Thread: Honing a wedge - help needed

Hi guys,

I have a matching set of wedges that I need to hone.
I’ve honed full hollows before.

Are there any differences I should be aware of in honing a wedge?
I have a Belgian yellow waterstone which does a great job on my FH’s.

Interestingly, one is sharper at the tip and blunt at the heel, the other is blunt at the tip and sharper at the heel.

Well the technique is about the same but it will take longer with the wedge, alot longer since you have to remove alot more material. I think Lynn has said when he hones wedges he holds them at about a 45 degree angle as he hones.

The fact the the wear is uneven means either they were honed unevenly to begin with or they are just used more or less in certain areas so they became uneven over time. If your careful you should be able to even them up when you hone.

Maybe a wedge specialist will chime in here with more knowledge concerning wedges.

Tell us more about the wedges and your hones.
Are the wedges like the old Wade & Butchers? Do they have a "smile" on the edge profile?

Your hone, does it have a natural backing or a solid black color slate? What other hones/sandpaper do you have access to?

Attached is a picture of the 2 razors

I have a Belgian yellow stone I got from www.shaving-and-razor-shop.com

I have wet/dry carbide sandpapers in varying grades (400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200)

thanks
Nick

Originally Posted by anselmo

Attached is a picture of the 2 razors

I have a Belgian yellow stone I got from www.shaving-and-razor-shop.com

I have wet/dry carbide sandpapers in varying grades (400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200)

thanks
Nick

I would put electrical tape on the spine of the razors and use either the 800-1000-1200 grit sandpapers layed on top of a hone to hone off the old oxidised steel and remove any visible nicks.
I would use an X pattern with the blade angled at 45 degrees.
Since these razors have seen a bit of use you will be in for some work. One sheet of sandpaper probably will not be enough. Use 1-2 lbs of pressure until the edge looks uniform and the nicks are gone. Then lighten up and perform 25 more laps with only the pressure needed to keep the blade on the hone.

Next I would go to a 4000 grit hone to establish the bevel. But...you don't have one!

The dark side of your Belgian is probably not suitable for this stage. You really do need a 4k hone. The Norton 4k/8k would be the best bet and then use the Belgian coticule as a finishing hone. I am assuming that the dark side of your coticule is not the belgian blue stone. Correct me if I am wrong.

when you say 45 degrees do you mean like the top picture or the bottom picture?
sorry this is probably a stupid question right?

and the blue stone doesn't appear to be anything useful
(too many inclusions!)

The top picture is NOT correct. That would be one brutal edge to shave with...

The bottom picture is closer, but the heel should lead the toe. So it's sort of the opposite of what you're showing. Make sense?

Josh

Ouch for the top illustration! Sometimes you *may* lift the spine a bit (e.g. for a saber grind) but generally this is a pretty advanced honing technique.

The bottom: Josh is right, but I have also seen that Bill Ellis uses both angles (what Josh suggests and what you have there) - he claims this way one can get an even sharper and smoother edge.

I haven't done enough of both angles, though, I generally do the way Josh suggests, and only a few laps reversing like Bill Ellis, if any.

Cheers
Ivo

The top illustration is wrong.

The second illustration is off by 90 degrees. The heal needs to lead, be in front. The toe needs to lean backward.

The blue stone??? Inclusions??? That sounds like exactly what you want. If the dark side is Black then it is of no use. But if it is blue with a lot of "speckles" in it then that is perfect. That would be a slow cutting 4000 grit but you must develop and use a slurry for it to be effective.

Do you have a slurry stone?

Frankly, considering the condition of the blades with the amount of wear that is showing and the tools you have available your best bet is to send them to Joe Chandler for regrinding and honing. The you will be able to maintain the razors with your Belgian hone.

This is the best advice I can give you.

Hope this helps,