Thread: Challenging honing session

Gents.
While honing up a few blades today, I suddenly found myself struggling to put a decent bevel on one of the three blades I was working on. All basically the same size and grind.
2 of them was pretty much your average progression, using circles and x-strokes up thru the progression. 1-5-10K Chosera, then finished it on a Y/G Escher. All well, smooth and super sharp blades.

Now, the third blade was a different beast altogether.
I did the same as with the other blades, but no go.
The blade absolutely refused to get to a sharp level, not even cut arm-hair at skin level.
I experimented a lot with it and finally I managed to get a good even bevel on it.
The thing that seemed to work was to push the blade down the 1K stone with a 45-50 degree angle, heel leading, which is about double the angle I would normally use.
Now, the blade is all good now, but does any of you with more experience in this than I, know what the reason to all this could be?
I visually inspected the blade, and couldn't see any warping or other defects on it. (this is what I still suspect, but I wasn't able to pinpoint it)
It doesn't have too much of a smile either.
This is a pretty much straight forward Solingen blade (Globusmen Gold) in 6/8".
Any ideas or thoughts around this would be much appreciated

Perhaps something to do with the steel ....alloy, heat treat/hardness ? I've had some that honed up so easily I thought I had become a honemeister and than run into others that had me ...... Fortunately most of them come around with less work.

I have often recommended this ...

When you hit a brick wall quit smacking yer head into it,,, at least change something up...

Change the stone up or down one step for 20 stokes
Switch to a natural
Switch to a synthetic
Try slurry
Try no slurry
Try a different stroke
Try pressure
Try stropping
But try something different, right after you stop, and walk away for a coffee or a drink

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Perhaps something to do with the steel ....alloy, heat treat/hardness ? I've had some that honed up so easily I thought I had become a honemeister and than run into others that had me ...... Fortunately most of them come around with less work.

Thanks Jimmy!
Yeah, that is definitely a possibility.
Perhaps it just needed a few more laps on the 1K due to harder steel, and I happened to be doing my angles thing when it finally reached the desired level of sharpness.
Funny stuff, the razor got sharp, and I learned something today, I'm just not sure what

What Glen said is good advice. Sometimes I've put the darn thing in the cabinet and come back another day.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I have often recommended this ...

When you hit a brick wall quit smacking yer head into it,,, at least change something up...

Change the stone up or down one step for 20 stokes
Switch to a natural
Switch to a synthetic
Try slurry
Try no slurry
Try a different stroke
Try pressure
Try stropping
But try something different, right after you stop, and walk away for a coffee or a drink

Thanks. Good advice

It did receive quite the variety of hones this afternoon, but I guess I probably should have given it a rest, and then started fresh after a while.
Then I might have even understood how I reached my good bevel eventually.

Originally Posted by Birnando

Thanks. Good advice

It did receive quite the variety of hones this afternoon, but I guess I probably should have given it a rest, and then started fresh after a while.
Then I might have even understood how I reached my good bevel eventually.

Hehehe I agree with Jimmy, sometimes I stop, put it in the drawer and come back to it the next day, and it all pops sharp... I attribute that to the razor resting

I have a damascus razor of vaunted quality which has had 3 time-outs in the drawer. It's still winning, but I seem to be gaining on it.

If it weren't for these occasional frustrations life would be too easy. Hmmm?

Originally Posted by Bruce

I have a damascus razor of vaunted quality which has had 3 time-outs in the drawer. It's still winning, but I seem to be gaining on it.

If it weren't for these occasional frustrations life would be too easy. Hmmm?

I hear you!
It is fun with these challenges. I suppose that is what makes honing such a great past time, you never know excactly what each new blade will be like on the hones.
I finally nailed my challenging blade, in fact I Actually used it for todays SOTD. Smooth shave

Good luck with the Damascus blade

The particular blade you mention is Very quality blade i should say high quality.
this doesn't meant what Jimmy mention is not possible.
there is very little chance problem with heat treatment but if it is the case just give up.
lastly In some cases if you do have problem with h/t 1 layer of tape may help. just try and see.
gl.