Thread: First chopper shave

Originally Posted by Cangooner

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. It's reassuring to know that I'm not alone in discovering the bloodletting abilities of the big 'uns.

"Big 'uns" of any type are capable of causing a bloodletting of some type....

Are you able to explain what came right at last as regards honing - anything you did differently?

Originally Posted by bonitomio

Could you share some specs on your Tally Ho ie size, blade grind & weight etc?
What is stamped on the blade and tang?
Inquiring minds need to know.

Sure thing:

It is a 7/8 near wedge so not really a monster but much much heavier than the hollow grinds I have been used to.

Tang:
C T Bingham
Late F Fenney
Tally Ho Sheffield

Blade:
A Real Tally-Ho
(which is of course a bit rich since a 'real' Tally-Ho would presumably have been made by Fenney before Bingham bought the name, but what the heck - it shaves great!)

BTW Fenney died in 1852 at which point Bingham bought up the rights to that mark, using it until he sold up in 1863, so this bad boy is circa 1852-1863.

This will come in handy when I go hunting for mine

Originally Posted by UKRob

Are you able to explain what came right at last as regards honing - anything you did differently?

I think ultimately I simply wasn't paying enough attention to the shape of the blade, and not taking the time necessary to do it right.

I finally decided to start from scratch - even going as low as 220 to deal with reshaping the point a bit - before moving up through 1000, 4000, 8000, and a final touch up on a 0.5 micron abrasive sheet (Lee Valley Tools). I'm currently waiting for both a barber hone and a C12k to arrive, but for now those sheets are doing the trick.

Along the way there were plenty of circles, far too many x-strokes to count, and once I felt I was on the right track I finished up with a 4k/8k pyramid.

All of which I had done before. I think the difference was simply patience and focus.

Originally Posted by bonitomio

This will come in handy when I go hunting for mine

Forgot to mention - on the tang to the left of C T Bingham Late F Fenney and above Tally Ho Sheffield is an image of a fox

Originally Posted by Cangooner

I think ultimately I simply wasn't paying enough attention to the shape of the blade, and not taking the time necessary to do it right.

I finally decided to start from scratch - even going as low as 220 to deal with reshaping the point a bit - before moving up through 1000, 4000, 8000, and a final touch up on a 0.5 micron abrasive sheet (Lee Valley Tools). I'm currently waiting for both a barber hone and a C12k to arrive, but for now those sheets are doing the trick.

Along the way there were plenty of circles, far too many x-strokes to count, and once I felt I was on the right track I finished up with a 4k/8k pyramid.

All of which I had done before. I think the difference was simply patience and focus.

I was just reading this yesterday from Glen gssixgun on honing:- http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...shapton-2.html

It fits with what you have found on your own :