Can’t get an even edge

[Grizzly Chin Fluff]

Hi all, I’m a complete noobie. I got a straight razor this week. The straight razor was blunt (it couldn’t cut any if my arm hair), so i decided to learn how to hone. I got a #3000 and a #8000 grit whetstone. After about 60 passes on the #3000 grit and 100 passes on the #8000 grit, it still couldn’t cut my arm hairs. After that i went back to the #3000 grit because i noticed that the edge of the blade wasn’t even. The Heel and Toe of the edge is broader then the middle (as in the photo below).

The opposite side looks like this:

Any advise from the beard masters would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mr Bedlington]

The razor is very poorly made and ground, plus you are applying far too much pressure when you are honing the razor by removing metal from your spine and that's exaggerating the problem, get yourself a decent vintage, and all your problems are solved.

 

[Grizzly Chin Fluff]

The razor is very poorly made and ground, plus you are applying far too much pressure when you are honing the razor by removing metal from your spine and that's exaggerating the problem, get yourself a decent vintage, and all your problems are solved.

Thanks for your advice! I was thinking in the same direction, but i wanted to see if i could make this razor work I probably can’t send it back now.

 

[JPO]

An uneven bevel is caused by a bad grind or from the honing technique, and of course a combination of both.
I don't know anything about the steel. Even if the steel is bad, you should still be able to shave arm hair. It might not take and hold an edge, but that is a the next step.
Even if it turns out that it's a razor shaped object, you can still practice honing with it. You might need to adjust your expectations a little if that is the case.
A razor with an uneven bevel caused by the grind can shave well if it is honed right.
What stones are you using?
If you use to much pressure on a soft stone, you only need one stroke were you dig a little into the stone to round off the edge.

 

[Legion]

Thanks for your advice! I was thinking in the same direction, but i wanted to see if i could make this razor work I probably can’t send it back now.

Some razors just look like that. The important thing is that the bevel is set and apexed down its whole length. If it looks a bit uneven that is just cosmetic, as long as the bevel is set.

 

[Gamma]

Which 3k and 8k stones are you using?
Stone quality can matter, a lot. Your 8k may not measure up to what most of use use as an 8k and even if it does, there are a lot of people who finish on higher grit stones.

Have those stones been flattened and chamfered?
Where did that razor come from? Who is the maker? Where was it made?

Note - trying to set a bevel on an unknown razor of unknown worth might not work.
The steel might not be up for the task.
But if it is up for the task, trying to set the 1st bevel on a 3k stone will take exponentially longer than your needed time on the 8k. You'll find most of us use a stone in the 1k range for bevel work.

Learn about the sharpie test - use it.

There are a few YT videos about setting bevels on razors.
Get the stones sorted. Educate yourself on bevel setting procedure.
Use the search function on B&B to find threads pertaining to your situation.
There are probably hundreds of posts on bevel set work.

The uneven-ness you are looking at, is not your edge. Those shiny panels on the side are the faces of the bevel and they need to meet at an apex; that apex is the edge.
Regardless of the shape of those bevel faces, you must create an edge to shave.
Many good shaving razors have uneven bevels like that.
All good shaving razors have a perfectly set bevel with an apex that cuts correctly though.

The bevel is the edge.
No bevel means no edge.
Learn to set the bevel so you can manage a shave with it. Then you're 'there' or close.
Progressing to finer grits before that level of bevel refinement is achieved is not advisable.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Where is the razor from? IE; what's the brand and site it was bought from?


Very very basic rules for straight razors:

If it's made in Pakistan, it's worthless. Pakistan cutting tools are 100% display... they make them from unsorted recycling "steel"; basically they burn garbage and make "steel" ingots out of the metal slag that they can then collect.

If it's made in China, it may be ok. May not be. Chinese steel has gotten better in the past 30 years or so... but it depends on the source/maker... and even with good steel; plenty of razor makers don't know how to properly design or grind a razor... but some do.

If it says it's made anywhere other than those two places; it's probably a lie and it's actually made in one of those two places.



As Gamma noted; hones matter too, as does technique... but frankly if the razor is junk; which it might be; anything else is a nonstarter.

 

[Grizzly Chin Fluff]

An uneven bevel is caused by a bad grind or from the honing technique, and of course a combination of both.
I don't know anything about the steel. Even if the steel is bad, you should still be able to shave arm hair. It might not take and hold an edge, but that is a the next step.
Even if it turns out that it's a razor shaped object, you can still practice honing with it. You might need to adjust your expectations a little if that is the case.
A razor with an uneven bevel caused by the grind can shave well if it is honed right.
What stones are you using?
If you use to much pressure on a soft stone, you only need one stroke were you dig a little into the stone to round off the edge.

