Hi all!
I'm still new to the straight razor world, but I knew enough when I bought a razor off Ebay that it would likely need to be sharpened. Of course, I was right -- I'd have been better off using a clamshell ! Anyway, my shiny new Norton 4000/8000 waterstone just arrived in the mail, but, much to my chagrin, I've been absolutely unable to put an edge on this razor. I'm quite sure that the razor is stainless steel (although it doesn't say so), which I've heard can make honing more difficult. What's more, while honing, I've noticed that the edge closest to the point doesn't touch the stone! I'd say that about a third of the razor is about a millimetre above the stone's surface while the other two-thirds is touching -- there appears to be a slight curve along the length of the blade. Short of banging the damn thing with a hammer or chucking it out the window, do any of you have any suggestions?
On a similar note, I've also inherited an old straight that my grandfather used, and I'm in the process of derusting it and honing out a small crack in the blade (about 1/16"). Unfortunately, the joint where the razor and the scales meet is quite loose, and I'm not all that excited about repinning it. Is there a way to tighten this up? I've also noticed that the blade tapers up at the end, such that the point end is shorter than the heel end. Is this normal, or is it a result of a previous repair-job?
Thanks for your help!
Justin L
I'm still new to the straight razor world, but I knew enough when I bought a razor off Ebay that it would likely need to be sharpened. Of course, I was right -- I'd have been better off using a clamshell ! Anyway, my shiny new Norton 4000/8000 waterstone just arrived in the mail, but, much to my chagrin, I've been absolutely unable to put an edge on this razor. I'm quite sure that the razor is stainless steel (although it doesn't say so), which I've heard can make honing more difficult. What's more, while honing, I've noticed that the edge closest to the point doesn't touch the stone! I'd say that about a third of the razor is about a millimetre above the stone's surface while the other two-thirds is touching -- there appears to be a slight curve along the length of the blade. Short of banging the damn thing with a hammer or chucking it out the window, do any of you have any suggestions?
On a similar note, I've also inherited an old straight that my grandfather used, and I'm in the process of derusting it and honing out a small crack in the blade (about 1/16"). Unfortunately, the joint where the razor and the scales meet is quite loose, and I'm not all that excited about repinning it. Is there a way to tighten this up? I've also noticed that the blade tapers up at the end, such that the point end is shorter than the heel end. Is this normal, or is it a result of a previous repair-job?
Thanks for your help!
Justin L