Thread: Need help with honing this Razor

Hi Guys,

This razor of mine is proving kind of difficult to hone and I need some advice. I have a feeling it may be slightly warped but am not sure how to tell. Maybe I need to use tape on it but don't know where. I have done the marker test a few times and it is showing that on the one side, the middle of the bevel is losing contact ever so slightly. On the flip side, the toe half of the bevel is not contacting the hone whatsoever. I have honed it in the past with a kind of rolling x stroke on one side but I feel my technique leaves a lot to be desired and I am not getting the results I would like. Maybe there is a better way?I will post a pic of the two sides. Maybe someone would have some advice on how to proceed?

Hi kefkav! Two things come to mind, uneven spine and/or uneven pressure. I have come across razors like that. What I do is drop to 325 DMT or my 800 king stone and do some even pressure strokes until the whole edge is contacting the stone (to even the wear on the spine). I may not get it perfect, but later I move to the 1k Chossera and continue until the marker mark on the edge is gone in two or three even light pressure, short x strokes, max. After that I would hone my normal way, with a combination of circles and x strokes, till the whole edge take an edge and move thru the progression. If the hone wear is too much for the blade, then I would put tape, one strip and shave, if the edge don't hold, then two strips of tapes, up to three if you need it.

The side of the blade, that the middle is not touching, you can see the spine has less wear by the toe and by the heel and a lot of wear in the middle. Good picture by the way (no reflection). On the other side, the heel side, looks with less wear than the rest of the blade. Don't think is bend, more like uneven honing. I'm no expert, but have come across blades like that.

One thing, make sure is not your uneven pressure causing the lack of contact. For this, you could take a blade with even spine wear, if you have it, put tape or not as it was originally hone with or without tape. Go to your finisher with your sharpied edge and do the most even pressure strokes you can and check. If the edge is expose mostly even, then you know is not your stroke.

Hope this help and looking forward what others with more experience than me have to say!
Double O

Hey Double O,

So what you're saying basically is if I were to keep honing the blade in an even and consistent manner, then the spine will eventually flatten out and come into sync with the bevel? Also about the taping of the spine: how will taping it help to even out the wear if I am protecting the spine with the tape? Or did you mean to put tape on the places with the extra hone wear to compensate for it?

One thing I am sure of at this stage anyway is that it is not my stroke which is uneven as I am able to hone my Dovo perfectly every time and it is my daily shaver. I think you may be on to something with the hone wear problem though.

Regards

Daniel

No, I wouldn't use tape in selected sections of the spine, although I have thought about it at times. I wouldn't be able to remember what part of the blade had tape or not, for re touching. The tape is for after the spine is corrected. Some times ( I have experienced it my self) the edge is too thin to hold thru a whole shave, and it folds, or crumble. In those cases I would use tape (after the spine is corrected) to make a more acute angle on the edge and give it some support for it to hold up.

The even pressure stroke with an uneven spine, is going to cause you to put more pressure on the side of the blade with the less wear on the spine. I go easy and check every so often with the sharpie to make sure it's moving in the right direction. Double O

Ah OK I'm with you now.

I will definitely take your advice on board and keep at it. Thanks so much for your help!

Daniel

Do rolling x-strokes, no tape.

You mean on the side where the toe half is not making contact or both sides?

Originally Posted by Kefka

You mean on the side where the toe half is not making contact or both sides?

yes on the side where the tow does not make contact, the other side should be fine with regular x stroke or circles