Thread: Joseph Allen & Sons, smiling wedge

Hi,
this is my first wedge project. And it is my first smiling edge. Here are data:
- This is a 9/16 in razor
- Pins and washers are brass
- The scales are celluloid
- The blade is smile
- The tang is stamped Sheffield England which puts it after 1890. Prior to that imported goods only had to have the city they were produced in so the older blades just show Sheffield, after that they included the England stamp.
- this razor has barbers notch

The blade was not in good condition when I purchased it. There was pitting and small holes or nicks on the blade. This is third razor what I have honed ever. It was good feeling to note that this razor have quite soft metal compared to my two other razors. One of those are new stainless steel Dovo and very hard metal.

I was looking a straight wedge what is very sharp but I have now smiling wedge what is dull. It was accident. The seller told it is a straight and shave ready honed but when I received the delivery I got dull smiling blade. When I had survived the initial shock I put feedback to seller and he was sorry. He suggested the trade canceling. I was thinking two days or night, what to f*** I do with this case. Then I decide to keep it and take one's courage in both hands.

The first rolling 45* strokes was so slowly and carefully. I have used one layer of tape and I use parmanent marker when needed. Then I just do it and now it goes quite easy. I have not calculated strokes or time what I have honed it but now I have noticed one thing. This really is very soft metal and I believe I can hone this knife. I am now at 1k stage and the pitting are soon gone. I use a x30 loop to have a closer look. It is very rewarding to see how the process are going on. I have other project knife "Narva" and I have honed it A LOT. A ten times more or something than this case and there are not so much progress on it.

So, I am still a beginner honer. But I have feeling that a smiling is easyer to hone than a straight. Because it is more naturall motion when your wrist can do small motion during the stroke. On the normal x-stroke it feels quite hard to get blade totally flat and equally pressure on each side at every time. Most of stokes goes ok, but then there can be not so good stroke and it can be harmful to the process.

When honing a smiling blade it is like Precision Guided Weapon (I could not find better word, hope you got the point). This case had a uneven bevel on the heel at the front side of the blade, so you can easyer focus on that point what needs extra strokes.

This case was a accident but I am finally one experience richer. This is fun

Here are two before photos.