My first straight restore

Eric. I made this very point in the Gold Dollar thread - trying to get a bevel set on a difficult razor can be very disheartening.

You would be better off working with something that you can see has an even bevel wear. This will enable you to build muscle memory and that will eventually help when you start to develop and need other techniques.

Your specific problems happen to us all - there's a reason why Neil Miller does not accept wedges to hone. My only advice is don't give up - take a step back and put your hones away as soon as you hit a wall. Sometimes doing that makes all the difference.
 
Thanks Rob.
I tried setting the bevel on my dinky 3/8 Solingen "Hahn" razor. Even with a single layer of tape, the bevel was minuscule viewed under the microscope.
I can only imagine how small it'll get with 2 layers of tape.
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll carry on.
 
I totally agree with Rob. Learning to hone on worn or bent razors is not the way to learn to hone. You may get there in the end unless you go mad first!

It's like learning to drive in a car that keeps breaking down :)
 
I'd love to hone some NOS razors one day or even just get my hands on a few to see how accurate the grinding is. My experience of new factory made razors is that they can be a pain in the arse to hone too due to poor grinding.
 
mikew said:
I totally agree with Rob. Learning to hone on worn or bent razors is not the way to learn to hone. You may get there in the end unless you go mad first!

It's like learning to drive in a car that keeps breaking down :)
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Haha! Oh so true! I was beginning to go a bit mad this afternoon. I put everything away in a huff.
 
Hi Erik

Sounds like you're experiencing the same problems as I have (which is encouraging).

I have a small bevel across the width of the blade and (on both the razors I've honed) it's practically non-existent by the heel.

I did wonder if it's because the razors I'm using weren't very good (they say made and ground in Sheffield on the tang and 'Full Hollow Ground' on the blade but there is no makers mark) so was going to try with a Joseph Allen.

But, as the problem is on both razors, I suspect it's down to my poor technique (possibly not enough pressure, I don't know how much you need to push).

I watched one of the Gsixguns videos on Youtube and I noticed that if he noticed an uneven bevel he returned to the stone and put more pressure on that bit to even the bevel up.

If anyone lives in Devon and would like to offer a honing masterclass (I'd pay!) then count me in!
 
Thanks Paul.
Yes, I'm convinced that the width of the bevel is determined by the even-ness of the spine and the distance of the edge to the spine. This sets the geometry for the bevel and the bevel 'width' is irrelevant as long as it is consistent from toe to heel. Adding more pressure "to one bit" that doesn't make contact normally (to me) is not really helping (since the geometry is off).
I could be wrong here.
I'm experimenting with the Genco razor by setting the bevel directly on the DMT8c (360 grit) which will wear away a LOT of metal on the edge, but eventually I'll either be left with a nice even bevel or nothing left but the spine. :D
 
Erik, not sure what electrical tape you are using but I found the cheaper stuff to cause additional problems too.
I bought some "Scotch Super 88" at Jamie's recommendation - it makes a huge difference. It doesn't break down on the hone a provides a certain amount of cushion, makes the lap feel different)
 
Tall_Paul said:
Hi Erik

Sounds like you're experiencing the same problems as I have (which is encouraging).

I have a small bevel across the width of the blade and (on both the razors I've honed) it's practically non-existent by the heel.

I did wonder if it's because the razors I'm using weren't very good (they say made and ground in Sheffield on the tang and 'Full Hollow Ground' on the blade but there is no makers mark) so was going to try with a Joseph Allen.

But, as the problem is on both razors, I suspect it's down to my poor technique (possibly not enough pressure, I don't know how much you need to push).

I watched one of the Gsixguns videos on Youtube and I noticed that if he noticed an uneven bevel he returned to the stone and put more pressure on that bit to even the bevel up.

If anyone lives in Devon and would like to offer a honing masterclass (I'd pay!) then count me in!
Click to expand...

If the heel is rounded then it wont make contact with the stone when the razor is laying flat. Start your stroke with the toe raised ever so slightly. It's often referred to as a rolling stroke.
 
Mr_Smartepants said:
Thanks Paul.
Yes, I'm convinced that the width of the bevel is determined by the even-ness of the spine and the distance of the edge to the spine. This sets the geometry for the bevel and the bevel 'width' is irrelevant as long as it is consistent from toe to heel. Adding more pressure "to one bit" that doesn't make contact normally (to me) is not really helping (since the geometry is off).
Click to expand...

You don't need to be too bothered if the bevel width varies along it's length. There are lots of things that can interplay including a dodgy spine, undue spine wear, an edge that has been re-shaped, type of grind and grind accuracy.

The two main things that affect bevel width are ratio of spine width to blade width (geometry - this dictates the bevel angle) and type of grind - a full hollow will result in a narrower bevel than a near wedge. What then makes for a consistent bevel in a razor, is accuracy of the spine width and straightness plus a consistent grind.

As you can see a lot of things have to be right to end up with an aesthetically pleasing bevel - let alone one that shaves.
 
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