Thread: Is it possible (for a hobbyist) to fix hone wear?

NOTE: I've searched the forums and the wiki, but feel free to point me in the right direction if this has been covered.

So yeah, like it says on the tin: Is there anything within reason for the average hand-sander/Dremel jockey to do about relatively advanced hone wear?

Suppose it's fairly even like the Easy Aces pictured: Is it good enough to round it off with sanding and then work the blade back to a polish?

What if it's also evident on the shoulder of the blade?

None of the blades I'm looking at will break my heart if you tell me they're trash, but I like the idea of a challenge, so I'm hoping there's work that can be done. Obviously hone wear is going to change the bevel, but I figure it must take a lot before a blade is useless.

Any advice is welcome and much appreciated!

I don't understand what your trying to do. Hone wear is hone wear, you can't add steel to the razor. The razor will still shave. Will it shave the same as when it was new? No, that can't be helped. Just hone it like normal and it will shave.

Now, if you're trying to erase hone wear... Can't help you with that one.

Yes, you can do it. I've done it before.
If you do it by hand, that means you wrap sandpaper (for sanding metal, not wood) round a stick, and sand the part where the blade and the spine connect. That way, you will slowly erase the honewear. This will take a LOOOOONG time.

You can do it with power tools, in which case you need something with a small radius, because it is a hollow ground razor, and you don't want to sand into the blade or the edge itself. For example, a belt sander for wooden floors typically has a small radius, or perhaps something called an electric file.
It goed without saying that you have to watch what you are doing. Power tools + sharp objects = potentially dangerous.

Or you can try it with a dremel and certain grinding bits, but this will require some degree of experience and a steady hand, or you could mess up the blade.

If you are not too attached to the blade: give it a try. restoration is a ton of fun and a rewarding hobby. It can be addicative though
The main thing is patience. take it slow, and have fun.
Even if you don't have power tools, you can still do all of these things.

I reground this one by hand. all it takes it time and patience.
http://www.straightrazorplace.com/fo...lls-wedge.html
If I can do it, so can you.

Thanks Bruno. Just what I was looking/hoping for.

I've never tried using a dremel on a blade but I watched a forum member do it a number of times. He would keep a glass of water filled with ice cubes near the work and dip the blade in it when the heat began to build up. Just thought I would mention it as you don't want to affect the temper.

I've had the same experiences that Bruno has; actually, in my experiences the very practice of sanding the hollows of a razor with a round object automatically decreases and even eliminates hone wear. Others that have sanded this way will support this. Really, the sanding process can easily eliminate hone wear to the point that the razor will look NOS.

If you start sanding that blade in the picture correctly and take your time, you'll see that hone wear on the spine start to disappear. It's pretty cool actually.

I don't use a dremel for overall sanding so I can't speak to that. Hand sanding, a buffer and a 2 x 72 grinder.


Chris L

Two points here, one as stated above, yes it can be done...

Two, BTW we are all hobbiests I don't think any one does restoration as a actual job... if I am wrong please feel free to correct me, and all you semi-retired guys don't count

Forgive the dumb question if I'm stating the obvious ....... so this procedure is what is referred to as a regrind ?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Forgive the dumb question if I'm stating the obvious ....... so this procedure is what is referred to as a regrind ?

Hmmmm fine point there Jimmy, it could be depending on how far you take it,,,, Most people consider it a regrind when you put it on a grinder ie: the 2x72 that Chris is talking about but in all actuality there is nothing that says you can't "regrind" the face of the razor by hand...
So technically yes you are changing the contour and face of the razor so technically yes it is a re-grind....

Personally, I wouldn't want to remove metal just
for the sake of making the hone wear appear as
if it didn't exist. That is to say, all you would be
doing is making the razor lighter and look better.

Oh wait -- I guess that's what restoration is all
about. Go for it

- Scott