Thread: Bevel setting mystery?

Brenton - have you tried some gentle back-honing laps (ie spine first) at the commencement of each new stone? It sometimes helps if you are prone to use too much pressure and/or too many strokes and produce a slight burr. Four or five round laps might help.

Regards,
Neil

Gentlemen,

Thank you for these follow ups.

I hadn't tried back honing as a matter of course. I did it only once, after one effort to set the bevel where I most certainly used too much down force. Like 5 pounds of it. (out of frustration)

After that little experiment (read: tantrum), I was sure some backhoning was needed.

Thanks for the strategic comment. If I can use the ability to cut hair withthe full length of the blade, that test might work for me, cause I've been trying the thumb pad test with the razors I've been working on, and comparing that to my brand spankin' new Revisor, which is sharp sharp sharp. -- I can't feel a difference between 'em on the TPT!

Look into this microscope its 12 bucks Illuminated Microscope - RadioShack.com
that will help being able to see at higher magnification

Drat. Can't order it to Canada.

Perhaps it's available in Canada....

Neil,

How many laps back honing would you suggest?

And, so I'm sure I have this right, when finished with, for e.g., the 5k hone, I do the back honing on the next one up, 8k, before proceeding with regular honing. Is that right?

Thanks

I had the same problem you did with a Simmons Razor.

It had a chip and a double frown so I had to bread knife it. I was hoping I'd never have to do this to a razor, but there was just no way around it.

Anyways, long story short, after bread knifing it took me a couple days of work to start to get an edge on it.

I worked on the 220 mainly, then moved to the 1k when it sort of passed TNT, the 1k did the rest of the work on setting the bevel and developing a good edge.

Just keep at it!

Wow, Thor, that sounds . . . X-treme!

I hope it doesn't come to that, but I'm interested you were able to recover it by such extreme measures as to go back to a 220, then forward.

I think AfDavis is right about noting that I don't have a consistent stroke. I was working on my practice blade last night, thought I was good on the 1000, so moved on up, 5k, 8k, 12k, stropped it 60 or 80 times, then test shave: tearing the hair out feeling again.

If theres' good news in this, though, it's that I do think I was making progress on the 1k, and I did notice a different TPT feel as I went to finer hones. Just too bad my beard didn't feel it too.

Yup, it was pretty easy. It just takes a while.

I'm sure the honemeisters here have had plenty of experience to know how much pressure and time it will take to restore a blade that's been bread knifed, but this is one of my first.

In the end I just made sure to take plenty of breaks, stayed calm, and just watched TV or listened to music while working on the blade. I kept checking the edge often by touch and loupe often and constantly rotated the stone.

Once I felt the edge actually feeling like it could cut into something with some pressure I moved up to the 1k.

As much as you want to go to the higher grits, don't. Not until you know you can cut hair at the 1k level. You're only wasting time otherwise.

Keeping doing straight X strokes on the 1K until you can pop your leg hair mid length, only then move up in grit. I recently bought a really nice razor in an Antique shop, Ivory scales with owls on them (Awesome), it took forever to get the bevel set. I didn't count laps but I did the 1K for an hour until I could cut my leg hair, I then did more to make the hair pop.

At that point I was so tired I went to bed.

Your 1k hone should always be more worn than your other hones.

About a year ago I changed my honing techniques and wrote about it here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...tml#post430074 At the time it was experimental for me but has become my normal honing routine now.

The thing to remember is if you are setting a bevel on a vintage razor that has been kicking around for who knows how many years and what conditions there is a high chance the edge is way far from sharp. At this point you should forget about lap counts unless you need lots practice counting. Develop a rhythm and do circles based in time. 15, 30, 60, 102 seconds. I use an oven timer that counts down in seconds. Start on the low end w/ 15 seconds per side followed by 10 x strokes and look for edge improvements. If you can't notice any work up in time per side. The more time needed, the more pressure followed by ~ 10 seconds or 20 circles with light pressure before the x strokes. Don't move off the bevel setter hone until the blade cuts arm hairs cleanly and effortlessly. This is where the difference between a good edge and a great edge is made.

Good luck

edit: Just found this thread where I posted about circles. See post #11 http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...me-help-2.html