of the bevel and ruin the edge . The razor should lay flat on the hone in order to keep the angle of the bevel consistent .