7/8 Full Wedge with a smile, please help.

I finally honed this up over the weekend and gave it a run this morning.

So this is what I discovered. There seems to be a dull spot somewhere on the blade that does not cut. I discovered this testing on my leg. I kept at the hone but I could not find it. The spot is about as wide as 2 hairs.

My second discovery shocked the heck out of me. A normal razor, not a wedge, is held a shallow angle. For some odd reason, I assume it to be the wedge grind, this razor's angle was steeper, away from the face. Also I received a BBS on the left side of the face with no tugs, but the right side of the face looked like I had not even shaved it. WTF.

I went back over it thinking it was an angle thing, to no avail. I pulled out my Schick 66 to finish the job.

Does anyone have any pointers?

Thanks.

any pics available?

Of the razor?:confused:

Not sure what that has to do with the question.

I have none and I have no camera.

I suggest that you get comfortable with the TNT and don't move off your first hone until you get a positive result for the length of the blade. If you are performing the test and think the results are good then I suggest getting a good, unused double edge blade and get a feel for that before testing your straight.

You may have a wire edge on the second razor. Back hone (spine leading) for a few strokes then hone normal for less than 10 strokes and give it a try. If this doesn't work go down a level in hones and try the back honing again working up to your finisher.

Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by singlewedge

I finally honed this up over the weekend and gave it a run this morning.

So this is what I discovered. There seems to be a dull spot somewhere on the blade that does not cut. I discovered this testing on my leg. I kept at the hone but I could not find it. The spot is about as wide as 2 hairs.

My second discovery shocked the heck out of me. A normal razor, not a wedge, is held a shallow angle. For some odd reason, I assume it to be the wedge grind, this razor's angle was steeper, away from the face. Also I received a BBS on the left side of the face with no tugs, but the right side of the face looked like I had not even shaved it. WTF.

I went back over it thinking it was an angle thing, to no avail. I pulled out my Schick 66 to finish the job.

Does anyone have any pointers?

Thanks.

---

A couple of questions: Does the razor sit flat on the hone (both sides), or is there possibly a slight warp to the spine? What stroke are you using to hone it?

Perhaps the different results left side vs. right side of your face are related to the dull spot you refer to. Typically a dull spot is at the heel or the toe with a smiling blade. Depending on your technique you may use the toe on one side of your face and the heel on the other resulting in a closer shave on one side than the other. Of course this is all mere speculation. If you haven't done this already, mark the edge with a sharpie and do a few strokes on the hone to see where the edge may not be contacting the hone.

Hope this helps.

Is this razor a microtome? Does it have one totally flat side and one slightly hollowed side? If it is, that might be the reason why you're getting the odd shave results!

I remember reading a thread by JimmyHAD about honing these and he did a mixture of tape thicknesses to get a good result. As I recall he did 4 layers of tape on one side and then one layer on the other in order to get an equal bevel angle on both sides.

The thread has some pics as well so if your razor looks like this one that might be part of the problem!

Thread link below.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...microtome.html

No it is a full wedge.

The razor edge is good. Passes all the tests. It has that one spot in the middle. It appears to sit flat. I use just your standard X stroke. I keep it simple. If the Toe/Heel is dull, I'll lead, otherwise standard is best for me.

I forgot about the sharpie trick. I'll get to that tonight.

Honestly I think it is an angle thing. I find that I need to lean the blade farther from my face than a 1/2 hollow or full hollow. I used 1 layer of tape.

1k Ceramic Global
3k Arkansas Surgical
6k King
1 mic Diamond
.5 Crom Ox
Linen and leather.

I have a 12k but I find that this set up works very well. No harsh edge. The blade it self is consistent as far TPT and shave test. I have my own test that makes others cringe I know that if it passes this it is good to go.

Here is the test. Find a mirror, any size will do. With at least 2 days growth shave a patch of your side burn DRY; no prep, no water. Smooth? Ok, continue to the chin. Shave one spot in the direction that you normally shave the chin, DRY; no prep, no water. Pass with no tug and smooth. Good to go.

Yeah it makes me cringe too but it works. Ask Livi.

If you have one dull spot, you should not pass any tests at that spot.

TNT is very helpful in finding these spots, because the blade will just glide rather than pulling at your nail. It should be equally easy to find with a TPT, if you are careful to test the entire cutting edge.

Magic marker test surely works, but you can also just be careful to look for the scratch marks from whatever hone/abrasive you've just used.

I agree with JoeD that my first thought is a wire edge, but it seems that with your progression a wire edge is unlikely. Did you check for a wire edge with the pin test? How confident are you with your TPT? What other tests do you use? Perhaps you could shave test before finishing - you should be able to shave (though maybe not comfortably) off the King 6k and it may be worth trying.

Also, I am a bit surprised at your angle. When going WTG with a wedge I use a normal angle, and when going ATG I pretty much lay the blade against my face. Maybe play with the angle a bit?

