new to honing straight razors

[papi]

While sharpening, if the blade curves up at the toe and heel, do you leave those areas dull if they do not come in contact with the stone?
I am familiar with sharpening clip points on a knife, but with a straight razor, it would be very tough to use the same technique. The videos I have been watching do not touch on that, I have learned to keep the blade flat and even at all times. Thanks for an easy answer to this without getting into too much detail. much appreciated.

 

[Wid]

Rolling X strokes

 

[papi]

Rolling X strokes

Is the blade parallel at all times to the stone or do you lift up on the handle?

 

[papi]

Rolling X strokes

I will try to find a video that shows that. lifting the handle I am referring to a clip-point knife.

 

[Wid]

No, the blade is not always parallel. I use a heel forward sweeping stroke. Mark the edge with a sharpie and do a normal stroke. Where the sharpie stays on the edge is where you need to put a bit more pressure to or very slightly torque the razor in those spots.

 

[rbscebu]

Marking the bevel both sides with a Sharpie (marker) pen will let you know what part of the bevel is coming into contact with the honing surface. With that knowledge, you can adjust your honing technique to ensure that the full length of the bevel is being properly honed. This adjustment involves slightly raising (for the toe) and lowering (for the heel) the scales to get proper contact.

The amount of adjustment will vary with each SR based on the amount of smile in the edge profile.

In my earlier honing years, I would first breadknife the smile out of an edge. This made it easier for me to hone. As my honing technique developed, I found less of a need to breadknife the smile out. Now even an excessive smile (for me, greater that 3mm or 4mm) doesn't present any difficulty for me. As an example

That being said, I still prefer no smile in a SR with a pronounced Spanish point. I like their toe to be pointy and sharp. Having no smile in a Spanish point SR, assists in keeping its toe to my liking.

From this,

​

to this,

​

 

[papi]

No, the blade is not always parallel. I use a heel forward sweeping stroke. Mark the edge with a sharpie and do a normal stroke. Where the sharpie stays on the edge is where you need to put a bit more pressure to or very slightly torque the razor in those spots.

got ya, that has to be similar to a clip-point knife. It may take me a year to learn and be able to shave my face with that sharp curve, but I will keep trying. ( rolling X sweeps) thanks.

 

[papi]

Marking the bevel both sides with a Sharpie (marker) pen will let you know what part of the bevel is coming into contact with the honing surface. With that knowledge, you can adjust your honing technique to ensure that the full length of the bevel is being properly honed. This adjustment involves slightly raising (for the toe) and lowering (for the heel) the scales to get proper contact.

The amount of adjustment will vary with each SR based on the amount of smile in the edge profile.

In my earlier honing years, I would first breadknife the smile out of an edge. This made it easier for me to hone. As my honing technique developed, I found less of a need to breadknife the smile out. Now even an excessive smile (for me, greater that 3mm or 4mm) doesn't present any difficulty for me.

lol not sure what you mean about breadknife, but I do get the task of sharpening the curves now! thanks. I will keep thinking about that bread knife while I spend hours perfecting the technique. It took me a long time to learn how to sharpen clip points with a pint point accuracy. This is a horse of a different color.

 

[rbscebu]

lol not sure what you mean about breadknife, but I do get the task of sharpening the curves now! thanks. I will keep thinking about that bread knife while I spend hours perfecting the technique. It took me a long time to learn how to sharpen clip points with a pint point accuracy. This is a horse of a different color.

Bread-knifing is where you use the blade like a breadknife on the side of a course whetstone to wear the bevel edge of the blade down to your desired edge profile shape. Some don't like the idea but I have no problems with it.

With that Gold Dollar W59 above, my bread-knifing removes all of the bevel in the mid-length of the blade - think 180° bevel angle.

 

[papi]

Bread-knifing is where you use the blade like a breadknife on the side of a course whetstone to wear the bevel edge of the blade down to your desired edge profile shape. Some don't like the idea but I have no problems with it.

With that Gold Dollar W59 above, my bread-knifing removes all of the bevel in the mid-length of the blade - think 180° bevel angle.

very interesting. I like the Spanish shape a lot. For now, I would like a perfect rectangle. Lol
In the first picture, the razor edge does not have much of a curve up at the toe and then it has a simple rounded shaped end without an edge. I take that as a bread knife. I will save questions about the last two pictures. it looks like those are custom. very nice.
thanks for taking the time and for the good feedback.

 

[rbscebu]

.... I will save questions about the last two pictures. it looks like those are custom. very nice.
....

