Thread: Honing a trapezoidal blade?

Originally Posted by Hirlau

A Trappa what ??

Attachment 101274

I had to read this thread to figure that word out......I'm STILL confused!

Well, all is well. I initially tried to approximate the original honers stroke, but I did manage to do a little correction. As Glen said, over the course of a few honings, it should be right again. So it'll be good in like 3 years or so. I guess the best description wold be to say I did a heel heavy stroke for every regular x stroke. But I also did about 120 circles, so that wouldn't be completely accurate. It's pretty well fixed. Thanks to all.

Duplicating an incorrect stroke would seem counter productive to the ultimate utility and purpose of the blade, which would be a great shave. My suggestion would be to:

1) True the blade width. Slow strokes on concrete works very well as you are essentially edge on trying to cut perpendicular until the blade width is true. Of course this is with more pressure on the wider area until it matches the narrow section.

2) True the spine width. Using a fairly high grit of 400 or less, you can use pressure and placement to true the spine.

3) Hone a new bevel and edge with correct strokes.

This assumes that the blade width is not too narrow so as to drop below 3/8" to 1/2" overall after the correction, if so then the correction would be too much and the blade too narrow.

I would use a micrometer to measure your gradual success while truing the spine and blade width.

I have a Genco with a much more extreme toe hone wear. I just figured that it had done a lot of work and honed it as such. Surprisingly good steel left in this blade and it is a wonderful shaver, kinda ugly, but it doesn't know that...

Originally Posted by JoeSomebody

I have a Genco with a much more extreme toe hone wear. I just figured that it had done a lot of work and honed it as such. Surprisingly good steel left in this blade and it is a wonderful shaver, kinda ugly, but it doesn't know that...

The hair only sees the edge

Oh, OK, thanks for the photo; it's exactly as you described, really. Interesting. I'm sorry to say the aesthetics of that geometry doesn't really appeal to me. I'd now say get it to some Master to get a re-grind or whatever (just my personal opinion of course)...

Well, as Dave said, one will never learn how to fix these things, if he always pays someone else to do it. Anyhow, I agree with you. If I'd had the choice between a honed out toe or a perfectly perfect razor, I'd have gone with perfectly perfect. But it shaves as good as any other, and I'll eventually get it back to right. It'll just take a hew honing cycles.

Originally Posted by regularjoe

Well, as Dave said, one will never learn how to fix these things, if he always pays someone else to do it. Anyhow, I agree with you. If I'd had the choice between a honed out toe or a perfectly perfect razor, I'd have gone with perfectly perfect. But it shaves as good as any other, and I'll eventually get it back to right. It'll just take a hew honing cycles.

Yeah, too true :-)

As said by JimmyHAD in the start of the thread, if the spine wear is also more at the toe and the razor lays flat on the hone than I would think to hone as normal.
My opinion only. Why not try the simpllest first?

Paco, the most simple way to hone the razor would be "as is". My question was more directed at a tactic to sharpen the razor with an eye towards correcting a problem that will multiply on itself with each additional honing. I also wanted to ensure, through others experience, that the razor shouldn't be problematic. I hate nothing more than sitting down to hone, and discovering I've overlooked/dismissed an error that needs correcting before I can actually sharpen the razor.

Adding pepper to the radiator will help it hold water for the time being(simplest). While finding the hole, and repairing it will fix it permanently(goal). So...I guess that's why not the simplest first. I'm not in a hurry. I wanted to do it right, and only once.