What's happening to my blade's edge?

Hi all,

I have been hand sanding a blade now for about a week (though I've only spent about 2 1/2 hours on actual sanding), with 240 grit paper. I think it's coming on very nice, but I've noticed that the edge of the blade has lost its straightness, and it possibly getting thin (unless this last bit is just my imagination!). Also, the very edge (something like 1/2mm), seems to be bent over to the opposite side that I'm sanding.

Basically, I'm just woundering if this can be taken aout with honing once the restoring is finished, or have I just distroyed it?

Regards,

Steven

I need pictures to be able to comment...

Pictures would really help, but if this edge you're seeing is paper-thin then it's possible you're just drawing one heck of a wire edge. It happened to me a few weeks ago when I was sanding out some of the smile from a frameback. It came off with the higher-grit sandpapers, and the razor eventually honed up fine.

Without seeing the blade I would guess that you are sanding one part of the blade more, especially near the edge and it is thining and sanding off in that area. Depending on the grind, especially the full hollow blades, can be very thin near the edge and in the middle.

Extensive sanding can thin them out so much that the metal will flex with the slightest pressure. I put the blade edge flat on my thumb nail and press lightly any flexing can be seen in the reflection. Some blades will flex that way even before any sanding. When you see that try to not sand right near the edge because you will sand right through the metal.

I have had the blades sand off 1/32" at the edge especially near the heel. The blade sands off more there if I am not careful to give that area less sanding.

After the sanding is done and before honing I correct the blade shape by sliding the blade edge on a rough hone (220 grit). The blade is standing on edge and I run it forward and backward so the edge slices the hone. Correcting the shape this way is much faster than trying to use honing and is easier to control when you need to grind one part more than another.

Don't use any part of the hone you intend to use for actual honing because the edge carves a groove. I use the side of the hone for this.