Thread: A Hollow Spine

Originally Posted by WW243

Hollow spine: if you lay a straight edge across the top of the spine, opposite edge.
The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Library down aways

I apologize for not seeing this before. I clicked on the link but guess I got bored and did not scroll down far enough to find the spine info. The "hollow spine" clear was shown there. I think I and a lib of other people here have been referring to that as a smiling spine.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I apologize for not seeing this before. I clicked on the link but guess I got bored and did not scroll down far enough to find the spine info. The "hollow spine" clear was shown there. I think I and a lib of other people here have been referring to that as a smiling spine.

No worries

spine (should) = edge = shaver

wretched emojis=slow brain death=gabba gabba hey

Originally Posted by WW243

wretched emojis=slow brain death=gabba gabba hey

Sorry bill I was trying to simplify it for you

Ed do you use those silly retro thingies anywhere else? I don't

Sorry mate. It's 11 pm here and I am getting up in 5.5 hrs so I will have to leave you to figure out your poorly postured razors on your lonesome.

Originally Posted by WW243

Ed do you use those silly retro thingies anywhere else? I don't

Off topic but is my favorite because that's the only one I know by typing symbols instead of the emoji board. Wait maybe his one too? :-)

Nope.

Originally Posted by WW243

I'll get some pics up tomorrow. The hollow really varies from those that are instantly seen to the subtle hollows that a straight edge reveals. And I'm wondering if the slightly hollow spine is always reflected in the smiling edge? Thanks gents for weighing in...this thread does not seem to be catching fire.

A razor is supposed to follow the curvature of the spine. People that hone straight edges on hollow spine wade butchers or smiling edges on straight spines are mis-honing their razors. They are theirs to do with what they will, but my chisels are chisels and my slotted screwdrivers are screwdrivers.

Edit: I'll update when my son is 5 and my chisels and screwdrivers are lawn darts or shurikens.

Originally Posted by WW243

One more observation based on an idiotically small sample: If the razor spine is concave, the cutting edge will mirror that concavity, and the razor will lie flat on the hone (if past honing hasn't messed with good geometry).
If you force a smile onto a straight spine the razor will not lie flat on the hone and you will have to use the appropriate stroke to hone, the rolling X or some other name.

If razor with a curved spine and smiling edge is kept flat on a hone, the edge will eventually become straight.
Swooping strokes are used to keep the edge in relation to the spine.

Even as-honing a razor with a straight spine, I always hone 'toward' a smile. This means that the razor is steered away from having a totally straight edge to a small degree and kept out of the dreaded 'frown' condition. JMO