Thread: Spine Wear on New Razors

Makes sense, that the manufacturer would set the bevel with the razor raised off the stone, that can explain why there is very little visible hone wear.

As far as customs, there are still several makers who use tape when honing a new razor before sale.

I have also seen vintage razors that have clearly been honed and have reduced in width but have no spine wear.

Wedge razors also seem to be majoritarily honed raised off the stone.

So is it possible that the frequent instruction of wearing the spine when honing simply the result of what was easiest for the consumer to follow and thus it became the "Tradition" ?

My main concern is always shaveability. If it has some wear, that ok. The bevel has to be sey then amd I prefer soine wear with a set bevel than no spine wear and its.not set.

Yea about that theory... more like myth.

I have seen video of razor manufactures holding the spine off the stone when final honing. As I recall Mastro Livi does the same in one of his videos.

I recently purchased some in the tissue, NOS razors with no hone ware. So that may have been and still may be the practice for some..

Somehow I really don't see manufacturers honing new razors with the spine off the hone. It would be hard to maintain consistency stroke to stroke. Many older true wedges that I have seen photos of show massive and uneven hone wear to the spine and matching uneven bevel. Don't know why some new razors exhibit spine wear and other do not.

Bob

At 3:47 seems to answer the question..you add a human of any process and it changes slightly and constantly.



~Richard

Yup that's one of the Videos,

Did you catch that hammer she is using?

There seems to be two discussions going on, so for clarity sake (from the OP) are we talking about razors fresh from the factory (seal intact on the box) or razors bought from a vendor that may or may not have had additional hand honing?

Originally Posted by Ryan82

There seems to be two discussions going on, so for clarity sake (from the OP) are we talking about razors fresh from the factory (seal intact on the box) or razors bought from a vendor that may or may not have had additional hand honing?

I am talking about straight from the factory, sealed box.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Yea about that theory... more like myth.

I have seen video of razor manufactures holding the spine off the stone when final honing. As I recall Mastro Livi does the same in one of his videos.

I recently purchased some in the tissue, NOS razors with no hone ware. So that may have been and still may be the practice for some..

If that is the case that just seems completely silly to me. With a freehand bevel the buyer of the razor would have to set a completely new bevel when honing unless he could perfectly match the old bevel, which seems unlikely. And given the fact that the spine already sets the proper angle, I just don't see the point of honing off the stone.

Well its our fault gents, if we demanded a shave ready razor and wouldn't buy one otherwise, they would have to do it for us. The warranty is good only until you hone it. And since the edge is a factory edge, we have to hone it. And many times we don't get buyers remorse until we realize how crooked the spine is and how short it is at the toe once it hits the hone. But by then its too late!