Not custom. They are available from the manufacturer here:

Gold Dollar Razor Suit Cut Shaving Throat Carbon Steel Barber Sharpen Shave Wooden Handle Safty Shaver Straight Razor For Man - Buy Shaving Razor,Wooden Razor,Straight Razor Product on Alibaba.com

Gold Dollar Razor Suit Cut Shaving Throat Carbon Steel Barber Sharpen Shave Wooden Handle Safty Shaver Straight Razor For Man - Buy Shaving Razor,Wooden Razor,Straight Razor Product on Alibaba.com

m.alibaba.com

They are reviewed here:

Gold Dollar "Classic Quality" (aka W59)

A reasonable quality Gold Dollar

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Wid]

lol not sure what you mean about breadknife, but I do get the task of sharpening the curves now! thanks. I will keep thinking about that bread knife while I spend hours perfecting the technique. It took me a long time to learn how to sharpen clip points with a pint point accuracy. This is a horse of a different color.

Bread knifing...........forget you ever heard of it. Very seldom is it ever necessary and at a lower skill set I wouldn't recommend it

 

[Gamma]

It won't take a year to learn unless you listen to what complicating nannies want to fill your head with.
+1 on forgetting bread knifing...

Rolling x strokes are very much like handling a clip point.
The idea is to feel the bevel on the stone, and to keep it on the stone.
Imagine it in your mind. Then let your hands execute.
Go slow and check the bevel to make sure your striations are even across the blade.

It's actually quite easy to do, once you try it a few times it'll come naturally. The first time may feel weird but if you think logically, it won't. Plus, unlike a clip point knife, you are starting with a roll too.

The logic is that the bevel and apex must be on the stone to sharpen. So, logically, the person honing has to adjust the position of the blade to make that happen. There is no other way. The 'roll' comes naturally. Takes longer to hone because you don't have the full blade on the stone all the time so expect longer sessions.

One thing though - if, when you do a clip, you use the style where the blade exits off the stone - I wouldn't bring that exact technique into the razor honing aspect of things. Better to keep the blade on the stone, otherwise you might create more issues than you started with.

 

[Bayamontate]

With the W59 be very careful with your pressure, the flex on the toe is like nothing I’ve ever seen on a razor. Breadknifing this is tricky, proceed with caution.

 

[Empire straights]

Bread knifing...........forget you ever heard of it. Very seldom is it ever necessary and at a lower skill set I wouldn't recommend it

I second this.

 

[Bayamontate]

P.S. In close to 45 years of honing I’ve never breadknifed a razor, if I have to remove a lot of steel or need to reshape an edge I’ll go to a lower grit or 45 degree, spine off the hone strokes.

 

[hogwild]

In nearly 60 years of sharpening the same Dovo and DD razor they never developed a smile or frown and only the Dovo has been taken back to start due to the edge being bumped into the sink once. I've gotten around 20-30 used straights that had a full work up to be given to others at work or church. I shaved with each to insure a smooth shave. Please don't make this into rocket science.

 

[rbscebu]

Bread knifing...........forget you ever heard of it. Very seldom is it ever necessary and at a lower skill set I wouldn't recommend it

With the W59 be very careful with your pressure, the flex on the toe is like nothing I’ve ever seen on a razor. Breadknifing this is tricky, proceed with caution.

I second this.

I guess I just must have been lucky. No one ever told me that bread-knifing was so difficult before I first used that method to fix an excessive (for me) smile or frown. I just did it and it worked fine for me. I have now bread-knifed about a dozen SRs that needed it, all without any problems or difficulties. Thank you for letting me know that it is such a difficulty.

Ignorance was bliss.

As for honing the GD W59, yes care must be taken with your edge pressure against the honing surface but I take that care with all my honing. It's a matter of concentrating and thinking about what is happening with your blade, bevel and edge.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Having no smile in a Spanish point SR, assists in keeping its toe to my liking.

Wouldn't a smile make the angle at the point more acute? Aka, pointier, the way you like them?

At any rate, I wouldn't dream of "correcting" a smile. If anything, I hone towards one. A frown, yes. That needs to be addressed.

 

[rbscebu]

Wouldn't a smile make the angle at the point more acute? Aka, pointier, the way you like them?

At any rate, I wouldn't dream of "correcting" a smile. If anything, I hone towards one. A frown, yes. That needs to be addressed.

In profile, a smile in the edge at the toe makes the angle at the toe more obtuse - not acute.

As for "correcting" a smiling edge, I use to do that when the smile was excess (to me) and I had not yet developed the necessary skills to properly hone an excessively (to me) smiling edge. Now I have no problems with properly honing any smiling edge.

I would still however bread-knife the smile out of the GD W59 as I prefer the looks that way. For most other blades. I too prefer a a happy edge but not laughing at me .