How to sharpen my old razor.

J

JT101

Joined
Wednesday October 19, 2011
[attachment=3629]Hi everyone

Finally, some pros on the subject. I've not started shaving yet, but I bought myself a lovely secondhand sheffield razor.

Before you read any further, please bear in mind I'm doing this for practical purposes to become self sufficient. But I want everything kept simple. Minimal equipment, minimal fuss. So in my mind, it doesn't have to be perfect (I know a lot of people are real enthusiasts). I have read round the subject, so I know some terminology e.g. bevel.

Anyway, you can see a couple of nicks in the razor highlighted in the attached photo. Should I just keep honing on my sharpening stone to get rid of them, or just hone until the razor is sharp and don't worry about them unless they cut me?

My bevel looks a bit odd, but I've heard some are curved like this. Does it look ok?

My sharpening stone isn't exactly flat as it's a bit old. Also got this on Ebay. Should I just get a new one or will this suffice for my purposes?



Thanks everyone

Thanks
 

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This really needs moving to "Straights" so that it will catch Neil's attention.

In essence, you're right: keep on going till the nicks have gone - that's one way to do it and since the damage isn't too bad it shouldn't take too long. With regard to your stone ... it's not going to do it. It might be of some use if you flatten it, maybe not. Best to have a look at the stickies in the straights section. In spite of your laudable aim to be self sufficient, my best advice to you is to get this razor professionally restored and honed just this once (there's plenty of life left in it), and then start honing for yourself.
 
Well, it looks like it has been honed more at the toe of the blade (where the nicks seems to be) and since it's an uneven bevel, I would strongly suggest you to do as Arrowhead says. + if you got an old barbers hone, you'll most likely never get those nicks out and most likely neither be able to set a bevel. Good luck, wahtever path you go from here! :D
 
Mikael said:
Well, it looks like it has been honed more at the toe of the blade (where the nicks seems to be) and since it's an uneven bevel, I would strongly suggest you to do as Arrowhead says. + if you got an old barbers hone, you'll most likely never get those nicks out and most likely neither be able to set a bevel. Good luck, wahtever path you go from here! :D
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree with Andy about your hone - it certainly looks a bit past it - is it a proper razor hone, even? What was it described as on Ebay? If it is a proper razor hone it might be worth trying to get it back in shape with a bit of serious lapping - no point using it dished, you want to start out as you mean to go on - properly!

If you do sort the hone out, you will need to know what grit it is - if it is a high-grit finisher there's no point in using it to attempt to remove the bevel damage, it will be too slow and too fine.

Ideally you would have a range of stones, say 1000 grit, 2000 or 3000 grit, 5000grit and 10,000 grit (maybe with something mid-way between the 5000 and 10,000). A King combo 1000/5000 is useful - and cheap, and you will have no problem removing the bevel damage with it. You will still need a final polisher (or barber hone) to make it shave-ready, though.

If you get a low-grit hone (even a 2000 or 3000 grit hone will remove that small amount of damage) then tape the spine of the razor while you learn. As Mikael says, there is disproportionate toe wear at the moment, so you don't want to remove any more metal from the spine. Better to wear away the tape and change it as it wears at this point.

Uneven bevels are quite common - hopefully they are the result of an uneven grind so are only cosmetic, more rarely they are the result of a very slight warp in the blade - if that's the case, do yourself a favour and learn to hone on a razor without that sort of defect.

If you keep honing until the nicks are gone, keep an eye out for a wire edge forming - you will have to remove this by back-honing, dropping down to a lower grit hone or drawing the bevel through a bit of cork to remove the burr.

Regards,
Neil
 
One thing which is worth spelling out is that you can't make a razor in this condition usable with one stone. If the hone is too coarse it won't be shavable with (well, it might take off some whiskers but the experience will be horrendous); if it's a proper razor hone you'll be at it till Christmas. Not this Christmas, either.

It's difficult to assess a razor from a picture, all the more so if it's foreshortened as this one is, but I'd say the edge has a frown (concave in the length). That has to go. I'm fairly relaxed about uneven bevels, though it certainly won't help, but as Neil darkly hints, a warp is potentially a cause of a great deal of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
 
Arrowhead said:
... as Neil darkly hints, a warp is potentially a cause of a great deal of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Click to expand...

Andy - I'm afraid that I have developed a frown in my tooth-line from too much gnashing. Now, where's that 600 grit DMT... :)

Regards,
Neil
 
hi

if you are struggling I will get it shave ready for you, also I will have a razor that you could practise with

the issues with using a straight are

1 You need to learn the technique this takes time
2 You need a decent stone to hone with (I suggest a coticule as you can set a bevel through to shave ready with just the one stone) whatever it is in the picture needs lapping flat
3 you need a strop
 
pedalpowersailing said:
2 You need a decent stone to hone with (I suggest a coticule as you can set a bevel through to shave ready with just the one stone)
Click to expand...

I quite agree, but setting a bevel with a coticule is for purists and masochists. Not only does it take an intolerably long time (unless your time is meaningless) but it gives you so much latitude to go off on a wrong tangent without even realising it, because the results are so slow in manifesting themselves.

If you are proficient in what you are doing, and time is no object, then use a coticule by all means.

Oh - did I forget that there are coticules and then there are coticules? There are very hard ones that will give (gasp!) a lovely crisp, sharp edge, but which will take a month of sundays to set a bevel. Then again at the opposite end of the spectrum there are soft ones that will leave a mushy, soft edge, but will do a decent amount of metal removal. Not that I would use a coticule for bevel setting in either scenario, but that's just me. I can do - and want to do - much more in an hour or so then develop RSI.

As always - your mileage may vary, but it makes sense to weigh all the odds before making a decision.

Regards,
Neil
 
Neil Miller said:
I quite agree, but setting a bevel with a coticule is for purists and masochists. Not only does it take an intolerably long time (unless your time is meaningless) but it gives you so much latitude to go off on a wrong tangent without even realising it...
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Being neither a purist nor masochist, I have no experience in trying to set a bevel on a coticule. That said, I'm curious what the tangent is/are?
 
I suppose what Neil is hinting at is that your concentration tends to wander after the first couple of hours or so ...

My coticule only comes out at times of direst necessity. It's quite a soft one, and the edges seem a bit out of focus somehow: in fact the Belgian Blue backing perks them up a bit. However, it's the best stone I have for dealing with crumbling steel, so sometimes it's the only option.
 
Taking a better look at that razor, and reading through the thread again, you need to realize that your razor has two things that will make it hard for you to hone yourself if you send it out and get it back.

1) The toe has more wear
2) The blade is curved

#1 is easy. Just give the toe a little more attention. #2 is the harder one to master. Much easier to learn to sharpen straight stuff. Trying to explain how to do it in a few sentences isn't going to happen. Search for X-Pattern or honing a smiling razor. Maybe someone else can provide a link for you.

And no, I'm not even in the same country.
 
JT101 said:
Do you guys all know each other? I mean have you met?
Click to expand...

Not in my case, but we've been batting around this sort of subject here for quite a while. Mikael sometimes ducks down from his Arctic lair to hang out with PigCat on a Friday night though, I believe.
 
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