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I have a mastro livi I traded for with a member here, 7/8 Damascus spike point i believe. Looks like the bevel was set incorrectly, I believe it was never actually used just the bevel set. It has never been shave ready. Bevel is uneven on the spline and is more even on the edge bevel but MUCH wider there.
Wondering if anyone is available to take a look at the razor and save it if possible.
I'll try to get some pics but I don't think the bevels will come out in pictures.
Who ever screwed up the Livi should have their thumbs cut off. That way they cannot screw up another super blade. The only real way to ‘fix’ it that I am aware of is to sand the hone ware out of the spine, break out the diamond plate and start cutting steel. I have done it a few times on some old wedges and it is a job. Or you leave it as is, hone it to shave ready and use it as is.
I think the bevel on the spline might be able to be fixed a little with some more honing. Not sure though, my skills aren't good enough to try. If the bevel could be made a little nicer on the spline and it brought up to shave ready, I think I'd be happy with it.
I really need someone to look at it to see if it's possible, and if it is ... hone it for me. Is Russell busy making razors lately?
PICS !!!! Would be great here...
you have pm
I'll steal my sisters gagillion megapixel camera tonight and try to get some good pictures if I can.
Hmm... if one of my Livi's were messed up (beyond normal honing fix) i would send it to Lynn and let him worry about it :D
Although Glen would be my second choice (for a Livi repair)
ok, got pics, uploading now.
One side:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...i/P1000750.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...i/P1000751.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...i/P1000752.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...i/P1000753.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...i/P1000759.jpg
Yikes. I'm surprised the previous owner didn't tape the spine when honing that razor. To each their own, but as much of a fan I am for honing au naturale (no tape), "damascus" pretty much begs for tape, doesn't it?
Chris L
It's hard to decipher what's going on in the pics. The hone wear on the spine is very little and narrow, it's just uneven down the length of the blade and narrower on one side.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris L
I believe tape was used in honing this blade after setting the bevel. I'm sending it to Glen for evaluation though. It be nice if the bevel were even and close to equal on both sides. If it's fixed and brought to shave ready, i'll always use tape on it after that lol.
Wouldn't it be good to set the bevel with no tape on a new razor so the angle is solid and honing is easier? Do people sometimes tape new razors straight away, even when setting the edges bevel?
Same here, Other than the Maestro himself I doubt that there is anyone with more experience sharpening them. In fact I wouldn't mess with it, that way you can, honestly, say you're not responsible for putting the moustache on that particular Mona Lisa.Quote:
Originally Posted by syslight
Good move to send it to Glen. In a perfect world the bevel would be uniform for the length of the blade and on either side. Unfortunately it ain't always that way. If the spine isn't spot on you may get a bevel that is uneven but it doesn't necessarily mean it won't give a fine shave. I always tape a blade before I hone it. I have too many to try and remember which was taped and which was not. IMHO taping before setting a bevel would be advisable in any case.Quote:
Originally Posted by tsenfw
I agree removing tape will mean that you wouldn't be polishing the edge but not because you'd be creating a secondary bevel, but for the opposite reason as seen below in the second of the two crude diagrams. the edge is lifted off the stone after removing tape. This is bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL
Attachment 17359
That's just my 2 cents.
Chris L
If you tape the spine, set the bevel and continue to hone throughout the whole progression it will come out just fine. If you tape it only for the bevel setting you will have to remove a bit of metal to get down to the edge but I don't think that you will wear the spine nearly as much as if you set the bevel without tape. Then again I suppose it depends on the condition of the blade you are starting with.
Wow!!!! nice diagram Chis I wish I knew how to do those...
Absolutely correct too...
If you were to look at the top one and lift the back again it would show a double bevel with just the very very fine edge touching the hone
....
Really? My inexperienced logic would think that setting an initial narrow, but very flat and even spline bevel, would help later in consistent honing. Even if taped every time after for honing. Just because a new spline just comes to a point not a flat surface so to speak.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyH-AD
I understand the creation of a double bevel, I was just speaking of a new blade where a lot of work is needed to sharpen the edge, where honing out the double bevel would be implied.
I'll stop my speculation and just have Glen's experienced eyes take a look lol
Has anyone taped an EDGE to fix a spline bevel? The last thing I want is the edge bevel even wider, it's huge! lol
Tape is so thin assuming you use one layer, the angle change probably isn't huge. I'm guessing if you were to remove one layer of tape, it would take minimal honing to remove any double bevel created.Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL
I've never thought of it that way since such a practice would be the reverse of what would be appropriate, but if bevel = angle then I'd say by definition you'd be correct.:shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL
Chris L
To tape or not to tape has been an ongoing debate. If you do a forum search you will find lively discussions on the topic with strongly held opinions on both sides. I opt to tape all of mine because I have so many that if I tried to recall which I had taped versus which I had not it would be impossible. If I thought I was doing harm to the blade I wouldn't tape any. After reading everything I could find on the subject as well as honing a mess of razors I am convinced that the addition of one layer of electrical tape isn't going to negatively affect the geometry of the razor. If you spend $1000.00 on a Tim Zowada razor you will receive a blade that was honed with 1 layer of tape until the final session where it is finished with 3 layers to set the fore mentioned secondary bevel. Apparently Tim doesn't find any harm in using tape to hone his razors. If it is good enough for him it is good enough for me. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tsenfw
I guess that there is no way you could unwind the trade? I don't think that razor is ever going to be the way that it should. If there isn't any way to send it back, then sending it to an expert for evaluation is a great idea.
Sometimes razormakers will coat a narrow strip along the edge of a Damascus blade before the acid dip (which brings out the pattern in the steel). This leaves a shiny, un-etched strip at the edge which looks like a wide bevel, but it protects the very edge from erosion. If this is (or was) the case the actual bevel could have been smaller than it appears. The spine and shoulder wear seem to evidence some kind of repair gone wrong IMHO. Good luck.
I have a very open trade with a member here. He knows I'm gonna send it out. I'm 99.9% sure I'd like to keep this razor anyways. I guess if all else fails we can turn this from a 7/8's to a 6.5/8's with a perfect bevel! lol It's really a work of art, i believe it's worth the trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill S
The edge is all bevel, under 100x magnification I can see the whole width is consistent grit of honing.