An uneven bevel is caused by a bad grind or from the honing technique, and of course a combination of both.
I don't know anything about the steel. Even if the steel is bad, you should still be able to shave arm hair. It might not take and hold an edge, but that is a the next step.
Even if it turns out that it's a razor shaped object, you can still practice honing with it. You might need to adjust your expectations a little if that is the case.
A razor with an uneven bevel caused by the grind can shave well if it is honed right.
What stones are you using?
If you use to much pressure on a soft stone, you only need one stroke were you dig a little into the stone to round off the edge.

You’re right i can still use it for honing practice if turns out it’s bad blade! Then it wouldn’t have been a complete waste of my money This are the whetstones i’m using (or rather double stone):

It’s not a big brand. So it’s probably not the best off quality. But i also found this on the 8000 grit side:

That little dot is like a tiny whetstone pebble stuck on the surface. Probably a bad thing.

 

[Seelector]

This are the whetstones i’m using (or rather double stone):

I bought a 1000/6000 combo whetstone off the river website a few years ago to tune up my dull kitchen knives. It looks pretty similar to yours. Seems to be made from sand held together with some sort of binder. It dishes like crazy and I don't let it near any of my knives any more (I'm not a knife guy, these are not super expensive knives I'm talking about here).

You're going to have to ditch that stone and pony up for something better quality to get better results. The other option is lapping film. That's a great cost-effective option for beginners, it's how I started and I still use film sometimes.

Edit: here's the lapping film thread: Lapping film, try it. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/lapping-film-try-it.283576/

 

[Grizzly Chin Fluff]

Which 3k and 8k stones are you using?
Stone quality can matter, a lot. Your 8k may not measure up to what most of use use as an 8k and even if it does, there are a lot of people who finish on higher grit stones.

Have those stones been flattened and chamfered?
Where did that razor come from? Who is the maker? Where was it made?

Note - trying to set a bevel on an unknown razor of unknown worth might not work.
The steel might not be up for the task.
But if it is up for the task, trying to set the 1st bevel on a 3k stone will take exponentially longer than your needed time on the 8k. You'll find most of us use a stone in the 1k range for bevel work.

Learn about the sharpie test - use it.

There are a few YT videos about setting bevels on razors.
Get the stones sorted. Educate yourself on bevel setting procedure.
Use the search function on B&B to find threads pertaining to your situation.
There are probably hundreds of posts on bevel set work.

The uneven-ness you are looking at, is not your edge. Those shiny panels on the side are the faces of the bevel and they need to meet at an apex; that apex is the edge.
Regardless of the shape of those bevel faces, you must create an edge to shave.
Many good shaving razors have uneven bevels like that.
All good shaving razors have a perfectly set bevel with an apex that cuts correctly though.

The bevel is the edge.
No bevel means no edge.
Learn to set the bevel so you can manage a shave with it. Then you're 'there' or close.
Progressing to finer grits before that level of bevel refinement is achieved is not advisable.

Thanks for your input and for sharing the correct nomenclature. I’ll look into “Bevel setting”. This is the whetstone i used:

As you can see it’s a doubled up whetstone. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. It’s not a big brand. I went for the most cost efficient one, and this one was on special. So it’s probably not the best off quality. But i also found this on the 8000 grit side:

That little dot is like a tiny whetstone pebble stuck on the surface. Probably not a good thing.

Anyway, i did flatten the stones. I used sandpaper, as you can already tell i’m going as cheap as possible🫣

Im not sure what you mean by “Chamfered”.

I bought this razor as a beginner set from Beard Boys (It came with a brush and a strop). Beard boys is a local South african shop.

 

[Grizzly Chin Fluff]

Where is the razor from? IE; what's the brand and site it was bought from?


Very very basic rules for straight razors:

If it's made in Pakistan, it's worthless. Pakistan cutting tools are 100% display... they make them from unsorted recycling "steel"; basically they burn garbage and make "steel" ingots out of the metal slag that they can then collect.

If it's made in China, it may be ok. May not be. Chinese steel has gotten better in the past 30 years or so... but it depends on the source/maker... and even with good steel; plenty of razor makers don't know how to properly design or grind a razor... but some do.

If it says it's made anywhere other than those two places; it's probably a lie and it's actually made in one of those two places.



As Gamma noted; hones matter too, as does technique... but frankly if the razor is junk; which it might be; anything else is a nonstarter.

