Thread: Breadknifing a cracked razor - opinions?

Generally whenever the subject of breadknifing comes up there seems to be very strong advise against.

However I was considering this more today as I breadknifed an ERN. The razor had a small crack (approx. 1/16" deep) about half-way down the edge. Thinking logically I opted to breadknife as I didn't want to put any side pressure on the blade in case it caused the crack to grow.

My guess is that a few hundred passes 'normal' honing might be the worst thing you could do. By alternating pressure on each side of the blade so many times you could end up just 'chasing' the crack as the two 'halves' of the blade flexed.

The ERN is now has the bevel re-set ready for finishing tomorrow but I wondered what other's thoughts are on breadknifing in this particular situation? Has anyone noticed a crack growing, maybe right the way across? Maybe I was just being paranoid but alternating pressure cycles on highly hardened steels seems risky.

Breadknifing can mean different things to different people. When I am dealing with serious damage (crack or big chips), I do circles with the spine up. A steeper angle for more metal removal, and a shallower angle when I get closer to where I need to be (that way setting the bevel takes less time). For me, this process doesn't require much pressure at all.

Seems to me, that if you remove alot of steel when breadknifing, you'll change the angle of the bevel significantly - because you haven't removed any metal off the spine. The width of the spine dictates the bevel's angle.
In my mind's eye I see the bevel's angle becoming 'fatter'.
What that means at the end of the day will depend on several factors.. including time spent, avoiding making the crach bigger, what sort of spinewear was there to begin with - etc.

In most cases cracks propagate no matter how much you try to avoid it. If you managed to hone past the crack it's almost all luck and almost no honing technique.

As far as changing the bevel angle 1/16" is insignificant on 99.9% of the razors, and for the ones that matters the issue is with the original razor design. Cf. basic trigonometry plus that statistics thread we made a year or so ago (for those who don't have the experience do draw it from).

You could always just throw it away

Cracks can chase, and will chase,,, As Dylan said there are different degrees, literaly of breadknifing, cracks normally come out safest with a high angle and gentle pressure... These are something to work through slowly, just like every other type of restoration you have to feel your way through them...

Look at it this way, you made a trash razor work again...

Working Razor angles have been measured from about 12 degrees to 25 degrees that is a huge difference basically taking a 7/8 down to a 4/8 and BTW I have seen those old razors that were 7/8+ still shaving at 4/8... Is it ideal??? Nope but they still work just fine for slicing hair...

Thanks guys - I was largely interested if anyone had noted a correlation between honing angle and crack growth.

In this instance I breadknifed with the blade perpendicular to the stone. This is the first time I've had cause to rescue a razor with a crack mid-way down the edge. It started out slightly over 13/16" and no discernible hone wear to the spine. Some rough trig. would suggest I've added about .5 degree a side to the shaving angle so there shouldn't be any issue there.

P.S. the razor in question's an ERN Hamburg Ring "Try Me" dated 1915 so it seemed worth the effort.