Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: wi

  1. #1
    Cheapskate Honer Wildtim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    A2 Michigan
    Posts
    2,371
    Thanked: 241

    Default What Hone for Stubborn Ebay Razor

    Need a little expert advice.

    I have an Ebay special I am trying to hone and it is giving me a little trouble. Most of the blade is 4000 sharp, but this one spot just doesn't seem to want to hone up. Under the microscope (this is my judge of sharp) he whole edge is straight except for about 3/16 of an inch where there are several microscopic nicks, and what appears to be a microscopic hole through the edge. Since this has been the problem spot I have given it about a couple of hundred strokes on the 4000 with some pressure yet I see no substantive change in this one area. I am at this point assuming I need to step down to a more coarse hone.

    Now the question, given the following choices what would you hone or step to to get the edge to come up?

    hard white Arkansas
    medium grey Arkansas
    coarse aluminum oxide stone
    stick it out on the 4000

    It being Christmas and me being tapped I don't want to buy anything if I don't absolutly have to.
    Last edited by Wildtim; 12-21-2006 at 11:36 PM.

  2. #2
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    5,726
    Thanked: 1486

    Default

    Could that portion of the bevel be shorter and not getting into contact with the hone?

  3. #3
    Cheapskate Honer Wildtim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    A2 Michigan
    Posts
    2,371
    Thanked: 241

    Default

    good thought, I had to check, but it is contacting the hone.

  4. #4
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    5,726
    Thanked: 1486

    Default

    I don't think a few hunderd strokes on 4K would fail to have a substansive change. Where is this portion of the edge? Towards the point or the heel?

    If you think your honing ok and the spine is not wider or narrower at the point in question I would lap the hone, flip it around and continue on 4K, but I"m very concerned about this lack of change and what is happening to the sections that are changing in the process.

    Are you using an X pattern?

  5. #5
    Cheapskate Honer Wildtim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    A2 Michigan
    Posts
    2,371
    Thanked: 241

    Default

    Yea I'm worried about serious overhoning too but I am watching for it and while the rest of the edge is "keen" TNT this one area is still dull. I am wondering if it was banged at this point or something. The area is near the point so I will have to be a little more critical of my honing stroke.

  6. #6
    Electric Razor Aficionado
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    3,396
    Thanked: 346

    Default

    Unless this is a particularly valuable blade I'd be tempted to put it on the 1k sandpaper for a bit, and try to work past this area.

  7. #7
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    5,726
    Thanked: 1486

    Default

    On the point huh? Are you using pressure? 1K might be a good idea, but I'd do a little more diagnosis first.

  8. #8
    Cheapskate Honer Wildtim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    A2 Michigan
    Posts
    2,371
    Thanked: 241

    Default

    Near the point about 8 to 10mm back. I use some pressure, not much, maybe three blade weights worth, not just letting the weight of the blade slide along but adding a tiny bit to it. I use the x-pattern with the heel leading a bit.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Howard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    686
    Thanked: 118

    Default Honing problem

    The microscopic hole is troubling to me. I think you may have a portion of the blade that either was subject to poor heat treatment or it was a bad spot in the steel to begin with and this does happen from time to time. You have a couple of choices. If it's not in a critical area and it's not bent or out of line, just ignore it. If you're compelled to make the edge perfect, you're going to have to grind back past that spot and that means a coarser stone than any of the above. A diamond extra fine like a DMT would do it. If you don't use something like that 1200 grit stone, you're going to be honing for a long time. Get aggressive and pull the edge back. Also, check the spine and just between the spine and the thickest part of the blade to see if there are any other troubling spots. If there are, it may be telling you that the steel is spongy and you may pull back the edge only to find another trouble spot. Interesting problem and I'd love to hear the resolution.

  10. #10
    Razorsmith JoshEarl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Western Pennsylvania, USA
    Posts
    2,659
    Thanked: 320

    Default

    I agree that a more aggressive approach is needed here. Usually when I get a portion of a blade that won't get sharp it means that it's not making as much contact with the hone.

    Have you tried the magic marker bevel test? Use a magic marker on the bevel, then do a couple of strokes on a barber hone. The marker will probably still be on the troublesome spot.

    Usually what's happening is that the bevel isn't quite right and you're varying your stroke just a bit and hitting this trouble area just once every 10 strokes or so. It looks like it's getting ground but really isn't.

    I would tape the spine and do a few hundred laps on 1000-grit sandpaper to wear the rest of the bevel down to the same level as this portion. Then your even strokes will hit the entire bevel at once.

    It's possible that the steel is just bad in that area, but I think it's more likely that there's just some funkiness with the bevel. I've seen bevels that needed hundreds of strokes on a 1000-grit stone, so it doesn't surprise me that a few hundred 4K strokes didn't do the trick.

    Good luck,
    Josh

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •