Thread: Rolls Razor blade honing

I just got ahold of an extra Rolls Razor blade at a good price, 'cause the bl*+dy thing did have some rust and I was wiling to buff it up and hone it to spec's. But after I got it and the buffing up was done, I went to my 1k Norton stone but just could not get it to pop arm hairs!! It looked great under magnification, with a B+L 5X loupe and a 60X lighted magnifier.
So after some thinking I just progressed up from the 1k to my 4K, still not poping arm hairs[very strange considering how clean and well met the 2 side of the bevel was but when I got to the 8K Norton after polishing all the previous marks off, it pop arm hairs without any problem at all and in fact look great under my loupe.
I"ll shave test it in a couple of days but has any one ever had the same situation with a Rolls blade???
When I've done Rolls blades in the past this sort of thing never happened.
I did a very good job on the 1K hone so I don't think micro-chipping was the problem, but what was????
It's what makes honing just a strange hobby, you don't get everything working the same way with all different types of razors.

Yours truly, the tinkersd

PS I removed the gard before all the previous machinations were done to that poor blade, removed very very carefuly!!

Yea, removing the guard to hone those blades is a thrill a minute and not my favourite things to be doing.

Bob

Well this evening I shaved with my Rolls and the blade I honed yesterday, it was a good shave but not outstanding, and I do expect better from a decently honed Rolls Blade. to I will go back to the stones and spend some serious time on my 12K PHIG Chinese special, maybe 100 to 150 laps, yes it is a very slow cutting stone for those of you who don't know that yet, very slow!!

experimentation it king!!!

I have a question. How do you get the guard off?

Geek

I think you can just pop them off, but when I honed my Rolls blades, I did not take the guard off.

Yea, they do pop off if you pry one end out first, bit of a PITA.

Bob

I have honed my Rolls Razor while it was in it's case. I just cut up some lapping film so that it was the same size as the hone in the mechanism (pic here).

I then just use my normal progression of film I use for my straight razors. The strops in both of my Rolls cases are in poor condition so I do have to strop outside the case.

Honing outside the case is probably the best way to go though.

The lapping film is a great idea. Also, honing outside the Rolls is the way to go.

Originally Posted by hitemfrank

I have honed my Rolls Razor while it was in it's case. I just cut up some lapping film so that it was the same size as the hone in the mechanism (pic here).

I then just use my normal progression of film I use for my straight razors. The strops in both of my Rolls cases are in poor condition so I do have to strop outside the case.

Honing outside the case is probably the best way to go though.

Once the guard is off, I don't put it back to shave. Can't get close with the angle the guard mandates. I've honed several Rolls and they never have gotten as sharp as a straight. Also, the edge seems to deteriorate quickly. May just be my technique.