Check out these fascinating videos Jarrod from TSS posted a while back. They demonstrate the use and purpose of the arched hones that Dovo uses at the facory
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Slice these videos are interesting indeed! What's fascinating to me is that Dovo is required to prepare there hones in this manner per the trade guild guidelines according to the 2nd video...The high point that he describes is how a lot of vintage razor hones are found. Many Thuringian, cotis, and almost every single Pierre DSO I've bought came this way.
I always assumed it was a result of how they were leveled by the mines and just meant the hone had seen little use. Interesting that he suggests that they might have developed the high centers due to use (honing on the edge of the stone inward).
Thanks for the pics Steve. Deffinately some crafty hone work. Honing difficult blades in a manner that works in harmony with a razors geometry rather than against it is still kind of like honing wizardry to me...I don't have videos but the idea is pretty simple. This method is for honing a frown, not removing it.
The narrow hone is usually used with a sliding stroke so the hone can ride into the frown, just like the technique that likely created it.
You can also use back and forth strokes on the corner of a hone to ride into the hone if you don't have a narrow hone or one thick enough to use the side.
Cheers, Steve
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Thanks for the pics Steve. Deffinately some crafty hone work. Honing difficult blades in a manner that works in harmony with a razors geometry rather than against it is still kind of like honing wizardry to me...
Thanks a lot Jarrod. I've been curious about your most recent trip. Did you get any footage?update; revisited w/ Dovo in Solingen May 9. They still use only convexed bench stones.
But no more natural stones since early 2015 or so (original video was from 2011 when they still used coticules & Arkansas stones).
Also visited with 3 other Solingen straight razor productions; not all are as transparent (in wanting their internal productions showcased via YouTube videos), there's always been a vibe among older master grinders to wish to keep their trade secrets as close to the chest as possible. But all seem in agreement on the convexed bench stones issue, for that is what all used exclusively, including a tiny manufacturer in no hurry at a ll who makes under 1000 pcs per yr...there wasn't a level bench stone among them, and they're seemingly really good at getting that rise % to be miniscule, consistent, and slightly spherical rather than 'ridgeline down center line' style. One of the makers primarily uses machinery produced in 1919!
I've been curious about your most recent trip. Did you get any footage?