Does this look normal?

[Taylor of Bank Street]

So, the journey continues and I've dipped my proverbial toe into the dark and unknown waters of straights.
I've worked my way through a lot of articles on here and a lot of YouTube instructional videos.

Tried out the razor just a wee bit, straight out of the box, no honing, no stropping. It was sharp enough to cut leg hair with ease, but tugged on my facial scruff. Given that it hadn't received a proper honing, this is pretty much what I expected.

I took the opportunity about two weeks ago to have the razor honed while on travel. Tried it out this morning and I was not impressed. It cuts hair yes, but it doesn't feel 'razor sharp'. It doesn't feel much sharper than it was pre-honing. More worrying though, the blade looks like uneven amounts of metal have been taken out of it. I tried to take a few pictures against some lined paper to illustrate this.

My instincts say this is not good, but I haven't yet built up the knowledge and experience to know for certain.

What say we all, does this look normal and I'm being a picky worrywart or have things genuinely gone sideways?

I tried to scale the pictures down. I have bigger ones if necessary.

Taylor

 

[rockviper]

Looks like it has developed the start of a pronounced frown to me, which is quite the bummer on a new blade (or any blade, for that matter).

 

[ANeat]

If that was a new razor and someone sharpened it they screwed it up to put it lightly.... severely uneven hone wear

 

[jpcwon]

Looks like it does indeed have a frown...

The razor is still probably salvagable, but it will unfortunately need much more steel removal....Did you say this razor was new?

 

[Taylor of Bank Street]

Aw, ffffffffffffffffffudge. Three consistent opinions says it all.

Yes, brand new. As handed over before honing, the blade hadn't been exposed to anything more coarse than my whiskers.

It looks like I'm going to need to send this out again. I think I'll be comfortable honing once it's up and running, but now it seems that I'm in territory beyond simple maintenance. This time it's only going to go to someone either from here or widely recommended here. Whipped dog seems to be highly regarded, any other suggestions?

T.

 

[global_dev]

did you send this to someone who hones knives or razors? this is terrible IMHO.honestly though it looks like the image itself is a bit warped, or is that just my optics?

 

[rickboone1]

It's hard to tell if that's an optical illusion with the lines or if it's really a frown... Hard to say. Uneven wear can be pretty common on a lot of razors, they tend to correct themselves so to speak. You'll see the hone wear mimmicked on the spine as you will the edge. Anyway... all that's not important. What I mean is it's hard to tell.

If the razor was used, it is possible that the frown was there before you sent it out.

 

[jpcwon]

I mean besides the potential frown, there is a $%&#-load of hone wear for just a "one-time" honing....I'd be curious as to what the honer used stone-wise, and like global dev said, I would not be surprised if the honer hones knives normally as it appears that the person was very heavy-handed...

 

[global_dev]

just added pic of some straight lines. very hard to tell whats gonig on here, but there is some poor honing for sure,

 

[rickboone1]

Well, hone wear is going to happen. Especially if the razor has/ had issues with warping or anything like that. Which, this looks like it may have a little bit, indicated by the heavy hone wear right in line with the problem area on the edge.

 

[Kentos]

Man, I hope that wasn't a brand new razor before it was honed.

 

[DFSDAILY]

The way it's worn on the spine and edge it looks like the person sharpening it took it to a grinding wheel of some sort. I couldn't imagine a coticule or Norton or any stone would do that. I'm no expert though.

 

[rickboone1]

I'll fix it for you. Send it over.

 

[rajagra]

I'm no expert, but that looks like a huge amount of spine wear - and uneven too.
It's possible the blade itself is warped causing this effect, but I doubt it. Almost looks like a belt sander was used.

Edit> Pic 3 shows scuffing on the side of the blade right where there is heavy spine wear - seriously worrying.

 

[seanusa]

I'll fix it for you. Send it over.

Very generous offer sir, yet again another shining example of why I like this forum and its community of wonderful people.

 

[ANeat]

The wear on the spine looks terrible, I wouldnt want someone that did that to sharpen my knives , I wouldnt want my mower blades to look like that.


Sorry to see that T. You may just want to get a shave ready from Whipped Dog to get you going

 

[raccoonandbrush]

Wow! That's a lot of spine wear on a new razor.

 

[Taylor of Bank Street]

Sorry for the delay, took a bit to get another pic and figure out the multi-quotes...

I'll fix it for you. Send it over.

Rick,
Will send you a pm. You're awesome!

Man, I hope that wasn't a brand new razor before it was honed.

To clarify the bad news: yes, she was brand spanking new. Not just, 'new to me', but new in the sense that she had not ever been honed.

I could be off on my perceptions of how sharp it is, since I don't yet have the experience, and perhaps I'm wrong. On the hone wear, it looks like it is indeed a bit of a mess as confirmed by you folks.

Here's a pic I just took to try to capture the unevenness along the blade edge. I'm sure touching the edge to a surface would normally be a no no...but in this case, I don't think I'll be setting myself back much further.

 

[inspiringK]

I'm no expert, but that looks like a huge amount of spine wear - and uneven too.
It's possible the blade itself is warped causing this effect, but I doubt it. Almost looks like a belt sander was used.

Edit> Pic 3 shows scuffing on the side of the blade right where there is heavy spine wear - seriously worrying.

Yes, picture 3 is really troubling.

I would be tempted to approach the person who you paid to hone this, but I am not sure of the details in this case.

 

[Taylor of Bank Street]

Yes, picture 3 is really troubling.

I would be tempted to approach the person who you paid to hone this, but I am not sure of the details in this case.

I'm not likely to be in their city in the immediate future and it's not a dollar value worth the international tangle. Lesson learned: where possible use the services of those which others here can vouch for.

Almost looks like a belt sander was used.

There's a few comments that seem to suspect some electric machinery was involved. I'm having flashbacks to the 'bad kid' in my grade 8 shop/industrial arts class getting in trouble from the instructor for taking one of his tools to the grinding wheel...