Thread: Help with honing

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Don’t give up yet.

A couple things are happening, 1. The razor has some issues that require some technique, as Glen says… gymnastics.

2. Once you alter the edge by bread knifing, it is no longer a straight touch up or just a re-hone, it is now a repair and with that come additional issues and technique, to identify and overcome them.

3. It is a pressure issue. Knowing when, how much and how to use pressure comes with experience. Not knocking the OP, but folks touch up a razor by doing a couple laps on a finish stone, all goes well and then say “Oh, this ain’t so hard”.

There is no way I know of describing to someone in writing, how much pressure to use.

90 percent of honing is identifying problems.

So don’t give up yet…I think you are real close.

That's very possible Euclid440 which was why i said earlier for him not to think he has lost his touch & not to give up. He could very well be close & it might be the amount of pressure he's applying & where he's applying it. Forget the other set of eyes I mentioned for now but if he can't get it, then it couldn't hurt. I only said that because of what tcrideshd said "before something happens" but....................he really needs to find out what he's doing to fix the issue & to make himself feel better, that he's not losing his touch. I agree, the edge has changed after bread knifing it & of course there is no way in writing to describe how much pressure to use except to try a little at a time but mainly to look at the marks after the quickie test. If the clean spot has moved, it is definitely a pressure issue.

OK, this is what I have decided to do: put the razor away for awhile. I failed to achieve an edge in my last two attempts. I followed LA's circle/x method using my Coticule and Naniwa 12k and much of the advice given by all of you. I was feeling pretty good about the edge as I went through the steps especially as slurry was moving in front of the edge in a nice even flow. But the end result was the same, bad and good sections. Note: I am able to hone a kitchen knife and shave arm hair so to not even get a "bad" edge was strange. So I am going to step away and continue to shave a maintain my other razors. If after a few months of maintenance and possible honing and if nothing goes wrong then I know it is the blade. My wife reminded me that I hit the blade on a faucet a few years ago, was able to fix the small chip and shave with the razor for several years. Maybe the blade was damaged further back and is just showing up. Regardless my plan is set. Looking to the future how can I locate a member in my area?
Thanks all, I have enjoyed and learned much from my first post. I am sure I will be back and look forward to reading other posts.
Now, how does one end a post. Will SRP Adm. remove it after inactivity or do I need to do it.

MCA, if you would like, send me your razor and I will hone it for you, just pay the return postage.

PM me.

I would post for an experienced honer in the area you live to look and possibly give pointers . if you once honed a nick out unlikely it would have did damage to the razor. possible too much hone wear on the spine in spots, remember the entire blade was heattreated and that would only change if you heated the blade in some way. far more than hot water. nothing wrong in sending it out but you wouldn't learn how to address the problem should it return on a later or the same razor again.

Originally Posted by MCA

OK, this is what I have decided to do: put the razor away for awhile. I failed to achieve an edge in my last two attempts. I followed LA's circle/x method using my Coticule and Naniwa 12k and much of the advice given by all of you. I was feeling pretty good about the edge as I went through the steps especially as slurry was moving in front of the edge in a nice even flow. But the end result was the same, bad and good sections. Note: I am able to hone a kitchen knife and shave arm hair so to not even get a "bad" edge was strange. So I am going to step away and continue to shave a maintain my other razors. If after a few months of maintenance and possible honing and if nothing goes wrong then I know it is the blade. My wife reminded me that I hit the blade on a faucet a few years ago, was able to fix the small chip and shave with the razor for several years. Maybe the blade was damaged further back and is just showing up. Regardless my plan is set. Looking to the future how can I locate a member in my area?
Thanks all, I have enjoyed and learned much from my first post. I am sure I will be back and look forward to reading other posts.
Now, how does one end a post. Will SRP Adm. remove it after inactivity or do I need to do it.

No need to end it. Leave it up for others to see. Someone might know the answer. Have you looked at it through a small hand held microscope for any possible damage? As for local help try this:
Local Help - Straight Razor Place Library
Also this:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/memberlist.php?do=search
If you still want to figure it out for yourself, sometimes it is just best to walk away from it for awhile, continue your other things you do & come back to it later at some point in time. Sometimes things can get frustrating & you just need to leave it alone for awhile & come back to it later. I've done that & things usually work out then.
Good luck.......

I received the OP’s razor and though I would post the results, so other that may have been following this thread see what the solution was and the results.

The razor is in very nice condition, with just a little wear on the spine, the spine and bevel were straight.

I first looked at the edge and the whole edge was not meeting. It did look like the edge had rolled, the middle was more damaged than the heel and toe, though the bevels were flat.

See photos 2 & 3, you can actually see on the edge reflections of light on the edge, where the bevels are not meeting.





Photo 4 is the bevel before honing.



I taped the spine, inked the bevels and did 20 X laps on a 12K Super Stone, just to see where the bevel and edge are. The edge did improve but not by much, the bevels were flat.

See Photo 5, the shiny white line on the right is where the bevels are not meeting, the black on the left is the edge where bevels are meeting.




The red is the tape, I use red polyester tape.

So I dropped down to the 8K and did 2 sets of 20 circles. About half of the edge came together at the heel and toe not the middle. See Photo 6.





Another 2 sets of 20 closed the bevels with only a hand full of micro-chips. See photo 7, the tiny white dots between the red are micro-chips.



I very lightly jointed the edge on the corner of the 8k and did 20 X laps, the bevel was now fully set and perfectly straight.

I did 2 sets of 20 X laps on the 12K and re checked the edge, all was good.

Then I did the Sixgun 3-2-1 mambo, on a 20K Gokumyo, (3 weight of blade, edge forward laps, 2 laps spine forward and 1 lap edge forward) and stropped on .50 and .125 CBN.

It now has a very nice smooth shaving edge, oiled and on it’s way back home.

Too much pressure...

I am now waiting to get my hands on the razor to give it a try. I would like to thank Euclid440 for taking time to help me resolve this issue. Clearly the fix required considerably more knowledge than I have. I only use the two stones to maintain and a "barber hone" for touch ups so I really don't have the equipment...nor the skill set to fix a razor "gone astray" This was my very first razor...so I am attached to it and very grateful for the help. Learned a great deal from the process and all of the input/support from everyone. THANKS ONE AND ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

MCA I see your in NJ we get together pretty often in Ny with local guys ny nj ct feel free to join us.. Or anytime u wanna sit down and learn or have questions feel free to drop me a pm..

Open thanks to Euclid440 for the help and again to all those helpful posts. Razor returned home last night and the shave this AM was great.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

I received the OP’s razor and though I would post the results, so other that may have been following this thread see what the solution was and the results.

The razor is in very nice condition, with just a little wear on the spine, the spine and bevel were straight.

Very nice work Marty, your pictures really captured your description,Well Done!