restoring my girlfriend's dad's straight razor

I'm restoring my girlfriend's dad's straight razor. In honing, there was a significant chip in the edge at the toe of the razor. I bread knifed the edge to bring it back into alignment and remove the defect. I used the pyramid method as laid out by Lynn Abrams with a 220/1k and 4/8k Norton water stone. Everything seems to be good with the exception of the aforementioned toe area of the razor. I don't seem to be getting the edge in that area back to shaving sharp. Is this just going to take extra work and time (not to mention patience). I only have the two stones and no immediate plans to obtain more. Does anyone have tips or advice that may help?

Thanks,
Greyrider1865

Ok, so I'll start with a disclaimer: I'm brand new to SR shaving and honing. Now on to my info: I have a couple of old razors that I got off ebay with the toe over-honed and I found the only way to get them sharp to the very toe was to slightly lift the heel as I was nearing the end of the hone to get that part of the razor to touch. I don't know if I should be doing that or not, and I'd love to hear from more experienced honers, but it has worked very well for me! (ps I always keep my spine touching the hone, I just gradually lift the heel about a millimeter...)

Thanks. I'll give that a try. I'm a novice honer myself and this is my first attempt at restore. All in all it has gone pretty well, except for the toe area.

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Originally Posted by greyrider1865

Thanks. I'll give that a try. I'm a novice honer myself and this is my first attempt at restore. All in all it has gone pretty well, except for the toe area.

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don't give it a try yet :) wait for someone who knows to say something, I know nothing..... hehe

Telling us the Brand of razor or including a pic will do wonders for us to help you as well :)

is the edge really straight or does it curve a little. what might be called a smile. then the bevel might not be completely set. there is a video about taking a chip out of the edge. also there are several videos on setting the bevel and honing. ck out Lynn Abrams video on honing and there are several other fine videos on the subject. some times it's easier to watch and listen to the instructions than read about it. I know it was for me. these guys with there videos know there stuff. just a thought

Breadknifing isn't the best idea, but to deal with restoring an edge, you do what you gotta do.

When I approach chips like that, instead of outright breadknife, I try and just hold it at an angle well above the spine and work circles on both sides, so that while I am working out the chip, I'm also creating something close to a bevel.

And the reason for that is -- resetting the bevel on an edge that's been breadknifed always takes about six hundred years longer than you think it will, and then another six hundred years longer than it looks like it should (if you're examining the edge under magnification). If you work out the chip the way I described, it only takes about a hundred years longer, then another hundred.

Seriously though, yes. It takes a very long time to get back to shaving sharp on an area that's been flattened for any reason.

Pictures would really help if possible. My questions are, Does the toe to the heel lay flat on the sharpening stone? Are the stones lapped so you know they are flat? Since 8K is your last grit do you have a pasted strop to help finish out the edge? Sometimes the toe or heel doesn't lay flat and I find the 45 degree stroke to help get a uniform bevel.

Sounds like the bevel isn't set at the toe. After breadknifing I usually will make some high angle breadknifing strokes to help the bevel along after removing chips. Just did this on the oposite end of one of my ebay purches then recontoured the heel. I started off with 3 layers of tape then quickly went to 2 on a naniwa 400 once I saw uniformity in the toe bevel. I switched to 1K and 1 layer of tape to finish out the bevel.

Stay on the 1K until you get it right, then move up in grits.

The razor is stamped B.J. Eyre&company, Germany. No other marks or stampings. Sorry I don't have pics.

It appears to me that toe to heel is flat on the stone, but with my inexperience, it may not be. I don't have a pasted strop. When you say 45; or you going 45 degrees from the perpendicular after the bk and then to bevel setting afterwards?

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Originally Posted by greyrider1865

It appears to me that toe to heel is flat on the stone, but with my inexperience, it may not be. I don't have a pasted strop. When you say 45; or you going 45 degrees from the perpendicular after the bk and then to bevel setting afterwards?

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No 45 degrees is the angle the blade lays on the stone and the spine ALWAYS lays flat when honing. Slide it down the stone heel first then come off the side of the stone with about an inch or two left until you get to the end of the stone. Then flip the razor heel first, 45 degrees on the stone and push it up the stone coming off the side with about an inch or two from the end. It;s kind of a slicing stroke towards the end. Helps get the tip of the razor sharpened.

You should lay the blade flat and see if the edge (bevel) lays flat. Obviously you need a flat surface to test it on. I only use medium pressure for setting the bevel bevel. I use both circles and X strokes to set it. Afterwards I use light to very light pressure. I really try to feel the blade more than count the stokes. Light pressure will get you a very sharp razor.

I finish on Naniwa 12K strop on linen about 10X then 100 on english leather. My progression is Naniwa 1K, 5K, 8K and 12K. I learned it here and it's super consistent. Start off using slurry then dilute to just water.

Search YouTube for gssixguns breadknifing. That and any of his videos will be a well of knowledge for you.

Here is a thread that shows exactly what the bevel does from Breadknifing at 90° down to the spine in increments

http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...l-setting.html

Here is a Vid done live at one of the Spokane meets shows much of what we are talking about

http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...tml#post664201

As with any sharpening, angle is critical. Do not be afraid to use rougher stones to begin with. Motion on the stone is important, but not so much when you are beginning with a razor that has seen better days. For now, rough stone, use the spine as your angle minder (taped or not), and get it back in shape. Then, begin final honing. Keep it simple.