Thread: A question!

Okay, so I bought a razor to pracite sharpening with... It's a Harrison Bros and Howson (I've never heard of the company before, but it was cheap and on further inspection someone had put it in a H Boker box for some reason. :P). Now on to my question!

There seems to be a slight curve to the blade, what you might call a smile. It's somewhere around a 16th of an inch high in the center, maybe a touch less. I was wondering how big of an issue this is?

Also, if I wanted to straighten it back out, could I hone just the center for a while until I wear the high point down?

If you do a search you will find several threads talking about honing or stropping with a smile. In general, it is not a big issue, but it does require a slightly different technique to work with. When honing you will "rock " the blade. Try putting the blade flat on the hone (or other flat surface) you will see that not all parts of the edge touch the hone. If you were to lift the heal a little the toe would touch if you lift the toe the heal will touch. this is rocking the blade. Now you have to do this while honing the blade. ( a narrow hone will make it easier to do)

If you do not want to deal with the smile the recommended way to re hone is to do circular patterns not just hone the center. However, be aware some razors where made with a smile, I don't know what the razor would be like if you removed the smile that was designed to start with. Therefor, look at the spine before doing anything. Does it also have a smile? Even if the spine does not have a smile a lot of people will tell you they like to shave with a smile.

Originally Posted by Cobo

Okay, so I bought a razor to pracite sharpening with... It's a Harrison Bros and Howson (I've never heard of the company before, but it was cheap and on further inspection someone had put it in a H Boker box for some reason. :P). Now on to my question!

There seems to be a slight curve to the blade, what you might call a smile. It's somewhere around a 16th of an inch high in the center, maybe a touch less. I was wondering how big of an issue this is?

Also, if I wanted to straighten it back out, could I hone just the center for a while until I wear the high point down?

I have a two razor set by that maker and I consider them to be my best!! Can you show us pictures?

Originally Posted by JMS

I have a two razor set by that maker and I consider them to be my best!! Can you show us pictures?

Oh! wonderful! I better be careful not to ruin it then.

Oh, and also thanks for the tip Chander, the spine is smiled too, so I'll assume it was built that way. Thanks.

Oh, and about the pictures, sorry I don't have a digital camera or a scanner. I'm old school with my photos. :P

My girlfriend has one though, I'll ask her to borrow it one of these days.

For now, I'll have to just describe it I guess.

It's a 6/8ths blade, hollow ground round point. The scales are what appear to be imitation ivory or maybe just somewhat yellowed bakolite.

I suspect that this razor, like many Sheffield razors, is INTENDED to have a smile. It should be honed with a slight rocking and the X pattern in order to sharpen all along the smiling edge.

The company which manufactured it was founded as Thomas Sansom & Sons in 1796. In the 1840s, George Howson, apprenticed in 1803, became influential in the firm, which adopted the name Harrison Bros. & Howson. The company had a reputation for top-quality cutlery, with Royal Warrants from William IV, Queen Adelaide, Queen Victoria and Edward VII. They expanded rapidly in the 1890s, with agencies in London, New York and San Francisco. By the 1900s, the firm was one of the largest employers in Sheffield. It declined, like so many Sheffield cutlery manufacturers, between the Wars, and was bought out by the low-quality manufacturers, Viners, in 1959.

I hope that is of some interest.

Duncan.