Thread: Beginning to get why honemeisters charge extra for wedges...

Originally Posted by backtobasics

So I have been honing my two hollow grounds for a while on a barbers hone, but I received my King 1k/6k a while back and finally had enough time to reset the bevel on my J.R. Shuyler and Co near wedge...I thought. First of all I realized how many of the things I read on here seemed like gobbledygook and gibberish had a love child when I started, apparently the part about bevels most of all because this bevel was far worse than I thought it was. And so I started to work, and two hours later I was closer. Now at two and a half I have stopped for the night, but im thinking there is still much more to go before I get this bad boy really set.

Welcome to the world of edge restoration. 15 minute jobs, not likely, but a 320 grit hone can save some time.

I've yet to deal with a true wedge that only takes me 15mins...God I wish...lol.

Yeah, 15 minutes is probably a bit on the optimistic side for a big old wedge, though obviously it depends on where the bevel is at when you start.

I'm with Oz on this one - when I have an edge restoration to do on a wedgey grind I crack out my Atoma 400 grit diamond plate and tape (as long as the spine doesn't need correction) - often 2 or 3 layers of tape helps mitigate the time a bit. It's a serious job requiring either serious tools or serious patience, or more often than not both.

Good luck to you and keep at it - you'll get there.

James.

Not to mention there is more to honing someone else's blade than just honing it. There is also time in the communication with that person, often some time giving the blade a light cleaning (cause why not?), shave testing, stropping after the shave test, packing it up, taking it to the PO, etc.

Ive honed a few wedges. Depending on how off they are I have used 100 grit wet/dry on my dmt. It saves a lot of time. After 325,600 1200 dmt. then up from there. In between grits I slightly dull the edge on the side of a glass, this gets rid of microchips from the low grit that develop on the edge. I hate tape! So if the spine has to take a little beating, so be it. I will never have to remove that much metal again.

Originally Posted by bill3152

Ive honed a few wedges. Depending on how off they are I have used 100 grit wet/dry on my dmt. It saves a lot of time. After 325,600 1200 dmt. then up from there. In between grits I slightly dull the edge on the side of a glass, this gets rid of microchips from the low grit that develop on the edge. I hate tape! So if the spine has to take a little beating, so be it. I will never have to remove that much metal again.

Holy crap is there any steel left after that ???

Yes sir! If I take it off with a 100 or 8k, Im only taking off what has to come off. 100 works much faster. and as soon as it grabs the top of the thumbnail, I stopped.

Originally Posted by bill3152

Ive honed a few wedges. Depending on how off they are I have used 100 grit wet/dry on my dmt. It saves a lot of time. After 325,600 1200 dmt. then up from there. In between grits I slightly dull the edge on the side of a glass, this gets rid of microchips from the low grit that develop on the edge. I hate tape! So if the spine has to take a little beating, so be it. I will never have to remove that much metal again.

I am not one of those advocates of running the edge on glass. I prefer to hone chips out with the stone. YMMV.

I hate tape too, but ..... I use it in the bevel setting stages of a heavy wedge, and maybe others, depends. If you have a hell of a lot of metal to remove saving the spine is a good thing IMO. When the bevel is set with tape going to the 1k, or the 4k, without tape doesn't take that long to get the bevel set to the higher grit level, and to go up from there.

I've done it both ways and it is better to get the years of wear and abuse cleared up with tape. Once that is done moving along without the tape is fine, and so is continuing with one layer, whichever way you want to go. IME it is a better bet. YMMV.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Not to mention there is more to honing someone else's blade than just honing it. There is also time in the communication with that person, often some time giving the blade a light cleaning (cause why not?), shave testing, stropping after the shave test, packing it up, taking it to the PO, etc.

This is so true. Even a hollow ground blade needs to be looked at under a loop for me just to make sure what I start with! For me, Best case is 30 minutes..

I feel your pain! I have a Wade and Butcher semi wedge. Tried and tried to hone it, with no success. I'd watched Lynns video on the Naniwa Super Stones(which is what I have, 1000,5000,8000,12000). Still no luck. What I ultimately did was at the 1000 and 5000 level, I doubled the number of circles and x strokes and at the 8000 and 12000 level, I did 50% more. I tried to cut hairs on my right arm at the halfway point, and hairs on my left fell off! Good luck.