Thread: Thiers-Issard Restoration

Originally Posted by heirkb

Don't take this as a definitive method, but I would give the razor 15-20 strokes on a 1k and see what the bevel looks like under magnification. Then keep doing strokes to see if you can get to clean steel.

Add two layers of tape on the spine to make it dig hard, perhaps even a lower stone (depending on corrosion) and sounds pretty definitive to me

PMFJI --

On the first picture of the blade, on the edge, below the "FR" in "France" --

. . . I see what _could be_ a crack running across the bevel.

Or it could just be some rust. What does it look like after sanding and/or honing?

Charles

Thanks Charles, the line you saw is part of the etching. I have a question, The blades edge is completely gone so I started honing with a 220 grit waterstone. It appears to have a fairly uniform bevel on each side. I'm not sure when I should start on the 1000 grit? I have 25-30 strokes with the 220. The edge appears to be holding up fine. Keep in mind I just started honing and this is my first restoration. Really enjoying it!

Originally Posted by RazorX

Thanks Charles, the line you saw is part of the etching. I have a question, The blades edge is completely gone so I started honing with a 220 grit waterstone. It appears to have a fairly uniform bevel on each side. I'm not sure when I should start on the 1000 grit? I have 25-30 strokes with the 220. The edge appears to be holding up fine. Keep in mind I just started honing and this is my first restoration. Really enjoying it!

I think he was referring to the line visible in the first photo in your original post. Not sure if it's a crack or not, I'm just clarifying.

Originally Posted by RazorX

I have a question, The blades edge is completely gone so I started honing with a 220 grit waterstone. It appears to have a fairly uniform bevel on each side. I'm not sure when I should start on the 1000 grit? I have 25-30 strokes with the 220. The edge appears to be holding up fine.

When people use 'bevel' around here most of the time they mean a particular level of sharpness; not just having facets on both sides of the blade, but the facets meeting at the edge at a particular thickness.
The question is what does 'edge completely gone' mean. Did you 'bread knife' the razor? Or you honed out the chip by doing strokes with the spine on the hone. In the first case there is a lot of work you have ahead of you, in the second not so much.
I'd say stick with 1000 grit, rise a slurry on it and it'll cut faster. You want to hone the razor until it's really sharp - first get it to the level of your sharpest knife, then it has to get sharper than that. You have to develop some sort of a test to determine this. Your thumbpad is good for this, but I'd say use the thumbnail for starters.

Originally Posted by RazorX

Thanks Charles, the line you saw is part of the etching. I have a question, The blades edge is completely gone so I started honing with a 220 grit waterstone. It appears to have a fairly uniform bevel on each side. I'm not sure when I should start on the 1000 grit? I have 25-30 strokes with the 220. The edge appears to be holding up fine. Keep in mind I just started honing and this is my first restoration. Really enjoying it!

The line I'm talking about is vertical, and crosses the bevel. It's not part of the etching. If you can't see it after some honing, everything is OK.

"Counting strokes" won't get you anywhere -- you need to measure progress by _results_, not effort.

Work on it at 220 grit (that's very, very coarse) until the edge (where the bevel surfaces meet) is _clean and sharp_ -- no rounding, no notches, no chips, all straight and even. The bevel surfaces should look smooth (as smooth as 220 grit will make them). I use a 10x jeweller's loupe to check.

At that point, if you hold the razor edge-up toward the sun (or a bright light), you should see _no reflection_ from the edge. [At 220 grit, you might see _some_ reflection, but it should be very faint, and even along the length of the edge.]

_Then_ go to finer grits.

I believe the Wiki has a section on "setting a bevel" -- that's what you're doing.

Charles

to answer your question Gugi, I guess I did bread knife it. I ran down the edge with the dremel. I think it was 220 grit. I just check the blade under a light and I don't see any reflection on the edge. I'm going to move up to 1000 grit and try to follow the thread on Wiki. It seems kinda dummy proof. I appreciate everyones advise, I wouldn't have a prayer without you guys. I'll update with pictures and then I'll be picking your brains about scales and pinning. Oh yea! "First I have a lot of work ahead of me, second not so much". You lost me there Gugi

In the wiki, ToxiK explains some sharpness tests in the video. The one concerning the bevel is applicable here. If you have the edge underneath a bright light, and move it gently back and forth, seeing small patches of "white" reflecting from the very edge of the razor, your bevels do not meet. Apologies if this has been said.

I say on the 220 until the whole bevel....every single part, passes the TNT. Only then do I move to the 1k.

I like Glen's method of bevel setting, 45 degrees, 2 layers of tape, one layer of tape, making sure that the bevel is somewhat similar in width on both sides of the razor.

I'm not a honemeister like the heavyweights in this forum, this is only what truly works for me.

Good luck,

Maxi

Just to clarify we are talking about a Breadknifed /damaged re-set when we are talking about the 45 degree knife strokes etc:
I know we all know that, but a newbie reading this a year from now might not

Normally I differentiate between the two by calling the restoration part a pre-bevel and the 1k set the actual bevel...

But yes I like that system a lot too Maxi, it is fast and accurate, for this type of work... I need to re-write that wiki article one of these days...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Just to clarify we are talking about a Breadknifed /damaged re-set when we are talking about the 45 degree knife strokes etc:
I know we all know that, but a newbie reading this a year from now might not

Normally I differentiate between the two by calling the restoration part a pre-bevel and the 1k set the actual bevel...

But yes I like that system a lot too Maxi, it is fast and accurate, for this type of work... I need to re-write that wiki article one of these days...

Extremely. I'm finding that with this method, I'm setting my bevels in between 15 and 25 minutes these days, and I spend a significantly less amount of time on the 1K to reach the AHT.

Sorry, not trying to hijack the thread or steal thunder.