Need advice on Union Cutlery Wedge

Hey all,

This is my first restoration, a little 4/8 Union Cutlery razor (exactly the same size as the coochie razor, it turns out) that says "WEDGE" on the scales but is really a 1/4 hollow, not a true wedge. I'm having the hardest time getting an edge on it.

First thing I want to get out of the way: is the steel on these razors known to be problematic? The coochie razor is a fantastic little shaver, and although the two razors look identical, the coochie razor is German, and the Union Wedge is American.

Assuming that Union Cutlery was not private-labeling Zeepk razors, let's move on to the next potential issue: this razor had some tiny chips in the edge (actually looked like the metal had rotted away from 40 years of disuse). I had to sand the sh!t out of it with 220 grit to get past the chips & get down to fresh metal. I've never used anything coarser than 1000 grit on a razor before. Is it possible that I didn't spend enough time on the 400- and 600-grit to get the 220 scratches out? I only gave it about 20 strokes on each, & what I'm reading here implies that it takes a lot more work than that. Am I essentially trying to shave with a 220-grit razor?

One last question: anyone know why these razors say "WEDGE" on the handle and not "QUARTER HOLLOW"?

TIA, -Johnny

PS: so far I've yet to find anything that shaves as well as my paper-thin W&B meat chopper that I paid $10 for.

Well for starters 20 strokes of any sandpaper won't take out the previous grit scratches. Regardless, I'm having a little trouble understanding something- did you hone it after you took the sandpaper to it? lol If not, then that is your problem! I don't think that the steel should be particularly problematic. Also, if you did in fact hone it afterwards, are you sure it is honed well? It will take more than 20 strokes on a 1k stone to set the new bevel most likely.

You need more time on the hones to clean up the sandpaper work. Unless the sandpaper is glued down with a PSA backing it tends to curl in front of the edge and rounding the bevel noticeably. Also 220 grit is incredibly coarse - you shouldn't need to go coarser than 1000 or maybe 800 grit for chip removal. So you need to do more work than you thought in order to clean that mess up. Go to 1000 grit sandpaper and tape it down as tightly as you can, and hone that edge until it looks polished and the edge is uniform under the microscope. Then go to your 4000 grit hone and polish until the magic marker test shows a clean straight bevel all the way to the edge, then go a little further because you're still probably not there yet. Then work your way up the progression.

BTW, Union is a respected american razor manufacturer. They changed their name many years ago because one of their products had become more famous than the company that made it; so Union Cutlery changed their name to Ka-Bar.

mparker,
Can you please describe the magic marker test for the bevel? What is it's purpose and how is it preformed? I am developing a decent honing technique so far for a newbie, 10 + shaves now, and I have not taken on a restoration project yet but I am very interested in any technique that may be useful in the future.

Thanks,

1000 grit?! Yikes! It took *MANY* strokes with the 220 to get the chips out. 1000 grit would have taken years.

To answer previous questions: yes I taped the sandpaper down, yes I honed afterwards. I tried going back to the sandpaper & working through the grits more slowly. I still don't have a sharp edge. So I'll try going back to the 1000 grit for many, many laps & see if that helps. (Believe it or not, the chips are down to little depressions, but I can still see them with a magnifier).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnny J

To answer previous questions: yes I taped the sandpaper down, yes I honed afterwards. I tried going back to the sandpaper & working through the grits more slowly. I still don't have a sharp edge. So I'll try going back to the 1000 grit for many, many laps & see if that helps. (Believe it or not, the chips are down to little depressions, but I can still see them with a magnifier).

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Little depressions won't shave you, you need to get those out fully. Once that is all set, you need to set the bevel with 1k grit either sandpaper mounted on marble/glass or a hone. Then keep up the honing progression.

I think you guys are right; the sandpaper is not quite flat, even though it's taped down at the ends. I switched to my bad Swaty hone (the freakazoid hone I bought that's about as rough as 1000 grit sandpaper, & cuts just as fast).I *know* that's flat because I lapped it. I can feel the difference already. I'll keep at it & see what happens.

Update: you guys were right. my problem was twofold: (1) the sandpaper sort of bunching up under the edge instead of lying flat, (2) not doing enough strokes to get completely past the rotten metal. I've got a pretty good edge on it now. We'll see how it shaves tomorrow.

Update: the Union Cutlery Wedge is one wicked little shaver. You guys were 100% right. But it's astonishing how much I had to hone to get past the rot & down to fresh metal. The razor now looks like it was used by a barber for 30 years. But better an ugly blade that shaves, than a pretty blade that doesn't. Next time I may try taping the spine until the chips are gone, then removing the tape to set the bevel.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by davisbonanza

mparker,
Can you please describe the magic marker test for the bevel? What is it's purpose and how is it preformed? I am developing a decent honing technique so far for a newbie, 10 + shaves now, and I have not taken on a restoration project yet but I am very interested in any technique that may be useful in the future.

Thanks,

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