Thread: Wavy Blade

Hi gents,

I have a geneva cutlery that I unpinned, cleaned up, and repinned only to find that the blade doesn't center because one scale is longer than its counterpart, to make it worse edge is wavy.

What I mean by wavy is the edge is warped in many places so that the bevel is wavy. I hope the picture will give you a better idea.

Is this one a goner?



Cheers,
Sy

The recoverability depends largely on how severe the wave is. Lite wave can remain a fine shaver. As the severity increases, more bevel work time is in order. Back strokes helped some, and I use some pressure to get to the bottom of the low spots, then get back to no pressure for the hight spots. Pasted strops help for final finish, but I found them helpful before doing final stone work also.

I don't know anyone who like working warped blades. I did 2 Wed. that had moderate warp and were very hard steel in a half grind configuration. Both shaved reasonably well, but took alot of fussing and fight to get there.

It takes about 6 minutes if you know what yer doing to fix it.. If you don't then you are in for a journey


You can spend hours, and steel trying to hone that out...

Or you can use a often misunderstood technique called Breadknifing and do it perfectly straight the first time...

Just google "gssixgun and honing" to find several vids of how it is done, you most likely do not need to use a 90° breadknife angle you might get away with something closer to 45° or even 30°

Keep in mind that the spine either needs to be evened up or you need to use 2 layers of tape to hone after you restore the edge or that pattern will most likely come back

BTW read the warnings on the vids, if you don't know how to hone really well, this is a blade to set aside until you do, as you need to "Restore" the edge before you can "Hone" the edge...

I don't mind spending time learning and having fun at the same time.

I have had a look at different angles of the blade, and it's only wavy along the edges but quite deep in, maybe 3-4 mm. Do I have to bk all this down?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

It takes about 6 minutes if you know what yer doing to fix it.. If you don't then you are in for a journey


You can spend hours, and steel trying to hone that out...

Or you can use a often misunderstood technique called Breadknifing and do it perfectly straight the first time...

Just google "gssixgun and honing" to find several vids of how it is done, you most likely do not need to use a 90° breadknife angle you might get away with something closer to 45° or even 30°

Keep in mind that the spine either needs to be evened up or you need to use 2 layers of tape to hone after you restore the edge or that pattern will most likely come back

BTW read the warnings on the vids, if you don't know how to hone really well, this is a blade to set aside until you do, as you need to "Restore" the edge before you can "Hone" the edge...

How severe the wave is from the picture?

Originally Posted by pinklather

The recoverability depends largely on how severe the wave is. Lite wave can remain a fine shaver. As the severity increases, more bevel work time is in order. Back strokes helped some, and I use
some pressure to get to the bottom of the low spots, then get back to no pressure for the hight spots. Pasted strops help for final finish, but I found them helpful before doing final stone work also.

I don't know anyone who like working warped blades. I did 2 Wed. that had moderate warp and were very hard steel in a half grind configuration. Both shaved reasonably well, but took alot of fussing and fight to get there.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

...Or you can use a often misunderstood technique called Breadknifing and do it perfectly straight the first time...

Just google "gssixgun and honing" to find several vids of how it is done, you most likely do not need to use a 90° breadknife angle you might get away with something closer to 45° or even 30°

G, I've enjoyed and benefitted from your vids. I don't remember one on breadknifing or anything about breadknifing through a wavy edge. I'm misunderstanding, or this means that wave is limited to the last 1/32-1/8" near the edge. Grinding off an eighth would be more than I've want to do, but it sounds like you have indicators that allow you to find when the wave has been successfully worn through. Are you looking at the hone surface where all water has been removed? 'Don't mean to be dense, but would love to hear what you look at and work to when you're facing wave.

The problem is the term Breadknifing and the fact that even you think that is would use 1/8 in of steel, no matter what technique one uses you have to even out the edge , Correct????
You have to restore the edge to the back of the problem, No farther, don't think of breadknifing only as a 90 degree option, you can start it at any angle you want or need. You could even that edge up at (I am guessing here) about a 45 degree angle then drop to 3 layers of tape then 2 and start honing...

If you only take off the problem then you actually waste less steel.. There are actually 3 different vids up on my channel of using different Breadknifing restorations..

One that Gerritt flimed at the very first Spokane meet, one we did for MJHammer at the Denver meet last year that the edge of his puma was really bad, and the one I did for my channel that has the most info...



g

I'm just wondering was the edge wavy before you "cleaned it up ?"
I'm hoping you didn't cause that on buffers & over heated things to boot

'tried searching within SRP and succeeding in finding only your wonderful honing vids. I'll do a full search and find the vids, G.

What puzzles is that I (rightly or wrongly - I'm better at the later) imagine the wave would extend further towards the spine than could feasibly be 'knifed out. It sounds like this is one more misconception I'll be glad to retire. Its been a while, but I remember you speaking about 'knifing, beginning at about a 45 deg. angle and getting lower as a chip was almost gone. That's how I've done it ever since. 'Watched you do it in Spokane at the last meet. All the wide-eyed looks from others made me smile. There's nothing like seeing you do it in person.

Onimaru - Superb question - totally fitting to issue. The blades in question haven't seen buffers or any mechanized polishing. 'Just hand sanding and polishing. Where the edge was uneven, I'd hold at a 45 deg w/ both hands and even it out on a dmt 325, then, 3 layers of tape. (sound familiar G?).

It would be the norm that the major issue for me lies between my ears - a misconception on how far up the blade a warp extends.

Thank you both!!

Originally Posted by pinklather

It would be the norm that the major issue for me lies between my ears - a misconception on how far up the blade a warp extends.

Thank you both!!

Ahhhh now wait hehehe the warp probably extends to the spine, which means like I said above it either needs to be evened up or you have to use 2 layers of tape, otherwise the problem will most likely return..
If the edge sustained damage this would not be the case.. Very good point from OZ about this

Rob I never put the Breadknifing vids on here. they are hidden on my channel because to many newbs try it then can't get the edge back, then you get twenty posts saying "Don't breadknife" when the problem is in the hands not the technique ..

This way they have to go find them and read the warnings..

g