Thread: sanding a smile out?

i have Geneva and it has a rather large smile on it, it has always had this smile, but when i started using it the heel( i believe its called that) has been rather dull, but now its useless, it only a small portion, i could hone the thing to death but i was thinking why not use sand paper and even up the blade, i will not attempt this till i get a response cuz this is my grandpas razor.

Smiles are good on razors, just as they are on people. If you are honing, you can use a "rolling-X" stroke to get both the heel and the toe properly sharp. If you are not honing yet, it is probably best to send it off for honing. Most shavers, I think, would prefer a smiling edge to a perfectly straight one, and almost everyone prefers a smile to a frown. That's the same with faces too.

I wouldn't sand out a smile. That's my opinion.

Do you have pictures?

Without pics it is impossible to access what needs to be done. With pics I am sure that good answers will be forthcoming. Best, wildhog

i have Geneva and it has a rather large smile on it, it has always had this smile, but when i started using it the heel( i believe its called that) has been rather dull, but now its useless, it only a small portion, i could hone the thing to death but i was thinking why not use sand paper and even up the blade, i will not attempt this till i get a response cuz this is my grandpas razor.

Please don't sand it out. There was a guy who used to breadknife out the smiles and then "hone down" the spine to get it to match, and that, IMO, ruins a razor. You just need to develop some type of a stroke so that you can get contact at the heal, middle, and toe (not all at the same time, obviously). I use a rolling X stroke.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Please don't sand it out. There was a guy who used to breadknife out the smiles and then "hone down" the spine to get it to match, and that, IMO, ruins a razor. You just need to develop some type of a stroke so that you can get contact at the heal, middle, and toe (not all at the same time, obviously). I use a rolling X stroke.

That guy wore me out...

you can try correcting the problem by lifting he spine off the sand paper and doing light pressure circles. Do sets of 5 and check after each set you do not want to over do the correction..

Smiling razors, if they could speak, would say:

"Hello there. I am here to serve you. I understand what you require, and I will povide it to you. Simply learn to use me, and move me properly across a hone once in awhile. I require nothing more. Shall we begin?"

Do not hone out the smile. The straight razor gods will hound you to the gates of hell, tear the flesh from your bones, and leave you to the flies and maggots.

Got it?

what grit do you suggest