Thread: Won't sharpen! LOL,,, heard this before?

Hi all,
I recently decided to give this a crack and ebayed a Rogers XY Quality Sheffield. It seems to be in pretty good condition (I didn't see it on the avoid list). I have a 4k/8k combination (Norton). I have spent a ton of time (days) trying to sharpen the thing but to no avail. It has a nice mirror polish on the bevel, but won't cut arm hair! The bevel isn't super even because I think the blade has a tiny curve to it. I understand this isn't that big a deal and technique will solve it eventually. But right now all I'm aiming for is a sharp area somewhere on it!! LOL

I've watched the videos and I feel like I'm in the ballpark with my technique, but the edge just won't come. I keep it nice and flat and stroke a careful X pattern. I'm careful not to bang the edge..etc... I don't have a loupe or anything other than my thumb and the naked eye. I can see the difference between 4k and 8k edge, going from the 4k striation to shiny smooth with the 8k. But no super sharp edge...On my finger nail it has a little friction, and pulls across evenly. Forget the hanging hair test... it will slice butter though like noones business!

So what should I look for to try to fix this situation? Is it just super hard??? But even then days of messing with it should do something no?

I don't know what its made of, but it has a very shiny chrome finish, like a bumper on a car.





No wire edge, no flat spots that I can see....
-=Beer

I can see the hone marks on the bevel in the middle picture so I don't think (take this advice for what it cost you, though) that you're even nearly done on the 8k yet, though if you couldn't get it to cut hair off a 1k you should go back to it. If you don't have a 1k you're gonna want to get a comfortable seat to sit on while you work on the 4k coz you'll be there a while.

Please stop dragging it across your fingernail, every time you do so you ruin whatever edge you have. The only time I drag an edge across my nail is when I am contemplating a purchase. I do this to see how good or bad the edge is, looking for minute chipping. If there is a warped blade are you compensating for it?

Sounds to me like you haven't set the bevel yet. What you are looking for is something like this /\ and most likely you have something like this / \. The 4k is capable of setting a bevel, and there are a lot of old timers here that used to do it that way, but I would suggest picking up a 1k at the very least to set your bevels. You should be popping arm hairs with a properly set bevel.

You can stick with the 4k, you'll just need to spend some more time setting the bevel before you try to go to 8k, which is to polish and refine. You may or may not be able to pass HHT coming off the 8k.... What are you using between 8k and plain leather strop?

On the 4k, do some circles with some moderate pressure, don't be scared to put a little bit of pressure on it while you are setting the bevel. After you have the razor catching and popping hairs from toe to heel, then move up to 8k and polish out those 4k scratches.

Good luck.

Wow, thanks for the quick reply guys! The hone is soaking again and I have a comfortable seat for another try. No more finger nails and I'm going to try some circles tonight. And yes, in my minds eye, / \ seems like what I have. I don't have anything for between the 8K and the strop. I just have the very basics, 4k/8k canvas/leather strop. I haven't even really tried the strop yet because I imagine it should cut hair of my arm first...LOL I'll take all the advice you guys will offer with no offense whatsoever, so if I'm doing something stupid, feel free to tell me!

How long are you guys talking about on the 4k roughly? It's hard with zero reference... guys in videos seem to be able to do them in 15 minutes. This one has had hours, and it didn't even seem that messed up to start with, though dull...

-= Beer

Don't worry about the time or number of strokes.... You'll be done with the bevel when the razor is catching and popping hair the full length of the blade. That could take 2 minutes or 2 hours.

I would suggest a few things to you if you are serious about honing. #1, get a 1k bevel setter. #2, get a finishing stone (12k, etc.). #3, get some sort of pasted strop (poor man strop kit from whippeddog.com)

The 1k stone will do 90% of your honing "work", then the 4k/8k and beyond will fall right into place.

i think i agree with nun2sharp and upd. stop with the whole fingernail test. that checks for chips. and i don't think you have a bevel set yet. when you figure out the bevel, like upd says 'the 4k/8k and beyond will fall right into place.'

that is the advice i give to more new people learning to hone. learn what a good bevel feels like. and keep at it. you have the desire, you just need that 1st success!!!!

Still working it...the heel seems to be getting there (cutting hair!) ...the tip (toe?) nowhere near... Circles seemed to have helped alot with the heel. Wish I had a 1k! I do have a strop, just havent really felt the need to use it yet considering how my honing is going... what a challenge...phew! Back I go...

If you've gotten the heel to cut but the rest still doesn't quite work, try lifting the tang just the slightest bit (don't actually lift it off the stone, just decrease the amount of grip that gravity has on it :P) to work the tip a bit more..

try to get the edge as even as possible by varying how much you lift it..

Aha! I think I understand the bevel now I got annoyed and grabbed some 400 grit sandpaper and wrapped it around my hone. It immediately put a nice straight, even bevel on the razor. 4000 wasn't making much of a bevel at all, that would have taken another week. I moved to the 4000 with very light pressure, if any... now the razor will cut arm hair all up and down the edge, but it takes a little pressure. Is that correct, or should it cut with just the weight of the razor? Is it time for the 8000?

-= Beer

PS... I just tried a little shaving cream on my arm. My first straight razor bald spot ...it seemed to shave it off pretty easily...but that's not my face either!