I've seen a few pictures lately of razors with a pronounced frown on the blade. What causes this and if your buying a razor from an auction site, is a frowning blade something to avoid?

I could guess, but it would only be a guess.
Ok, my guess would be overuse of Barbers hones, or small hones, by individuals, just trying to touch it up often. Also, using them incorrectly, along with possible poor stropping techniques, with pasted strops, not stropping or honing the entire blade.

+1 on the poor honing technique.

Yep


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Uneven grinding made worse by amateur honing without tape, this is why even if you don't want to tape, it is a good idea to at least start with tape to read the razor, yes that was a hint

The idea perpetrated by Youtube vids that straight up and down Honing and Stropping is somehow okay, if the hone or strop is wide enough


Simply put: User Error

They are a pain to fix and are usually sported on well worn razors with wonky spine wear, so I always avoid them. I always look for little to no wear which more often then not on a vintage razor means perfect geometry. I think Glen nailed the answer on why they are like that.

I'm sorry guys but I don't understand. I'm trying to learn and I would really appreciate some help with this, please. Glen, have you made a beginners stropping and honing video? I might put one up showing what I do, then you can all tell me off!

I have a short, narrow strop and have to strop in an 'x' shape. Why does stropping straight up and down, if the strop is wide enough, damage the blade. Is there somehow extra pressure on the centre of the blade?

I have a small finishing stone, I've used it three times and I t's wide enough to fit my razor, so I have honed the razor with it's full length on the stone, in a straight up and down (back and forth) motion. I keep my index fingers lightly on the heel and toe of the blade. Same question: how does this wear the blade from the centre?

Glen I watched your video a little while back; I didn't understand some of it. You talked about torsion and rotated the blade on the honing stone. What does this do? Why is it important? Should I be doing that movement on my touch up stone?

I just watched this one:

Also people years ago with no real honing skills, probably did not look after there hones, ie.... they would not of been perfectly flat (well thats how modern day honers like to think of there own hones) so that coupled with poor honing technique would also of added to a frowning blade.

I will let Glen answer this one, as its his video,

A great video imho, watching someone new being shown how to hone for me was great idea, I watched this video a few times when I was starting to hone, Im grateful for people like Glen who are happy to share there knowledge and give up there time to help.

Well, honing is a personal thing. I've honed all types of screwed up blades, and have fixed frowns. I grind down the frown, until it's straight, then work on that area, until a bevel is starting. Then my regular(irregular) honing style.

I do use a small circular motion, from one end of the bevel setter stones(800 grit, 1k, and 3k), to end. Then back the other way, as many times as needed, until the bevel comes up. I start with moderate pressure, and end with very light pressure the closer to setting the bevel I get. I then end it with straight strokes and a majority of x strokes. After the bevel is set, and I get to the stones 8k and above, I use straight strokes, and a large majority of x strokes. The higher the grit stone, the lighter the pressure. If need be, I will use a rocking motion, to be able to hone the entire blade. Because not all blades are perfectly flat.
I hope this helps, and I explained it well enough.

There is a Notion Perpetuated in Forums that the User Doesn't Require X Strokes with a Large Stone Wide Enough for the Blade or a 3 Inch Strop..To Me there Was a Reason in Days Gone By Why Strops were Largely Less than 3 Inches..They were Designed for Using X Strokes..X Stroke Ensure the FULL Length of the Blade is Honed or Stropped..

The Energy of the Stroke is Spread Evenly Along the Blade During the X Stroke..The Energy Gets Channelled to the Centre of the Blade when Stropping or Honing with the Blade Straight Up & Down..

Personally I Like to Feel the CENTRE of the Blade when I Am Honing..The Centre or Centre Line of the Blade is the Weakest Point..The Centre Line of a Human Being is the Weakest Point..That's what the Chinese Gung Fu Masters Mean by.." Protect You're Garden"..

Billy..

I made a video, which I can't embed here or link to from Facebook. Computers - aren't they meant to make life easier?

Simply put

The razor must move evenly and equally on the hone and the strop, it must

The hones are NOT dead flat at the Micon level of the edge nor are the strops, nor are most razors, to get the Even and Equal "Touch" one must move across the surface at the same time as moving up and down the surface. This gives the most even and equal touch possible..

You are by far not the only person that questions it, and why it doesn't actually wear out the toe more

Honing is actually quite simple, you have to watch the small ripple of water at the front of the edge, it tells you everything you need to know..
You must apply the minimal amount of pressure and torque to keep that wave either in front of the edge or riding up on the edge.
It also will show you why the X stroke of some type works best, and straight up an down doesn't it is quite obvious
Oddly riding the wave also adjusts your pressure as the bevel gets sharper and smoother, it takes less pressure and torque to ride that wave

What is NOT simple is attaining the fine motor skills required to do all that

Billy..

Glenn, that's an excellent explanation and very helpful. Thanks.

I don’t recommend wearing traditional boxing gloves when honing as they can be quite cumbersome. Fingerless MMA gloves, if you must.

Hey, why does the Bacon Lord have a picture of Col. Sanders as his avatar?
Blasphemy, I say!

Bacon + the Colonel's Chicken yields the ultimate 'double-down.'

Ideal for bacon enthusiasts and those who wish to aggressively trim years off their life expectancy!

I need to start trimming, now. Nobody lives forever!