Thread: Mis-fare when honing -Spine and edge not even plane

Ok, so I am a newb in here... I finally registered to the forum.
I did a quick search of the vast forum for what I am seeking to no avail.

I have had my razors for a couple of years now and have not really gotten a good edge on them and hence stopped shaving with them. (Actually quit shaving for a year now and have a beard).

I pulled out my stone, hone and razors to see about getting a good edge. These were purchased NOT shave ready. however sharp.

What I discovered is that when placing the razor onto the hone, the spine appears that it may not be true? If I place the spine to be flat and flush from heal to toe, the edge will have a gap and be lifted on one end or the other (toe or heal).
When I place the edge to be flat and flush from heal to toe, the spine will have a gap.

Aren't the edge and spine to be true to each-other? How do I correct this? Is is correctable at home? or should a pro tend to such a deviation?

I can take pictures if need be for better clarification.

2ea zeepk bought new
1ea Dovo used off e-bay (has the worst deviation mentioned above) (if held in right hand to stone, the away stoke side has the most noticeable miss-fare)

If this is covered in another area, please let me know, and I apologize for duplicate threads.

The Zeepk's are junk and will never hold an edge

The Dovo it would help to see a Pic,,

Where are you in WA we have quite an active PNW group up here you might be close enough for one of us to help you in person..

I work at the Everett Boeing facility and live in Marysville (north end).

I am not sure if the pictures will really show what I am referring to.
(essentially the blade rocks)
Note that the pictures are of one side. The opposite side is flush, level and even. This situation is noticeable on one side only; so it is not a bent or warped blade.
Perhaps it is a result of in accurate honing over time?

That's a big problem. Try honing the way you are holding the razor down on the stone. Buy a new razor.

Don't know why it is doing that I would have to see the spine, to get an idea of hone wear, but even so bad hone wear could have been from a warped razor..

Two ways to hone around this..

1. What is called a rolling or rocking X stroke which basically means you are going to master some honing Gymnastics to get a shaving edge.. Or you can set the spine on a low grit stone and try and even it up by grinding away steel..

2. A simple Tape Trick, Put one layer of 3M 700 electrical tape (or another quality type) as perfectly even as possible on the spine.. Holding the razor at the toe and tang with the pressure on the spine (the edge will barely touch) rub the spine on a 1k stone as evenly as possible, this will wear out the tape unevenly, as soon as you either hit steel or have a wear pattern all the way across on one side STOP, turn the razor over and repeat on the other side.. This is going to wear out the tape in the high spots, and leave the tape in the low spots givning you an pretty even spine... STOP
DO NOT remove that piece of tape until you are ready to strop, now add another layer of tape and Hone normally some razors that are really bad will require 2 layers of tape over the corrective layer...
It is a trick, it will not repair the razor, and you are going to have to use the same trick every time you hone, but it will work and it will give you a nice tight even bevel at the edge.
Assuming of course you do your part

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Don't know why it is doing that I would have to see the spine, to get an idea of hone wear, but even so bad hone wear could have been from a warped razor..

Two ways to hone around this..

1. What is called a rolling or rocking X stroke which basically means you are going to master some honing Gymnastics to get a shaving edge.. Or you can set the spine on a low grit stone and try and even it up by grinding away steel..

2. A simple Tape Trick, Put one layer of 3M 700 electrical tape (or another quality type) as perfectly even as possible on the spine.. Holding the razor at the toe and tang with the pressure on the spine (the edge will barely touch) rub the spine on a 1k stone as evenly as possible, this will wear out the tape unevenly, as soon as you either hit steel or have a wear pattern all the way across on one side STOP, turn the razor over and repeat on the other side.. This is going to wear out the tape in the high spots, and leave the tape in the low spots givning you an pretty even spine... STOP
DO NOT remove that piece of tape until you are ready to strop, now add another layer of tape and Hone normally some razors that are really bad will require 2 layers of tape over the corrective layer...
It is a trick, it will not repair the razor, and you are going to have to use the same trick every time you hone, but it will work and it will give you a nice tight even bevel at the edge.
Assuming of course you do your part

I have a couple of razors I am going to try this on. I was trying to figure out a way to do this and poof, you posted it. Im afraid I am going to need some more practice under my belt before I try. I watched your video with the rolckng x and have had good results on some of those razors.

Yeah you can references to the Tape trick spattered around the forum, I did a vid of it but the angle was all wrong and you really can't see what I am doing much of the time