Thread: Honing a Hart

Originally Posted by JeffR

On their website's care tips page (http://www.hartsteel.com/honing.html), they state:
"At Hart Steel, we use one layer of electrical tape, to protect the spine, while honing. The tape is placed lengthwise on the spine and then folded over the sides. The tape is optional, but we like it."

I don't have a Hart Steel razor, but am really tempted to get one. Since as Glen says their spine is that narrow in relation to the width of the blade, using tape to increase the angle sounds like a really good idea.

Thanks,
Jeff

I don't have one either and I too am tempted to get one. If business was better I would. There was a big thread on the Hart when they first came out alleging that the spine relative to the width of the blade was a design flaw. Time Zowada, the designer of the razor, answered those allegations in this thread here.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I don't have one either and I too am tempted to get one. If business was better I would. There was a big thread on the Hart when they first came out alleging that the spine relative to the width of the blade was a design flaw. Time Zowada, the designer of the razor, answered those allegations in this thread here.

Jimmy,
I can't generalize for all Heart razor productin, but for what its worth the one I honed was about as good as my 1/4 LeGrelot. It also honed very easy, but since I do not own it I can't speculate about edge retention. Our member lz6 here has it hopefully he will share his thoughts.

Personally, I don't have a hart so I know nothing about them.

I don't like to use tape and the only time I use tape is where the razor has some fancy design on the spine I want to protect. I find using 1 layer of tape for normal honing doesn't really affect the edge.

I have a couple of Zowada razors and found they need to be taped because they come with a double bevel and if you remove the double bevel they have a tendency to microchip really easily. So in that case I use abut 3 layers of tape.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Personally, I don't have a hart so I know nothing about them.

I don't like to use tape and the only time I use tape is where the razor has some fancy design on the spine I want to protect. I find using 1 layer of tape for normal honing doesn't really affect the edge.

I have a couple of Zowada razors and found they need to be taped because they come with a double bevel and if you remove the double bevel they have a tendency to microchip really easily. So in that case I use abut 3 layers of tape.

If I remember correctly from emailing Tim Z on this: one layer of tape is used initially to protect the pattern and establish the bevel; then 2 more layers of tape are added to create the edge.

yeah, i think zowada hones his razors with double bevel
however the hart i saw had a single bevel
the angle of that one was also 14 degree untaped which is below specs and the size was 6/8 which is at spec, so the grinding must've gone a bit further into the spine. iirc mparker had one with very shallow angle as well, however according to zowada the bevel angle should be in the 15-16 degree range. they're probably able to maintain that spec better after the initial reports of problems which may have come from too shallow angles.

I did a search for "Hart" and came across this thread.

Here's the scoop: The current Hart Steel razors have a 16 degree included angle at the edge. This is without any tape. You do not need to use tape while honing. The makers do use tape to preserve the satin finish, and not leave any hone marks on the spine.

Re-setting the bevel without tape would be easy. There is only about a .8 degree difference with, or without tape. The honing bevels are narrow enough that it should take about 10 - 15 laps on a 4000 grit hone to completely re-set the bevel.

On to my razors... My razors do not have a "double bevel". I do some things with additional layers of tape, and an Escher, to remove 4000 grit serrations from the actual edge. But, an additional bevel is not created. I contend, if you are actually creating an additional secondary honing bevel, you are going too far.

I have the ability to see things at 1250x now. It has opened a whole new world. Unfortunately, 200x - 300x isn't powerful enough too see what I'm talking about. I will be talking about, and demonstrating, this stuff at the SE gathering on 6/5. Hopefully, I'll find the time to update the information on my web page as well.

I hope all this helps.

Tim Z.

Fwiw, I purchased a Hart about a month ago. It compares very well to my Le Grelot 1/4, Wacker wedge, and WB 1/4 hollow. It is good to know that I don't need the tape when time comes to rehone.