Thread: bevel setting problem: uneven bevel width?

Dan, take a little lighter fluid on a paper towel and carefully wipe off any excess marker. If you're more careful than I am you may only get it in the honing area but I tended to get it up above there too when I used to use it. I rarely do anymore. Just haven't needed to in a pretty good while but it is a good method for seeing where you're at if you're not sure.

Also , the lighter fluid is good for removing tape residue when the spine is taped. Don't make the same mistake I did and leave tape on overnight after a honing session. It may etch a line into the blade where the tape ends and it is sometimes very difficult to remove the mark. Peel it and clean when the session is done and you'll not have that problem.

What kind of marker are you guys using that it is a problem to remove? And even if you couldn't what problem would it cause on a practice blade?

Originally Posted by 32t

What kind of marker are you guys using that it is a problem to remove? And even if you couldn't what problem would it cause on a practice blade?

I don't like to have magic marker stains along the length of the blade, practice or not. YMMV. If it doesn't bother you wiping it off is optional.

Two thoughts:

1. If a razor has been ground with constant blade width (that is, an even 6/8"), but some parts of the blade are thicker at the edge than others (a manufacturing flaw), and the spine is of constant thickness, the bevel will be wider where the grind is thicker. That doesn't affect the "shavability" of the razor _at all_; you can ignore it. In fact, you _must_ ignore it, because you cannot hone such a razor so that it has a constant-width bevel.

2. A symptom of a warped blade is:

. . . on one side, the bevel is narrow at the center, and wide at the heel and toe, and
. . . on the other side, the bevel is narrow at the heel and toe, and wide at the center.

If you're worried, or unskilled, and the blade is warped, send it to somebody who can handle it. They can be really tough.

Charles

Thanks for the help Charles.

I want to learn honing and sending it to someone who can handle it is not an option (I do that for razors that I actually care about!! )

Thanks for letting me know that the uneven bevel will not interfere with shavability because I was under the impression that if I have not managed to make an even bevel, the bevel is not set properly.

Regards
Dan

I suspect you would do much better if you set your bevel on something grittier like the DMT 325. Could be wrong, since I don't have the razor in hand.

It is not that you can't set the bevel on the 1K. But, from your comments, you have a lot of metal to remove. With the 1K, I suspect, you can reset the bevel, but only after hours of honing. And, you will likely grow frustrated and use too much pressure. This will likely result in you deforming the blade during honing, which will not then hone off the high spots to give you a correct bevel setting. And, you will get just what you described: all portions of the blade being honed down.

The one thing to remember is that you really are not going to get an even looking bevel with the wear you are describing. The real key is to try to get the razor to lay as flat on the hone as possible which is where the circles come in. The top part of the bevel will always reflect the wear on the spine. But, so long as you can get the edge flat on the stone or as flat as possible on it, you will be good and the important part of the bevel will be right. If you can't get the edge totally flat on the stone, the rolling X should take care of it and get you all the way there. In most cases unless you really have some damage, a 1K will work very well and would be all you need.

Have fun.

Thank you very much Lynn and Larry,

Lynn, I am not having this problem with only one razor. different razors have different uneven bevels. I will try to keep it as flat as possible and do circles.

by the way is slurrying up the Norton 1k with DMT 120 a good idea to increase speed?

Thanks
Dan

Originally Posted by danielghofrani

I will try to keep it as flat as possible and do circles.

Dan, "you" don't keep it flat. It either lays flat on the stone or it does not. If it does that is swell but if not you manipulate the blade , such as the rolling x or a variation thereof, to contact the edge with the stone, keeping the contact between stone, edge and spine parallel throughout the stroke. If that makes any sense.