Thread: A couple question from a beginner

I am trying to hone a razor to shave ready. I've already tried a few times unsuccessfully. It seems to shave decent in the middle, but not at the toe and heel. I noticed on one side of the blade the bevel area is bit thicker at the toe and heal. And on the other side the bevel is thicker in the middle, and much thinner at the toe and heel. Is this normal? Is the blade slightly bowed in the middle?

Yes it is possible that the blade is warped. This would cause what you are describing. It also is possible that your strokes in each direction are uneven and that also could be the problem.

Bevel width can and does vary. The key is to have SOME SORT of bevel along the full length of the edge. All that matters is that you convert the full length of the edge from a "U" to a "V" regardless of the width of the bevel.

Okay thanks. I'll focus on keeping my strokes even and keep honing until it shaves decently across the whole edge.

I hesitate to say this to a beginner who is trying to keep the blade flat on the hone, but read up on the rolling X stroke in the Wiki.

I would ask the following questions:

1. What condition was the blade in that it requires honing (antique store find, new, shave ready but pulling, etc)?

2. Are you placing any fingers on the blade to keep it flat on the hone? (I'm not recommending this, but it is a common cause of an uneven bevel)

3. What tests are you using along the way to determine that you have established a bevel along the entire edge?

4. Are you using pressure?

Condition
The razor is a new Dovo I bought from a cutlery store a few years ago. It didn't shaved well so I figured I learn to hone with it. If I remember correctly it felt like it was ripping the hairs out when I shaved.

Fingers on the blade
Yes, I am using a finger on the blade to keep it flat (like TokIk's video). Yesterday I tried without a finger on the blade (like Lynn's video) and I couldn't keep it flat on the away stroke.

Tests
I've been testing it on my arm to see if it shaves the hair at different spots along the blade. I try the TPT every one in awhile, but I'm still getting used to that. It makes me nervous that I'm going to slice my thumb open. Other than that I look at the reflection in the light. Maybe I should run to radio shack and get a microscope?

Pressure
I'm trying not to use pressure, but I'm pretty sure I'm putting some on there.

I am a new oldie at this and have read a good bit about this over the past years. If you are sharpening with a honing stone that has an uneven surface, it can cause the type of uneven sharpening as you speak of. Check your razor hone to see if it is completely flat or to make certain that you are using a hone that has been lapped. If the stone is truly flat, it will remove the same amount of metal at all points on the blade, if it is not completely flat it will not. Take a straightedge and lay on your stone and move it across the stone to make certain that there are no low or raised spots on your honing stone. Hope that helps some; just something else to check out. Sonny082

I lapped the stones, but I'll check it out. I figured that if the hone wasn't flat, the uneven areas of the bevel would be at the same place on the blade. I didn't take into account the x stroke.

Originally Posted by Sonny082

I am a new oldie at this and have read a good bit about this over the past years. If you are sharpening with a honing stone that has an uneven surface, it can cause the type of uneven sharpening as you speak of. Check your razor hone to see if it is completely flat or to make certain that you are using a hone that has been lapped. If the stone is truly flat, it will remove the same amount of metal at all points on the blade, if it is not completely flat it will not. Take a straightedge and lay on your stone and move it across the stone to make certain that there are no low or raised spots on your honing stone. Hope that helps some; just something else to check out. Sonny082

That's true _if the edge is straight_ in 3 dimensions.

But with a completely flat stone, and a straight spine (another assumption):

If the blade is warped (wrapped around a cylinder), you'll get one wear pattern on one side, a different wear pattern on the other side.

If the edge "smiles" or "frowns", you'll get an uneven wear pattern, but it will be the same on both sides of the blade.

Life is complicated.

Charles