Honing a new factory edge.

Just got a brand new Thiers Issard 6/8 with a factory edge, never honed. The edge has an uneven bevel visible to the naked eye. One side has a slightly wider bevel than the other.
Also noticed upon receiving it that although they say first shave no need to strop, you could see metal particles on the edge which stropped off in about 10 laps.
Anyway, although it shaves well I would like to fix the bevel to see what it will do, I have 1,4,8 & 12K hones but don't know how far to go back. I'm thinking 8k to 12k should cure it, hate to go to a 4k unless absolutely necessary. I really want to preserve this blade with as little honing as possible. Any tips or advice??????

If it shaves well then the bevel is set nothing to fix just looks a little ugly. If you want to fix ugly you will be removing metal and maybe quite a bit depending what caused it. I might just live with it.

Bob

Just start with the 12K and 50 laps on leather and go back from there if necessary.

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Originally Posted by RossSRP

,,,,,,,,,,,,, I'm thinking 8k to 12k should cure it, hate to go to a 4k unless absolutely necessary. I really want to preserve this blade with as little honing as possible. Any tips or advice??????

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You pretty much answered it yourself,,,,,,,,,,,,monitor your progress as you work your way back,,,,,

A lil tape to save the spine, but you would have to start from scratch. Meaning new bevel and up. I would do what has been suggested and work off the current edge.

I received a Revisor with an ugly edge that shaved well. I am still shaving with it. I figure the time will come when it has to be honed, we can fix the edge at that time.

If you want to fix the uneven bevel, you have to go all the way back to your 1k hone.
However, If the razor was ground uneven, the bevel will remain uneven.
IMHO you should use it as is, and when it needs honing to refresh the edge maybe redo the bevel. I personally would not attempt any fixes and leave it as is.

RossSRP,

I have quite a few vintage razors where the bevel appears to be un-even : however, they shave and hone just fine :)

Have fun :)

Best regards

Russ

Usually the bevel formation is in relation with the spine, therefore, if the bevel is uneven you have to go all the way back to 1k as mainaman said paying particular attention to the spine as well. Use no tape in this case.

Personally, I would have asked the seller to send it back and replace it with another one with an even bevel. If that is not possible I would use it as it is without any bevel setting.

_____________________________Start fresh and enjoy the correct bevel. Make sure you get a comfortable shave from your 8k before you proceed beyond the 8k. I wouldn't try to doctor up somebodyelses bad bevel.

is possible to see photos of this 6/8 Thiers Issard?

I would leave it be. This is the way TI finishes them these days. They grind the face side which is usually the wider and hone the burr off the back side. It is only cosmetic.

Have fun

I'd use it as is too. Good chance the razor has imperfections causing the edge to do what it does. It is a hand made piece, it's to be expected imo.

Let it be and shave with it. Great blade, but resetting and honing a TI is not an easy job.

I may have misstated my situation a bit based on some of the replies. When I said one side has a wider bevel I meant front face of blade verses back face not toe end verses heel. Does it mean, since the bevel is not the same width on both faces that this is a product of the grind or the individual who did the sharpening or the machine(I don't think at TI they are hand honing their razors).

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Originally Posted by RossSRP

...I don't think at TI they are hand honing their razors).

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I'm convinced they do

Thanks, won't need a photo, I got a response from Lynn right after my last question and am greatly relieved, since he knows what they are doing I will worry no more. And will in the near future, if I can find the one I want buy another.

Thanks Lynn, That really is a relief, I like the razor even better now, nice one!!!!
Wish the supply was better so I can get another but don't suppose it will change for a while yet.
Patrick

I have one the same way. It was that way when new & i put one piece of tape on the spine & honed it with my Naniwa 5k, then Naniwa 10k & finished it with Shapton 16k. I didn't have my Coticule then. I heard that the new Theirs Issard's are machine ground. Mine is uneven but there's nothing I can do about it & if I were to do so would result in more metal removed which I don't want so I just live with it. It shaves like new. I'll never buy a new one again though unless I see it first. If it looks like this, no sale! It's too much money to pay for a new razor that has an uneven bevel on it!

Perhaps Lynn knows the honing situation for TI. Any other vendors know whether they hand hone or machine hone? What would a water wheel be considered in y'all's opinion?

That was something I heard, that they are done by machine but I don't know for sure. Looking at my TI, it would certainly make sense. I just can't see a hand hone coming out that way. I wouldn't know about a water wheel.

If you want to make the bevel even you will have to go till 1k probably.

I have not had any exposure to a water wheel. According to Lynn they machine the one side and hand hone the burrs off the other. That according to the way mine looks makes sense completely and makes me feel a lot better just understanding what happened and gives me a plan for dealing with it. So far with just some light refreshing the razor cuts beautifully although I have some vintage that I restored that are incredible and at this point are at least neck and neck cut throats .(bad pun)

Yeah, Lynns comment makes perfect sense to me & I feel comfortable with that one. The only reason I honed mine is the same idea as a new stone. You always have to lap a new stone in because they aren't perfectly level. A new razor will be honed sharp enough to shave & that's all. I have heard that they don't do as precise a hone as they can because they are pumping out so many but that is only what I've heard. To me it didn't hurt to hone it a few licks & strop it real good when it was new. I didn't go through the whole honing process since it was already sharp enough to shave with. I felt more comfortable before my very first shave with it by doing so. It was like cutting butter when I did shave with it for the first time.