Thread: When is hone wear bad?

Gents, I am very reassured. Especially since this is the only Japanese wedge I've got...It'd be a shame if it didn't shave.

Now, to fix that scale break...

Hone wear is bad when it is on the razor and not the hone....
That is actually only half joking....

I have been doing a little research on the subject, and of of course a little help from the amazing Lee !!!/ Hoglahoo the search engine master.. There is actually quite a bit of info to support that notion of "honing supports"
Lee actually found an old patent for collapsible ones built into the spine of the razor...
Certain older wedges have an even sharp bevel that obviously was created by the spine not touching the hone, Basically a fake frame back that slipped on the spine when the razor was honed.... I have still not found absolute proof but I have hopes....

As to taping the spine creating bad geometry,(in any ones lifetime) I think you guys are buying into a wee bit of hooey there... Mr Parker has done even more research than I have on bevel angle and I have seen numbers from 8 degrees to 22 degrees... I really, really, truly, do not believe that the vintage makers ever even measured the spine to bevel angle, let alone did the math that you guys are attributing to these precise measurments... I think somebody said "Hey, this razor looks good, and has pretty good balance lets make more like this" I think we are the ones taking this to a whole new level here, to us it is a passion, to the old school shaver it was, "shaving" the easier the better....I mean seriously have you guys seen some of the blades out there that people were shaving with?????? JMHO here of course....

Basically it comes down to: is this what you do in the morning??? or is this a hobby /passion???

Glen said it!

For me, it's bad when I can't make it shave well anymore. But that's never happened with any of my razors due to excessive hone wear on the spine (as far as I know)

Otherwise to me, it is just a cosmetic issue

Man Glen, I can't thank you enough for that post. You said a lot of things that deserved saying.

On that note, Cannon- I don't think that even if you used the same two razors for years and taped the spines that they would get to the point that you couldn't use them due to the geometry. That is a general statement obviously. If you were using a 2/8, who knows... Keep taping the spines if you don't like ugly hone wear. Besides, you use a dozen razors, it won't be an issue for you.

Jim, if you want a regrind, PM me for a price, but on your blade it isn't 'necessary'.

When I saw the title of this thread I thought of Supreme Court Justice Powell being asked how to identify pornography.... he said,"I know it when I see it." If I recall that thread on wedges Joed mentioned I believe someone was thinking that in the old days the honemiesters may have lifted the spine off of the hone when sharpening the meat choppers. Sort of like sharpening a knife but with a shallower angle. There was also the theory of Glen's that there may have been a removable guard to protect the spine in those days before electrical tape. I swore by the tape when I began and I am glad that I did. At that time I probably did many more laps on a blade then necessary due to inexperience. Now I believe I am far enough along to hone without tape without fear of causing excessive and/or incorrect hone wear and I am considering it.

I was wondering this too, I have three blades that have hone wear, nice even wear, that I was wondering if they were worth putting scales on. this answers my question. thanks guys.

Red

Well gents, I tried her out but she pulled a wee bit, so at Jimmy's advice I gave this one a ride on the conservative pyramid, and HO-LEEEE MOL-EEEE, this is a smooth shaver! Wow...Good steel, good maintenance and a good bevel make for some great shaves, I reckon. Glad I gave it a chance!