Thread: Joe Chandler, can I have a honing lesson?

Joe,

Every time I feel like I'm doing pretty well with my honing, I pull out a razor that I bought from you and study the edge with my microscope. I'm still amazed at the bevel you put on this thing.

Would you mind answering a few questions for those of us who aspire to someday be honemeisters? (This is not to slight the other honemeisters out there; I only own one honemeister razor right now, and it's Joe's.)

So you get an eBay razor with the usual rounded bevel and shallow nicks. After cleaning it up, what do you reach for? Could you describe for us how you rebuild a bevel and how much time it takes you?

I have a million questions, if you have time to answer them.

Thanks,
Josh

I'd like to hear from both Joe and Randy Tuttle.

Here's how I do it.

I glue some 1000 wet sandpaper on a piece of glass, with a double stick tape. I take care that all of the tape is glued to the edges of the paper, otherwise water gets in, and make high spots on the sandpaper. Start honing, 5 strokes at a side, maybe with the other hand on the spine for more control and stability. The trick is to check the edge often, and to know when it is done. I do it by looking directly at the edge (like I am gonna slice my nose in half) under a very bright light (my desktop lamp). When you stop seeing any reflection on the edge, bevel creating is almost finished.

I than take 10-15 regular, alternating sides, one handed strokes, and proceed on a higher grit sandpaper.

I do around 10-20 regular strokes on a similary prepared 2000 grit, and then I move to the Norton 4000.

Now it's time to observe the bevel. When it's all the same color, it's done. It usually takes some 20-30 strokes on the 4000. The same thing for the 8000. When the bevel looses the 4000 grit satin finish, and became high polished, black ice looking, you are done. Strop, shave, enjoy...

I'm usually done with all the above steps in half hour...


cheers,
Nenad

Ha, with the razors I have been working on - I sometimes spend much longer on the lower sandpapers and 4K... But you should see some of the things I win on ebay Bad geometry, uneven spine, uneven bevel...

More power to you!
Cheers
Ivo

Originally Posted by joshearl

Joe, ...
I have a million questions, if you have time to answer them.

Ooo, ooo. This'll be good.

X

Originally Posted by superfly

I glue some 1000 wet sandpaper on a piece of glass, with a double stick tape. I take care that all of the tape is glued to the edges of the paper, otherwise water gets in, and make high spots on the sandpaper.

Not to hijack, just a brief aside while we wait for Chandler to wake up: why do you guys who restore a lot of razors use 1000 grit sandpaper, going through this business of taping, etc., instead of buying a Norton 1000 grit stone?

Originally Posted by dylandog

Not to hijack, just a brief aside while we wait for Chandler to wake up:

I'm sorry, I thought any experienced guy's input would be beneficial...

Originally Posted by dylandog

Not to hijack, just a brief aside while we wait for Chandler to wake up: why do you guys who restore a lot of razors use 1000 grit sandpaper, going through this business of taping, etc., instead of buying a Norton 1000 grit stone?

It cuts faster.

Nenad

Thanks superfly.

Very beneficial indeed – I was just playing along with the theme of the thread.

OK, guys, let's not get too fiesty. Nenad, your contributions are certainly welcome, and you've already got me thinking about trying 1000-grit sandpaper again. (When I was getting started, it wasn't working too well for me, and I bought a 1K waterstone. But now maybe I should give it another shot.)

I'm hoping this thread will give me a chance to ask some in-depth questions with one or two honemeisters, with supporting comments and questions from other members. I want to explore their techniques in some detail and see if I can figure out some of the things that put them in a different league.

But by all means, others should feel welcome to participate. (I do want to keep any arguments to a minimum; maybe everyone won't agree with all of Joe's responses, but he clearly knows what he's doing. )

If Joe's game, this should be enjoyable.

Originally Posted by dylandog

I was just playing along with the theme of the thread.

me too...

Nenad