Thanks for the advice! My razor came from a local South African store called Beard Boys. I bought it as a beginner set.

 

[Grizzly Chin Fluff]

I bought a 1000/6000 combo whetstone off the river website a few years ago to tune up my dull kitchen knives. It looks pretty similar to yours. Seems to be made from sand held together with some sort of binder. It dishes like crazy and I don't let it near any of my knives any more (I'm not a knife guy, these are not super expensive knives I'm talking about here).

You're going to have to ditch that stone and pony up for something better quality to get better results. The other option is lapping film. That's a great cost-effective option for beginners, it's how I started and I still use film sometimes.

Edit: here's the lapping film thread: Lapping film, try it. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/lapping-film-try-it.283576/

Hey Seelector, thanks for your advise. It’s tough to swallow but your probably right about getting a new whetstone I’ll also check out “Lapping film” thanks.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

Here's a relevant video about stones like this.

 

[Seelector]

Here's a relevant video about stones like this.

LOL that blue and white stone is the exact one I bought

At least I only paid $30 for a paperweight and not $50 like the guy in the video.

 

[Gamma]

Thanks for your input and for sharing the correct nomenclature. I’ll look into “Bevel setting”. This is the whetstone i used:As you can see it’s a doubled up whetstone. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. It’s not a big brand. I went for the most cost efficient one, and this one was on special. So it’s probably not the best off quality. But i also found this on the 8000 grit sideThat little dot is like a tiny whetstone pebble stuck on the surface. Probably not a good thing.

Anyway, i did flatten the stones. I used sandpaper, as you can already tell i’m going as cheap as possible🫣

Im not sure what you mean by “Chamfered”.

I bought this razor as a beginner set from Beard Boys (It came with a brush and a strop). Beard boys is a local South african shop.

Flattening whetstones on sandpaper is do-able, but it is important to verify flatness with a good quality straightedge.
Some people draw a pencil grid and lap it off, that doesn't mean the stone is flat.

Your stone looks like a 'BearMoo' - or one of the follow up brands they are sold under. The names keep changing so the bad reviews get washed away with a new listing. While it is possible to make some cheap stones work, it's not a path many find success with. I had two BearMoo stones from Amazon, they were not good quality and I returned them. I would not recommend them to anyone learning to hone razors.

Chamfering a stone is putting a 45 degree angle to the edges. Some roll the edge off with a radius, same thing. This keeps the edges 'safe'.

I am not familiar with Beard Boys or your razor and I am not fond of guessing or investing work into unknown things. I am also not a member of the 'silk purse/sow's ear' club. When asked for direction, I usually suggest starting off with a decent vintage razor from a known and trusted source.

 

[Legion]

Thanks for your input and for sharing the correct nomenclature. I’ll look into “Bevel setting”. This is the whetstone i used:View attachment 1706666View attachment 1706667
As you can see it’s a doubled up whetstone. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. It’s not a big brand. I went for the most cost efficient one, and this one was on special. So it’s probably not the best off quality. But i also found this on the 8000 grit side:

That little dot is like a tiny whetstone pebble stuck on the surface. Probably not a good thing.

Anyway, i did flatten the stones. I used sandpaper, as you can already tell i’m going as cheap as possible🫣

Im not sure what you mean by “Chamfered”.

I bought this razor as a beginner set from Beard Boys (It came with a brush and a strop). Beard boys is a local South african shop.

If that pebble doesnt get scrubbed away by lapping, dig it out. It's better to have a hole than a lump. You get them sometimes with natural stones as well, and the hole left behind is not usually an issue, as long as you catch the inclusion before it damages anything. Because it definitely will.

 

[Bowmaker]

Looks like the bevel is larger at the heel and toe on both sides of the razor. If so that is what I would expect to see on a razor that had a frown. I can't tell for sure if that is part of the problem from the picture.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Here in the US (where I live) you can buy good quality used vintage razors on eBay for 20 to 30 USD. Get yourself a couple of inexpensive used vintage razors to learn to hone on. Lots of good videos on YouTube.

Keith Johnson (@Gamma) has many good ones:

https://www.youtube.com/@KeithVJohnson1/videos

Alfredo (@Doc226):

@gary haywood:

And keep the questions coming.

 

[Bowmaker]

There are probably all kinds of ways to remove a frown but that is what I would do first. Get the edge straight or even a slight smile.

You will learn a lot from this razor, however it turns out.

 

[Kyle89]

You will learn a lot from this razor, however it turns out.

Wise words