Not sure if this applies but I had a Solingen full hollow that was real sharp for the last two thirds of the blade. The first third from the point back was alright but not as sharp as the rest of it.

I wanted to continue and make the darn thing uniformly sharp but I was afraid of over honing the part that was already real sharp. I called Lynn on the phone and asked his advice.

He suggested doing circles for awhile .... 80 IIRC.... on each side and even things out. I did this and then followed the pyramid as shown in the SRP Wiki and when I was done the edge was uniformly sharp.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

He suggested doing circles for awhile .... 80 IIRC.... on each side and even things out. I did this and then followed the pyramid as shown in the SRP Wiki and when I was done the edge was uniformly sharp.

---

BINGO !!!!
Even more so on smiling wedge/heavy blades these things get quite a few bevel levels (hehe that rhymes) you have to even the whole bevel first before you start sharpening the razor up....

So then why does it shave so comfortably on one side and completely misses the other?

I used an alcohol based A/S to determine the roughness of the edge, little to no burn. The edge is smooth.

I am confused. The TPT doesn't really tell me anything. I use three fingers to check the edge and it is good all along the edge. Like I said I think there is one spot missing. But to leave almost 70% of one side of the face unshorn? Naw, that is something different.

I am no honemeister, but the blades that I have honed up shave very well and I am comfortable with my progression and how I know to stop.

So if the razor is sharp along the cutting edge, with no wire, then why is the blade missing so much of the non-dominant side of my face? I know, you'll say that it is not sharp along the edge because I said that one spot is missing. Your right but from a finger perspective it is sharp. That one little spot should not shave one side and not the other.

I think only one bevel is sharp. use the marker test on both bevels and doublecheck your stroke

I think Lee is right, in fact the "bevel" might look like this _-_-_-___- but very very very close so that there are actually multiple "bevels"

:confused:

How can this > look like -_---_-_?

Are you saying that the edge is "wavy"?

I'll check it tonight, but that sounds strange and impossible.?

Look at it ehhhhh maybe, feel it on the hone yes....

You can really feel this if you use a heel forward honing stroke and let the razor ride the hone... It can feel either bumpy or fast slow fast slow... If you use about a 50-60 degree heel forward angle and let the edge ride and it is silky smooth then this isn't your problem... this really becomes noticeable at about 4k for me, it tells me that I am not done bevel setting...oh yeah this is also about the time I start cussing profusely about ****** wedges... :rant::rant::rant:

+ however many on the marker test. I think when you sharpie both bevels and hone with your X stroke you've been using, you're going to see more areas with marker staying put on the bevels that you realize.

Whenever I lay a razor to a hone for the first time and after I've viewed how the razor lays on the hone on BOTH sides of the razor (visual test) I always always do the first few passes using the marker test. Always. It speaks volumes to me. It tells me what's making contact and what isn't. The marker test is the tool I use to "dial in" the necessary approach on a particular razor since ALL razors IME are unique to a degree. Man, it saves so much time and steel.

Chris L

+1 Chris is actually telling you an easier way then I am.. I hone mostly by feel but he is right the marker test "SHOWS" you the problem then you can feel them also....

A lot said before me . i would say only
you need to go 1k level and set the bevel first then move up.
Remember wedge are a little tricky. You may need to do more work then you realize .

Ok so now I have a question.

Marker test passed. All edges except the toe and the heel hit, which I corrected.

However, when I looked at the edge in sharp light I noticed that there were spots about 1/8" wide that look either higher or lower. I gave it some circles. Did nothing, gave it some rolling xs, nothing. Gave it some heel forward, toe forward nothing. In fact all this has dulled the edge.

WTF!!

On the spots that look higher/lower should I use tape to even them out, he said knowingly?

They are so slight that my camera, if it was running, would not pick it up.

You should keep honing with the stroke that passed the marker test until the problem is corrected :)

tape if you wish, it will speed things up, but it won't correct any fundamental flaw

So if I keep at it after it passes the marker test with the same stroke, what then pray tell, do I do about the anomalies in the edge that I described above?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by singlewedge

So if I keep at it after it passes the marker test with the same stroke, what then pray tell, do I do about the anomalies in the edge that I described above?

---

Those anomalies (assuming they are at the shaving edge) will no long exist

If your hone is removing ink from every part of the bevel evenly, then the anomalies are not getting in the way of the part of the razor that will be cutting your whiskers. So I don't think there is anything there to be concerned about

Well, let's see... you've done pretty much everything that you should do to correct the problem, yet it still exists. Throw a few layers of tape on the spine to increase the honing angle and see what you get. Perhaps the hone wear is such that the bevel angle is fine on one side and a tad too shallow on the other. The sharpie test should have shown that, but who knows. Something is causing the problem. Another option would be to send it to someone else to hone and get another hands on perspective.

Good luck.