Thread: I could use a little help...

Anyone ever have any trouble getting the middle portion of the blade sharp? The heel and the toe are popping hairs however, the middle portion just can't seem to get there yet. When I lay it flat on glass, I can't detect any warping or anything. I'm figuring that maybe it has just a slight frown. What would be the best way of fixing the problem?

Thanks in advance,
-Pary

Is your hone lapped and flat? Also, check the spine for curvature, it's easier to see there. You should also mark the bevel with magic marker and give it two laps on your finest hone, then check to make sure the hone is hitting it evenly -- I bet it's not.

This can be due to too much (or too little) pressure in the middle, but for me this honing problem has *always* been caused by a warped blade. If it's very lightly bent and is a full hollow then you can use a little pressure in the middle of the blade to push it down flat on the hone (use the magic marker trick to figure out which side needs the pressure).

There's another way to do it, though I hesitate to mention it because it has its detractors around here: Sharpen it with a pasted hanging strop. I've got a few warped razors that I sharpen like this, the extra flexibility in the strop lets it match the curvature in the blade as it passes. The problem with pasted hanging strops is they tend to produce a frown if used extensively. To mitigate this, I get the razors as sharp as I can with the hone using a heel-and-toe stroke before going to the strop. I've got a roughout strop from handamerican with flexcut gold (fast cutter, I think it's about 6k) on one side and boron carbide (slower cutter, about 11k) on the other: 10 laps on the flexcut side and 15 on the boron carbide side usually does the trick.

And no, I don't use this on my healthy razors. The pasted strop was originally acquired for my knives -- big chef's knives and butchering knives are a snap to sharpen on this strop.

Using the X motion on the hone if you can handle the edge of the hone with that, can also help you get the entire blade.

X

I've never had any luck with the X-pattern on warped blades, it gets the middle sharp but dulls the heel as it comes off the near side of the hone :-( One of the things I've been thinking about doing is taking a barber's combination hone and rounding off the surfaces. In theory this would let you hone a razor (warped or not) with a rock-and-roll motion like you do smiling razors, and since the barber's hones are handheld the fact that they won't lay flat isn't a problem.

Why not just build in a flat/smile with opposing pressure? You guys are being awfully "creative" LOL

My solution for a razor with a slight "frown" is to tape the spine and hone the razor on 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper until the frown is gone.


Hope this helps,

Well, I looked at everything. I re-lapped my hones and then I once again took Randy's advice and used some wet/dry sandpaper. I didn't have any 1000 grit so I used some 1500 grit instead. Only took a few minutes and now, low-and-behold, the problem is solved. The edge is poppin' hairs all over the place and I can't wait to try it out later today sometime.

Just wanted to say thank you all once again for all of the help, suggestions and comments.

-Pary

Aren't these guys great?

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Why not just build in a flat/smile with opposing pressure? You guys are being awfully "creative" LOL

If the blade is warped the opposing pressure technique will produce a crooked bevel, and the frown will keep coming back anyway.

Got to try out the razor today. Best shaving razor that I own, hands down. Funny, I picked it up at an antique mall for a whopping $10.00. Took it home and cleaned it up and it's been sitting around for about two months now. Took the hones to it, did Randy's sandpaper trick and wow! I don't know why in the hell I'd been waiting. It's a great razor...Clements, made in Sheffield. I'll have to try and get some picks of it for you guys.

Anyways, you guys are the best!

Thanks,
-Pary