Thread: Help before I melt a blade

A question for the smoother of you all out there. I have a 5/8 Wadsworth "XLNT" spike that I've shaved with 3 times. I've honed it twice, trying to get a good shave. It's a full hollow. 4 days ago I honed and used it and had a pretty good shave (not like I get with my other blades, however), today I stropped it up and shredded my face. Just irritated the hell out of myself. The blade passes every test except the shave test really well. I keep my angle about a spine's-width away and run all three passes. So, because I have neither the time nor the patience to run it through two honing pyramids every time I use it, I wonder if there are easier solutions, and if you all have any ideas? Thanks.

If it shaved well the first time and is now irritating your face it sounds like you may have over honed the blade and the super fine edge has broken off. I haven't had this problem since I use a coticule so I don't have a good way to fix that but I'm sure someone else will chime in soon. If nothing else just do a search for "over honed", there is a ton of info out there on how to fix it.

That was my first thought after the first shave, too. It seemed like the edge was so thin and sharp that it would flex and bounce off the hair instead of cutting. I honed it to the same edge I honed on my wapi (which shaves like a dream, I might add) and thought that would be the end of the problem. I'm thinking maybe if I lay the spine almost flat on my skin?

One of the little talked about uses of the linen on the strop is the fact that it will break down a over-honed/micro-chipped blade usually before said edge touches yer face... 30-50 laps on the linen then check the edge under 10x + magnification and you will see the problems....if there are any!!!!!

Thanks for that advice Glen. Is there anything other than linen that will accomplish the same thing? Enough passes on leather perhaps?

Originally Posted by JCitron

Thanks for that advice Glen. Is there anything other than linen that will accomplish the same thing? Enough passes on leather perhaps?

Hmmmm I don't know if that would accomplish the same thing, the linen is designed to take off the roughness and the micro rust on a good edge before it touches leather... It just works for this problem also, when I finish honing an edge, I go 50 laps linen then 100 leather but I check the edge right after the linen, because if there is micro chipping /serrations they will show up there.. At that time you can try some back honing then a few light strokes on the finish stone to rid yourself of the problem, or back it down farther and re-hone that edge... Normally it takes a heavy hand to over-hone a razor, the common problem is under-honing really...I have yet to have a problem razor come to me that has been over-honed, the problem has always been no bevel set...
There are a few brands of razors that are more prone to micro-chipping, but if you sneak up on the edge it rarely happens...

Glen, thanks. After reading your posts I'm going to skip my normal rotation and go at it again tomorrow with the same edge, but I'm going to up my leather stropping probably to 50/80, after hitting the back side. I usually do 30/50. I sanded the back of the strop down to just a touch finer than linen and found that did wonders for my edges. I know I've not heavy-handed the sharpening because I sharpen a whole lot of edges in my shop, and once I asked a couple of razor-specific questions and saw Lynn's vid, I was up to speed. I may also, the next time I hone it, tape the spine to increase the bevel and see what that does. If, after tomorrow, I'm still red and burning... I don't know. I'll figure something out. Again, thanks.