Keeping a smile

[drathgeb]

I recently purchased a W&B on the bay. Nice looking razor and a good candidate for a restore but looks like the blade was used as a wire cutter or something. How do I restore the edge and keep the smile? These are supposed to have a smile, right?

 

[Kentos]

You would hone them out as any other. But to retain the smile you employ a rolling x stroke.

As far as it "supposed" to have that smile, it depends I found razors with a curved spine tend to have smiling edges, straight spines not as much, but YMMV.

 

[Zephyr]

A pic would help to determine wether it should have a smile or not.

 

[drathgeb]

I think This is and should smile. On closer inspection I think it might actually have a slight frown about 3/4 down the tang.


Or should I practice with "straight" razors before I try to tackle this one?

 

[Kentos]

That looks closer to a 1/4 hollow or near wedge. It might take you a while to get that ding out. Taping the spine will save you some work, but you will need to forever tape it every time it needs a touch up. If this is your first attempt at honing a 3/4 hollow might be an easier one to learn on. I would sharpie the edge and run it a few times on your hone to see how it contacts and devise a plan from there.

 

[Doc226]

That is going to be tough, edges always are.

 

[jred]

What's up with the notch on the spine?

 

[HLS]

It has been reground in previous years. I see alot of changes on the blade, the spine being one of them.

 

[ouch]

There's an old hippie era saying that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. This is true in honing, as well.

 

[drathgeb]

The picture doesn't show much but the edge seems almost serated there are so many dings on it. For another razor I had I used the breadknifing stroke to get pits and a slight frown out. For this will it be best to just hone the hell out of it?