Thread: Odd Flattening on Spine

On the image i posted below the blue line represents the flat spot on my new razor. the other side has even less of the blades length with a flat spot. the razor was bought from a reputable .com and "professionally honed" before being sent to me.
I tried to hone this razor and found it quite difficult as the area of the spine toward the heal was still the original width. The flattening that is on 2/3's of the blade is even and has a distinct stopping point (the right end of the blue line). The edge of the razor reflected light as if there was contact with the hone all the way from heel to toe, and it looked smooth. The razor did not shave when I received it, stropping on just leather did not help, stropping on the nylon webbing then the latigo also did nothing for my razor's shaving abilities. I am now disappointed because I am still quite new to all of this, and i am not sure how to even out the flat spot all the way across the spine so i can be able to hone it with some tape...

any ideas from you honemeisters will be greatly appreciated.

I am at work now, i will try to have pictures of the actual razor posted sunday, i will also be calling the .com on monday.

Sarcastically - "what a great deal i got to wait a month for a professional to force me to learn how to hone a professionally honed razor" lol

Do you know if the seller honed the razor, or it came straight from the factory?
If the razor has never been honed other than the factory, it is very likely it will need to be honed before use.
As far as the uneven spinewear, it could be a result of the poor honing job done in the factory. You will also need to check how flat the spine and edge are, lay the razor on the sides on a flat surface and see if they lay flat or not.

Looks like a Bismarck to me.

Check the spine for a warp with a true flat edge placed along the flats.

Regards,
Neil

mainaman,

It was purchased as an untouched factory 'shave ready' that i paid the extra $20 to have it sent to a professional to hone it before it was sent to me. ClassicShaving.com, they sent it to a guy in michigan before it was sent to me. The flat spot is about 1/16" (maybe just a bit less) vertically. it has some tilt if i put the whole blade on a flat block (i was a machinist for some years and have some instruments that are very accurate at checking flatness), if i put just the flat part on the block it does sit flat, but this way there is some of the edge that is hanging off the block also.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Looks like a Bismarck to me.

Check the spine for a warp with a true flat edge placed along the flats.

Regards,
Neil

why, yes it is a Bismarck, even though i labeled it bismark. what a noob.. lol

Originally Posted by ThreeSGuy

why, yes it is a Bismarck, even though i labeled it bismark. what a noob.. lol

...I thought you would like that!

Seriously though, if it was honed and only part of the shoulder is flattened, then I would have thought that the person who honed it saw that it was a little kinked and taped the spine, fully intending to wear the tape down to the metal - that way the bit of tape left would help elevate the spine to the correct degree. If I was doing it though, I would wear the spine down a bit rubbing the blade flat on the stone on both sides, then tape it and continue to wear the tape to the metal, then add a second layer of tape - that way you always have the buffer of the worn bit of tape left when you unpeel the top layer to renew it. That's just me though - it takes a couple of bevel resets, so it would probably be easier to use a narrow hone.

Regards,
Neil

Regards,
Neil

The first thing to address is your "newness". Is it like: This is the first time I ever shaved, and this razor don't shave. Or is it like: I've been shaving with a straight razor for a couple months, and this razor doesn't shave. In the world of new to the art people, it's quite common for a new person to find something they don't like about the razor they purchased, decide it won't shave, then shave with it and prove themselves right, then post a thread about the problem. It's nothing against you, but you're dealing with a reputable company, and it's fairly likely that you just don't have the requisite skills yet. Each honer leaves a different looking spine wear mark. At least from what I've seen. I've had razors with really wacked out looking spine wear, that shaved incredible. And one's that were perfectly perfect that didn't shave at all(not from pros btw). Point is, while your concerns are understood, and your opinion warranted, if your shaving skills aren't up to the task, then the razor is something we shouldn't be addressing yet. If you don't trust your .com, send it to someone you do trust. If you don't trust anybody, it's gonna be a long hard road.

If you're new, please just send the razor off. You can ask your .com for a honing refund I'm sure. Then use that money to have somebody you trust hone it. Then, accept that it's shave ready, and concentrate on figuring out how to shave with it.

I understand what you are saying Neil,
However, now that the shoulder is only flattened on 2/3's of the blade length, how do i make the entire length of the blade have the same amount of flatness so that i can keep the cutting edge straight. i am worried that the tang side of the spine being thicker will cause the toe end of edge to get over honed and cause my blade to smile down the road

Originally Posted by regularjoe

The first thing to address is your "newness". Is it like: This is the first time I ever shaved, and this razor don't shave. Or is it like: I've been shaving with a straight razor for a couple months, and this razor doesn't shave

I know it is different, but I have gained some technique through the use of a shavette. I saw it as an inexpensive way to test the waters. Is the dovo shavette that different from a dovo bismarck that i would not be using a good approach to my face? I really like everything involved with straight razor shaving. But the shavette does a great job, when i took the bismarck to my face it was tugging really bad, and had much trouble cutting arm hair much less even attempting to cut a hanging hair. i have done nothing but read for a week and a half now. everyone makes mistakes, im not sour at the .com i used, just want to know how to get my razor to shave. Maybe i will send it to Lynn and go from there.

Originally Posted by ThreeSGuy

. the razor was bought from a reputable .com and "professionally honed" before being sent to me.
I tried to hone this razor and found it quite difficult as the area of the spine toward the heal was still the original width. The flattening that is on 2/3's of the blade is even and has a distinct stopping point (the right end of the blue line). The edge of the razor reflected light as if there was contact with the hone all the way from heel to toe, and it looked smooth. The razor did not shave when I received it, stropping on just leather did not help, stropping on the nylon webbing then the latigo also did nothing for my razor's shaving abilities. I am now disappointed because I am still quite new to all of this, and i am not sure how to even out the flat spot all the way across the spine so i can be able to hone it with some tape...

I have read this a few times, and honestly am a bit confused..

You bought a razor that was honed, it didn't shave, so you decided the best course of action being new to this was to re-hone it ????

Now you are asking how to use an advanced taping method (What Neil is describing) to fix this razor..

Honestly my first e-mail would have been to the vendor to ask them about what they were going to do about it...

I have a funny feeling now you are going to have to fix this yourself, or send it to be re-honed

The tape technique Neil is talking about using ain't all that easy, for a brand new honer but basically you put one layer of tape on the spine, by honing on the spine it will wear the tape in the high spots faster, once the tape is worn, then you put a second layer on which gives an even surface to the hone now, during honing you never remove the first layer only replacing the second layer..
Basically this is a Straight razor form of Skim coating the spine,,

This technique is normally reserved for badly worn/warped old razors, a razor with simply one honing done, should just need one layer of tape to correct the problem...

BTW what hones are you using ???