Heres how I think barbers did double bevels without tape

[mrmaroon]

I got in the mail today a weird little hone. I tested it out and it cut around the 4k level. It is tar like substance on wood. The rounded part looks like it would give a little, but it is all made of wood. It is weird because it is convexly shaped. I was kinda dissapointed that the edges were junk so I rehoned on a coticule. Lo-and behold! I had a double bevel with no tape!

Here are some pics

This might be a nice tool to replicate. You can created double bevels, but touch up a razors edge without tape. The best of both worlds! Has anyone else ever seen/used one of these?

Regards,
Mrmaroon

 

[Paul]

I can't begin to express how lost I am by this... How does this give you a double bevel without tape? :huh:

 

[mrmaroon]

Woops, forgot to put my theory into the post!:

Think about it, it is a rounded hone, therefore when honing a standard no tape razor, it doesn't touch the very edge. It has the same effect as removing a layer of tape. If looking at it under a microscope, it would look like a slightly hollow bevel. Taking this newly set bevel and going back to a flat stone makes it so only the very tip of the razor is touching.

Just imagine what honing on a round hone would do to a razor in your mind, it will pop in there and you will say "oh, got it." It also wears the spine at a new angle as well, at the bottom of the spine instead of the whole thing.

Regards,
Mrmaroon

 

[Bart]

So, if I understand you correctly, you would be creating concave bevel with the convex hone, and finish it on a flat hone, to get a straight secondary bevel at the tip of your main concave bevel. That's actually a micro version of a straight razor. (hollow blade; flat cutting bevel).
Could work well.

Kind regards,
Bart.

 

[mrmaroon]

You've got it bart. This must be what this thing is used for. The edge off of it alone is horrible. The abrasive is like a dried on tar with probably silicon carbide or aluminum oxide in it. I would rate it at 3-5k. It cuts VERY quickly.

 

[Bart]

Very interesting. Could you transcribe for us as much as you can make from that label?

:thumbup:
Bart.

 

[mrmaroon]

Sorry for the wait. I will type what I think it would have said if completely intact.

"Do not (bear down on the blade during ho)ning if you wish a smooth keen edge. Hold the razor blade sqare (and move across the hone) from HEEL to POINT. Strop well and shave from POINT TO HEEL."

It says nowhere that this hone is used to create double bevels. However, I can say that this thing is not meant to hone razors to shave ready condition. It reflects no light along the bevel and looks like a 1k hone. Once I reset the bevel with this, I go 5 laps on norton 4k, 2 laps on 8k, 50 laps on coticule. This gives a coticule unicot edge without tape. I can only assume that is the purpose of this device.

I imagine if you wanted to add a double bevel another way you could hollow out your finishing hone. Ive wondered about that before. I have seen a lot of natural hones for razors very concavely shaped. I think this would also serve the same purpose in creating a double bevel.

Im going to work on making another one of these, because it makes honing easy as pie! The only downside is the wacky hone-wear. It looks like shit when you finish on the coticule, because the spine isn't totally reflattened by the coticule. It has two distinct sets of hone wear on it.

Regards,
Mrmaroon

 

[Bart]

Thank you Caleb.

It's exotic stuff, but I think you are absolutely correct. It indeed does facilitate honing, in the same way Unicot does.
If I may speculate, I think that it didn't became didn't became popular, because of loom strops. In its essence a loom strop is a sort of adjustable concave hone. I know there have been and still are very popular for sharpening razors. You start with a concave bevel and put a flat microbevel on the very edge. The loom strop strategy starts with a flat bevel and puts a convex microbevel on the very edge. Both methods rely on the fact that such a small microbevel takes amazing keenness in a heartbeat.

Great thread :thumbup:

Bart.